Today we’d like to introduce you to Latasha Gray.
Hi Latasha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a product of The Atlanta Public School System and I am 33 years old. I graduated from The University of Georgia with a BBA in Management Information Systems and Technology (MIST). While in college I attended Athens Technical College part-time to obtain my Master of Cosmetology license. I did not worked in the IT field post-college; however I worked in sales and account management during my brief corporate career with Coca-Cola Refreshments and Hewlett Packard. I’ve always had an affinity with business processes and hair!
I love the hair industry so much that I left corporate America to live a life of entrepreneurship as a master cosmetologist and business owner in the hair industry, I first worked at Glitter Salon and Spa in Decatur. I was a stylist at Too Groovy Salon in midtown and proudly gained all the knowledge I have about silk pressing and texture styling through the Too Groovy education system. In 2017 I was recommended to participate in an interview on a GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) show called On Second Thought, where I was honored to speak with A’Lelia Bundles (great-great- granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker) and Environmental Working Group to discuss our views on the dangers of beauty products marketed to Black women. In 2017 I received a scholarship to be a part of the Paul Mitchell’s ACE Beauty Academy, where I was taught one-on-one to master my cosmetology skills by beauty industry legends such as Camille Friend, Jacob Khan, Martin Parsons and many more. 2018 was an impactful year in my career as a founded my business The Hair Laundry, and I became a managing stylist at startup company Sweetroots Hair Bar in historical West End, Atlanta (my old stomping grounds).
During my tenure there I learned about caring for and styling hair with non-toxic and plant-based products. In 2020 I took a leap of faith and became completely self-employed and joined Salon K Merrell in Forest Park, GA as a booth renter and gave The Hair Laundry a home base in this salon. I was contracted to be the official hair stylist for the Wakati product line and began growing my Grayt Wedding Hair services through Wedding Wire and The Knot. My favorite part about being a licensed freelance hair stylist is the ability to work across the industry, So, besides being a salon stylist, I have enjoyed working as a background hairstylist in tv, film, commercial and fashion in productions like Ragtrade Atlanta, TammyDele Films and The Fayette Gala, RHOA Phaedra Parks Pop- Up Shop, Black Panther 1 and 2, and BMF. Overall, I believe that my contribution to this industry and purpose in society is to truly to create businesses that improve the professionalism and efficiency in which the hair industry operates. The first step is with my business The Hair Laundry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to where I am today has not been smooth but it has been MY journey and I am grateful for it! The biggest struggle I have had as an entrepreneur was scheduling my daily routine and conducting my businesses like I would if I was employed in corporate America.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a proud licensed master cosmetologist. I consider myself to be a hair maintenance specialist that provides my clients with custom, authentic and professional salon and on-set experiences. My favorite work is wedding hair because I have been naturally talented at executing updos since childhood with no formal training; only observation of other stylists from being a bi-weekly salon patron myself. I am most proud of my client base and referrals, which I attribute to my love of service to others.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Everyone that knows me, knows I am an original ATLien and southern belle. I love how people from Atlanta can usually relate to nostalgic experiences and can easily find commonality when interacting with people in our daily lives. Atlanta natives are compassionate towards one another no matter socioeconomic class/status. Most people are linked in some form whether it’s relative, church, work or socially. So having a pleasant, genuine and direct demeanor can get you far here. My least favorite is how crowded our city is getting, so it’s more challenging to enjoy the cities attractions and amenities as we used to when the population was smaller. The cost of housing also does not compete with the living wage so I wish we were more progressive in that way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myhairlaundry.com
- Instagram: @thehairlaundryatl
- Facebook: @thegraythairco
- Twitter: @tasha_mac2
- Other: www.graythair.org
Image Credits
Simeon Kelley Jr. (cream dress and silver shimmery dress photos)
