Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanette Wright.
Hi Jeanette, 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?
From Broken to Boss: The Journey of Jeanette Wright, Houston’s Veteran Cosmetology Educator and Industry Leader
For Jeanette Wright, cosmetology wasn’t a childhood dream—it was a lifeline. “I always say I entered this field by default,” she reflects. “It wasn’t the direction I ever imagined for myself.” Yet her story, marked by resilience, reinvention, and an unwavering commitment to helping others, has made her one of Houston’s most respected beauty professionals and educators.
Jeanette grew up navigating the complexities of teen pregnancy, mental illness within her family, and the instability that came with her father’s bipolar disorder and schizophrenia—conditions intensified by his service in the Vietnam War. At just 17, she and her sisters (16 && 21) were forced out of their home during one of his episodes, left to fend for themselves for even the most basic necessities.
Prior to being put out of the house I worked after school and relying on rides from her father—often waiting in his truck until two in the morning— I, made a decision at 14 that changed my life: I got a boyfriend with a car simply so I could get home from work versus sitting in my father’s truck. I wasn’t thinking about sex, but life had other plans. She became pregnant, and in her community, that meant she could no longer attend traditional high school.
A counselor, recognizing her potential, encouraged her to enroll in the Harford Community College Vocational Technical Dual Credit Program. The only program available to young women at the time was cosmetology. Jeanette accepted the challenge. She excelled academically—strong in biology, chemistry, and geometry—and discovered that cosmetology was a perfect blend of art, science, and teaching instead of the nursing program. By her senior year, she was earning $100 in two hours at the school’s after hours salon. “That opened my eyes,” she says. “I realized this was a real career.”
Today, Jeanette is a 21 year adjunct professor at San Jacinto College South Campus, teaching the same dual credit program that once changed her life. She has spent 45 years behind the chair and nearly three decades as a Joico Brand Educator, celebrated for her consistency, loyalty, and expertise. “Consistency is key,” she says. “Joico has been great to me, and I’ve grown with them.”
Her salon career has been equally dynamic. Jeanette built a thriving clientele, often booked weeks in advance, and has always kept her doors open to new clients as her long time customers age and retire. My first entrepreneur experience was with two other stylists we opened up Bostonian Hair, followed by my sole proprietorship, A Splice of Hair—an executive style salon with a full team of professionals. For 16 years, she provided opportunities to individuals facing barriers to employment, including those in the Welfare to Work program. “I believe in second chances,” she says. “I know what it feels like to be counted out.”
Her drive to connect with people led her into celebrity styling in the mid 1980s. Jeanette built her reputation by meeting people where they were—literally. She would frequent clubs, concerts, and community events, often helping women restyle their hair right in the bathroom. Her confidence and skill opened doors to styling national artists like Mikki Blue and, later, Letoya Luckett during her early solo career after Destiny’s Child. Jeanette styled album covers, traveled for video shoots, and became known for her professionalism and ability to elevate an artist’s image.
Her leadership extended beyond the salon. Jeanette became civically involved with the National Cosmetology Association (now PBA), rising to President of the local Affiliate and then Vice President of the Texas State Cosmetology Association. In 1996, she helped host the Hair World competition in Houston. She also collaborated with Matthew Knowles on music industry workshops, teaching aspiring artists the importance of professional image.
Her work has earned her recognition as one of Houston’s Top Ten African American/Black Businesses in the Pinnacle Awards. Even today, people who grew up watching her career still celebrate her contributions to the community.
During COVID 19, Jeanette relied on her business acumen and savings to stay afloat. She continued serving her church community and collaborated with Dr. Shana Lewis on the anthology, When Destiny Needs an Intervention, my chapter Broken to Boss, where I shared my journey from teen pregnancy to industry leadership.
In 2019, when she wasn’t assigned classes at the college, she pivoted once again, enrolling in a master’s program. Although COVID paused her progress, she remains open to completing it in the future. “Life is about pivoting,” she says. “Not burnout—pivoting.”
Today, Jeanette continues to uplift the industry through Axis Education, offering hands-on and virtual training, and through her ongoing work as a Joico Brand educator. She is also honored to serve as a Brand Ambassador for Hair Loss Genius under Dr. Seymour Weaver, a board-certified dermatologist she has admired for decades.
“I’m excited for this chapter,” she says. “It’s never too late. Keep waking up, keep moving forward, keep living your dreams. Align yourself with eagles so you can soar.”
Jeanette Wright’s story is one of perseverance, purpose, and passion—a testament to the power of choosing growth, even when life doesn’t go as planned. And in Houston’s beauty community, her impact continues to shine.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For the most part, life is never going to be smooth. From the onset again. Coming to Houston, not having a place to stay. I was very inventive in gaining employment. Main struggle in the beginning was developing a clientele or financial base to support myself and my child. Fighting the stigma of being a hairstylist. Most people looked at it as if it was not a real profession. Being a strong believer in God, working with the church ministries. Having to deal with the prejudices that come with being a celebrity stylist, having to show up at events that were in club environments and the stereotype that was tagged along with it. Also, another struggle was developing a staff and a belief system in professionalism.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work and set what sets me apart from others is professionalism. A strong desire to maintain healthy hair and identify the causes and prevention of hair loss. Any. I perform many professional services. Currently, my focus is on healthy hair, being I. My clientele is more mature and also the after effects from COVID or childbirth. This causes thinning around the perimeter or edges of the hair. I am known for healthy hair. Hair color and cutting designs. And definitely, I’m very proud of my son and who he has become. And also. Just the drive that I have, I’m amazed at my own self. I thank God for my health and well-being.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up. As I reflect and also talk about it to groups of people, individual people who have concerns or situations or crisis when they sit in my chair, they share with me. I remember being aware of my dad’s condition. Walking with him at a young age. Doing what needed to be done to keep peace. We didn’t have many interests. We just grew up surviving in a house. With my father’s mental illness, but. I did have the ability and the gift to strategically visualize through geometry. Work that he had us doing. Such as leveling the foundation. My brother, he was skilled in electronics. I loved math. And measurements, and so that is what I did as a child growing up as an adult. I love every part of the. Hardships that were put upon us because it’s defined who I am today..
Pricing:
- Scalp Spa Treatment $75+
- Thermal Styling/Silk Press $125+
- Keratin Treatments $350+
- Color Services (consultation)
- Basic Cut $75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vagaro.com/aspliceofhair
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspliceofhair
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jeanette.WrightA
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-wright-zhairartist/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/hairlossgenius/
