Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiara Jackson.
Hi Tiara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! I’m Tiara Jackson, born and raised in Compton, California, and hair has been a part of my story for as long as I can remember. Both of my grandmothers were licensed beauticians, my father is a barber, and my mother was the most talented woman I had ever seen pick up a comb. The salon was home for me — before school, after school, weekends — constantly surrounded by the smell of hair products, conversations, laughter, and creativity. Even now, the smell of hair products feels therapeutic to me. It feels like home.
I started doing hair at just 10 years old when my mom finally let me do my own hair, saying, “As long as you still look your age.” My grandmother, Carolyn Thomas — lovingly known as “Boobaby” — taught me how to braid, while my grandmother Janis Pearl was known for doing some of the coldest press and curls California had ever seen. Watching them sparked something in me, and from there, I took off.
I started by braiding the foundation for my mom’s sew-ins, then eventually began doing my friends’ hair at school. By high school, I carried a bag full of hair products, combs, and brushes everywhere I went. I became known as “the school braider.” For $20, you could get two braids at lunch. For $10, I’d slick you into a ponytail with baby hairs laid perfectly. That’s when I realized this thing I genuinely loved was also lucrative — and more importantly, I realized I was truly gifted at it.
Right after high school, I got married and became a military wife and young mother, so for a while motherhood and family took center stage. We eventually moved to Naples, Italy, where the need for a Black hairstylist on base was undeniable. Business picked up quickly, even though getting products delivered overseas was a challenge. Still, I made it work.
Fast forward to 2020, when the world shut down. I was working a customer service job from home while still doing hair on the side for close friends and family. We were out of the military by then, back home with two children, and living with my grandparents. Deep down, I knew there was more for me. We had been independent since we were 18, and I knew this wasn’t the end of our story. God showed me my next step in a dream, and I chose to trust Him and follow where He led me.
I opened my very first salon suite and quit my 9-to-5 job. Within six months, we had moved out of my grandparents’ home and back into our own place, with two BMWs parked outside. A year later, I upgraded from a salon suite into a three-chair salon. Then after two years, we relocated to Houston, Texas, where after blood, sweat, sacrifice, and many tears, I became the owner of Alvin’s first Black-owned salon, The Couture Queens.
Today, I’m also the founder of SOTÉ, my organic hair care line created from my passion for healthy hair and quality products.
Hair changed my life. God took a little Black girl from Compton, California, across the world and back — all through the gift of doing hair.
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 it was never easy, but it was always worth it. Being a military wife and a young mother there were so many times hair got pushed to the back burner, or I should say I pushed myself to the back burner. Self doubt creeps in,having to rebuild clientele every time we moved became discouraging, and trying to keep my family together seemed almost impossible sometimes. And it was never a moment where everything was just good. if the shop was going good home was chaotic and if home was good clientele was down. When it became time to find bigger salons racism was right in my face for a lot of cities. I wanted a luxury forward salon that provided safety for my clientele and fellow beauticians, but other races weren’t excited about having a black salon in their area, everything was fine on paper but when they met me in person there was always a reason why they no longer wanted to move forward with my business. But if God is for you who can stand against you. Every weapon formed but none prospered . I put my life in Gods hands and left it there.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My first intro to hair was braids and learning how to make hair grow so naturally that’s my passion and the thing I’ve perfected. I do every style , you can show me a picture and I’ll bring it to life , however what ppl know me for is braids, natural styling , and hair care.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is the alignment between what you value and how you actually live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://onlyatqueens.readyhubb.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_only_at_queens?igsh=MWhrdGtkNGc0YngyYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
