Today we’d like to introduce you to Delonza Jeme’.
Hi Delonza, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into the beauty industry began long before I ever imagined it would become my life’s calling. For years, doing hair was simply something I loved — something that came naturally. I didn’t see it as a divine gift until one day my grandmother looked at me and said, “Baby, this is from God. He’s going to use you to help people see themselves the way He sees them.” That moment shifted everything. I realized my hands weren’t just styling hair — they were restoring confidence, identity, and hope.
I also come from a lineage of strength and sacrifice. I am the granddaughter of Wharlest Jackson Sr., a good man who was murdered in Mississippi by the KKK after accepting a higher-paying job that had previously been reserved only for white employees. He took the opportunity not for recognition, but to better provide for his family. His courage, his leadership, and the price he paid have never left my spirit. I often feel that in building my business, in choosing dignity over fear, and in creating opportunities not just for myself but for my children — I am living out the dream he never got to finish.
Life pushed me toward my purpose in ways I never expected. After losing my mother, my sister, and my brother, I was drowning in grief. Shortly after, I spent a week in the hospital from stress-induced internal bleeding, and when the doctor handed me advanced directives paperwork, I knew something had to change. Not long after that, the pandemic hit, and I made the hardest yet bravest decision of my life: I packed my kids into the car and moved to Houston to start a life worth living.
When we arrived, all I had was $2,300, my children, my faith, and the gift my grandmother told me God entrusted me with. We started our Texas journey homeless, uncertain, and completely on our own. But I fought like hell to rebuild our lives. I held onto my purpose, and I held onto the belief that the life I prayed for was still possible.
Through doing hair, I’ve met incredible people who saw my worth even when I was still learning to see it in myself. My clients gave me a chance — and every transformation I created transformed me right back. From nothing, I built a six-figure clientele, a luxury brand, and a reputation rooted in excellence, integrity, and love. My business, Answered Pray-Hair Salon, represents exactly what it sounds like: prayers answered through perseverance, through faith, and through showing up even when life tried to take me out.
The road hasn’t been easy. Tough economic shifts recently pushed me to close my suite and relocate, but I remain the proud owner and creator of Answered Pray-Hair Salon — and the mission continues. Every day, I work to push past the obstacles that try to make me back down, because I know too many people are watching, praying for strength of their own.
I want my story to be proof that your circumstances do not determine your destiny. If I could rebuild my life from deep loss, sickness, homelessness, and starting over with almost nothing… then someone else out there can too. I’m only just beginning, and I hope my journey reminds others that their gift, their story, and their resilience matter — and that God can take what was meant to break you and turn it into something beautiful.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, my journey has not been a smooth road. It has been unpredictable, painful, miraculous, and transformative — all at the same time. Every chapter has demanded resilience, faith, and a level of strength I didn’t even know I had.
When I first moved to Houston during the pandemic, the salons were completely shut down. I had two children, $2,300 to my name, and no job opportunities in my field. I became a waitress at Whiskey Cake just to survive. Two days before they fired me, I met a woman who told me something that changed my life: she said God was completely and deeply in love with me, and that He was going to help me — and that she would be part of that help. Two days later, they let me go, and instead of sinking, God sent provision. That same woman and her friends moved my children and me out of the hotel we were living in and into a mansion in Greatwood. They gave us furniture, food, stability, childcare — everything we needed to get back on our feet. They poured into me until I was strong enough to pour into myself again.
When the salons finally reopened, I stepped back into doing hair and started rebuilding. But even then, the road was far from easy. I experienced being set up, lied on, betrayed, and pushed out — not because I wasn’t good at my job, but because I was.
At one salon, the owner fired me on Mother’s Day simply because I was a high producer and her clients wanted to sit in my chair. I had asked for the day off to spend with my kids — finally in a stable place — and instead of honoring that, she told me I could have the day off and take all my things with me. Losing that job hurt, but I didn’t know yet that God was positioning me.
At another salon, the stylists became jealous because my retail numbers were the highest and my chair was always booked. Instead of putting in the work I tried to teach them, they went to the owner and lied, saying I was stealing clients and creating drama. It worked — temporarily. The owner fired me, but something in her spirit didn’t sit right. After I left, all the problems continued because they were never coming from me. She called me back, apologized, and admitted she had made a mistake. She offered me the opportunity to return as an independent stylist — and that’s where Answered Pray-Hair Salon was born. That’s also where I made my first $10k month behind the chair, something I once only dreamed of.
But even success didn’t protect me from instability. The salon I was working in eventually began struggling financially, and news spread that it might be sold. I opened my first salon suite in Sugar Land Town Square — but the investment group eventually lost the location. I then moved my business to Spire Salon Suites, where I was grateful to have a space to continue serving my clients. When a new opportunity arose that aligned even more with my long-term vision and needs, I made the transition to Euphoria Hair Studios. Meanwhile, I was fighting through exhaustion, stress, and the pressure of having to rebuild over and over again.
Then my car broke down. Valvoline pressured me into getting a transmission flush, and it caused nearly $12,000 in damage. They refused to take responsibility. With no reliable transportation and endless stress piling up, I had to close my suite — the business I had poured my soul into.
Just when I thought I had nothing left to give, a door opened. I was offered a position as a Master Stylist at Euphoria Hair Studios in Sugar Land, where I’ve been able to continue serving my clients with excellence and rebuild my foundation.
All of this has happened while I’ve also been fighting for housing stability — dealing with ERA2 program complications and even a maintenance man stalking me. It has been overwhelming, unfair, frightening at times, and a constant battle to protect my peace, my children, and my future.
Yet, despite every obstacle — grief, homelessness, job loss, sabotage, financial setbacks, discrimination, unreliable transportation, and housing instability — I have never stopped. I have never quit. Every setback pushed me closer to my purpose. Every injustice strengthened my voice. Every loss deepened my empathy. And every time something tried to break me, God rebuilt me stronger.
My journey is living proof that you can rise from absolutely nothing — and keep rising, no matter how many times life tries to knock you down.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a hairstylist, healthy-hair specialist, braid artist, and beauty curator, my work centers around creating transformational experiences for women of every race, background, and texture. I specialize in luxury blonding, corrective color, extensions, precision cutting, protective styles, natural hair care, and customized braid services. My approach blends artistry with science — focusing not only on creating beautiful results, but on restoring the health, strength, and longevity of my clients’ hair.
One of the things I am most known for is helping women grow their hair back. Many of my clients come to me with damage, breakage, or frustration, and they leave with a plan, a restored sense of hope, and visible progress. I take pride in being a multicultural stylist who can seamlessly transition between textures, curl patterns, and cultural beauty traditions. Whether I’m lifting someone to a bright blonde, installing extensions, silk-pressing natural curls, or creating a protective braid style, I customize each service to honor the client’s individuality.
But what truly sets my work apart is the experience behind it — the luxury, the healing, and the ministry woven into every appointment.
Luxury Brand:
I believe beauty should feel elevated, intentional, and personal. From the moment clients sit in my chair, they step into a space crafted with excellence — from premium products to elevated techniques to a level of care that makes them feel like they’re the only person in the room. My clients consistently tell me things like, “This is the best my hair has ever looked,” or “I’ve never experienced service like this before.” I’ve built my brand on consistency, professionalism, artistry, and a standard of excellence that makes women feel pampered and prioritized.
Healing + Ministry:
My chair is a safe space. Often, I find that when I’m working on someone’s hair, I’m also helping them heal something deeper. Clients have shared that they leave feeling lighter, seen, renewed, and spiritually lifted. My grandmother told me years ago that my gift would help people see themselves the way God sees them — and that is the foundation of my career. Doing hair is my ministry. I pour love, encouragement, peace, and empowerment into the women who trust me with their crowns.
Multicultural Expertise:
I’m proud to be a stylist who can beautifully and confidently serve clients across all races, textures, and backgrounds. I’m known for being versatile — able to take care of natural coils, fine straight hair, textured curls, relaxed hair, protective styles, and everything in between. Many clients have told me, “No one has ever been able to do my hair like this,” or “I’ve finally found someone who understands my texture.” That inclusivity and mastery of healthy hair care sets me apart in an industry where many women struggle to find someone who can truly care for their hair.
What I’m most proud of is the impact — not just the transformations you can see in photos, but the emotional and spiritual shifts that happen in my chair. I don’t just create beautiful hair; I help women walk out feeling restored, confident, and ready to step into the highest version of themselves.
My work is art, yes — but it’s also purpose, healing, and legacy.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My first and most important mentor has always been God. Every major decision I’ve made — from rebuilding my life to stepping into new opportunities — has come from listening to the Holy Spirit and trusting His guidance. Before I look for people to follow, I seek God’s voice. That has never failed me.
I am also blessed to be spiritually covered by Pastor Keion Henderson and the Lighthouse Church. Being part of that community has shaped my mindset, strengthened my faith, and taught me how to navigate both life and leadership with wisdom. My church family has been a source of encouragement, accountability, and support in seasons where I could have easily given up. Their prayers and their presence have helped guide me through transitions that I didn’t always understand at the time but were necessary for my growth.
When it comes to finding mentors in a practical sense, what has worked best for me is staying open, observant, and discerning. Mentors don’t always show up wearing a title. Sometimes they are people you meet for a moment, sometimes they are the ones assigned to you for a season, and sometimes they walk with you for a lifetime. I’ve learned to watch how people live, not just what they say. I look for integrity, fruit, character, and alignment — not popularity.
My advice to anyone looking for a mentor is this:
Ask God first. Then pay attention to who He sends.
Seek out people who embody the life, discipline, and values you aspire to. Surround yourself with people who can correct you without breaking you, challenge you without competing with you, and support you without expecting something in return.
Networking has also been powerful for me, but not in the traditional sense. I meet people by showing up authentically, by being excellent at what I do, and by building real relationships rooted in kindness and purpose. The right people always find their way into your life when you are aligned with your calling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Apsdstafford.zoca.com
- Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/delonzadoesmyhair
- Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/delonzadoesmyhair
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delonza-sylvester-2b6aa5296
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/cHm2icsd1G
- Other: https://Apsd.glossgenius.com
Image Credits
Please feel free to reach out to me, for the ones that you choose to use, if any. Everyone has given me permission to use these pictures.
