Jayleen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins at 5 years old. Its 1998, I’m watching Matilda for the first time and I was in love with her hair. Specifically her bangs. So much so I found myself a pair of scissors and performed my very first haircut on myself. It was horrible, it was slanted, some of my hair was cut to the scalp. Not at all what I intended. I decided that If I was going to cut hair again, it wouldn’t be on myself anymore. I downgraded to barbies and dolls. After that, being in hair salons and watching professionals cutting hair became so fascinating!
I grew up in the Bronx, NY up until the age of 10 years old. My mother and father were young parents and figuring out life themselves, it wasn’t always easy. We moved around and I went to a lot of different schools. With that, I became comfortable adapting to my environment quickly. As a young girl, I admired my mother’s persona and I wanted to be just like her. My father always made me feel like the only girl in the world. They are both so supportive and extremely hard workers. They showed me the value of showing up and being consistent. I am their only daughter and I have 4 brothers. To say the least, life was filled with wrestling, video games, and lots of babysitting. I gravitated towards art and music my entire life. It’s always so fascinating to me how people can express themselves in such a way that it allows you to connect with others, your deeper self, the universe, whatever it may be! I knew I wanted to find a lane being a creative so I could make a living being completely myself, free, and connecting with people. I went to Dominican Salons a lot growing up. To this day I can still remember the smell the hair products, the smoke from the blowdryers. I can still feel the energy of a salon, full of Spanish women talking, laughing, and feeling beautiful. If you know, you know. I am influenced by 90s/2000’s fashion. Im all about bouncy blow outs, layers, crimps, waves, braids. I got hairstyle inspiration from my favorite celebrities like Selena, Aaliyah, Britney Spears, Jlo.
In 2003 my family and I took a 3-day roadtrip and moved to Houston, Texas. We had family here already and my mother wanted a different life for us. At first, Texas was a bit of a culture shock. No more snow, walking to most places, or taking a train. Little did I know Texas would become home and the beginning of stability for us all.
As I got older and went into Highschool, I loved playing around with makeup and different hairstyles, cuts/colors. I went back to cutting my own hair and eventually started cutting and styling some of my friend’s hair. When it was time to think deep on my future, I battled myself on if being in the beauty industry would be sustainable. I started with community college to see if eventually I would find a career that would peak my interest. But my curiosity for the beauty industry grew and I would always think to myself “Will I regret it if I don’t try?” After my first year of college, I was pretty much struggling to sit in a class. I was working waitressing & bartending jobs while going to school. I felt I was working towards something I didn’t want. So I took a step back. Before signing up for a new semester I decided to take a tour at Paul Mitchell The School Houston. It took about 5 seconds after walking through those doors for me to feel like I am where Im suppose to be. I felt like that little girl that sat in salons wondering “Can I grow up and do this?” It felt like a full circle moment. Before I knew it, I was walking into my first day of Cosmetology School at 21 years old.
My time at Paul Mitchell was great. I made beautiful friendships, met amazing beauty professionals and learned so much! It was the busiest I ever been. I was working at a salon as an assistant/apprentice 7am-4pm and going to school from 5pm-10pm. I did that for 2 years and it was the best 2 years of my life! Now nearly 10 years after my first day of cosmetology school I found myself cutting my grand opening ribbon for my first salon suite! ShadesBae Studio. If it weren’t for my clients and village of family and friends I would not be where I am today.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After I completed 1500 hours At Paul Mitchell and entered the real world of hair styling I was surprised with how difficult it was to find a “salon home”. This industry can be cut throat but also so very rewarding. After years of not finding a Salon I’m proud to be apart of, I thought it was time to prepare myself to do Hair on my own terms. It took years of keeping my head down, working, saving, practicing, and keeping up with trends before I felt ready to bet on myself.
We’ve been impressed with ShadesBae Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
ShadesBae Studio is a Salon Suite Located at Sola Salon Cinco Ranch East. I am a Hairstylist and specialize in Balayage, Haircuts and Lived-in Looks which allow my clients to have low maintenance hair color and styles without breaking the bank every 4-6 weeks.
The name ShadesBae really came with trial and error ideas. I went through a list of hair-related terms that stood out to me and put them together with trendy words. I felt “ShadesBae” had a nice ring to it, suited my personality and was trendy. My family and friends co-signed. I went for it! It feels surreal to be in a place I didn’t think I’d reach. ShadesBae was born January 2024 and it has been the most rewarding and humbling experience so far! I look forward to growing the ShadesBae name, growing my clientele, connecting with so many different people and learning every step of the way. One thing I have learned over the last 10 years is that being a Hairstylist comes with accepting that being perfect just isn’t real and its not something I achieve to be. I just want to be the best version of myself and be the stylist my loving and supporting clients deserve.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love the book “Its Not Really About the Hair” by Tabatha Coffey. To me, its like a journal to help you find your most powerful and successful self. Hairstylist and new salon business owners would find great value with this book! Some might even call it a manuel to success in this industry.
“The Mountain is You” by Brianna Wiest. As someone who struggles with confidence and prepares for the worst, this book is a warm blanket. It really helped me determine and “transform” self sabotaging. This was so important for me to be faced with as I battled through the idea of failure and often times convinced myself to not open a Salon Suite at all for the fear of failing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shadesbaestudio.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: jayleen.shadesbae
- Facebook: shadesbaestudio
Image Credits
B.Clarke
