Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimara Hentley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kimara. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, my journey started on Sept29,2019 at 12pm. I woke up telling myself I was in a place very unhappy, and I refuse to go another day feeling this way, I have two small children depending on me (2) & (4).
So, I went to the salon I was managing at the time and took all of my belongings, and then went to my bank and withdrew most of my money which was less than 3,000. I then drove to the nearest gas station and bought snacks, and gas, and we hopped on the freeway headed to Houston Texas. At the time I only knew one person name Taquana Smith.
I arrived in Houston on Oct 1,2019 at 10:30 pm. I arrived with 1 change of clothes for my children including myself. So, within two weeks that money was gone! I knew I had to do something fast. So, I sent my resume to ZipRecruiter and other online job sites. However, salon manager of Ulta beauty reached out to me and set a day and time for an interview. For my interview I also had to do a demo on a live person which was very hard to find considering I only knew 1 person. However, we made it work and today I’m Ulta top producer for store 1331.! By above I had a job and I moved into my very own apartment in November.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was very tough you know. It was hard to find a daycare that I felt was suitable for my children, it was a six months to one year waiting list to receive a voucher for childcare. Which made it hard to find a job and even work! The next thing that became extremely hard was Holiday season, I have an oldest child who was 19 at the time, and my husband and family was back home in Cleveland Ohio. So, holidays were very depressing and lonely for me, I made it durable for the children. However, Christmas time came and I almost had a breakdown because I couldn’t afford a tree.
Please tell us about your business.
Well, I am branding myself at Ulta beauty located in the heights of Houston. I specialize in giving great service to not only my clients but the guests who visit the store. I’m known for converting, getting people to want to get their hair done. They could come in to buy makeup, but after introducing myself, they book an appointment with me rather it’s same day or for the future. I’m proud of the quality in products and service we provide for our clients. What sets me apart from others is I educate my client on their hair, and explain step by step on what I’m doing and why.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would do differently would be, I wish I moved to Houston sooner! Simple. I was in Houston for five months before the covid-19 shut down, once they started to slowly open up again, I decided to visit my daughter for her 20tg birthday as a surprise on April19,2020, except I was faced with a surprise! However, everyone in Houston has been so nice and accepting to my children and I that I was glad to close the chapter for good in Ohio.
Pricing:
- Sewins starting at 150$
- Silk press starting at 65$
- Haircuts/ blow dry starting at 45$
- Prontos starting at 100$
- Keratin treatment starting at 200$
Contact Info:
- Phone: 713-331-0065
- Instagram: Kimarastyles
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
