Today we’d like to introduce you to Cherelle Renee.
Hi Cherelle, 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?
In 2001, I started my career in the Beauty, Hair & Fashion industry in my hometown, Baltimore, MD. I originally wanted to be an artist as I had a love for drawing, sketching, painting & sculpting. I loved turning things into are by recreating into reality.
I started working as a shampoo assistant for my mother’s hairstylist, Iris, at 11 years old as literally just a job. I had a small interest in hair but didn’t realize it was deeper than a hobby and that it was more of a Desire & Passion. Within the first year of working there, I started assisting two hairstylists at once. My thrill for working under pressure, fast-paced environments & catering to customers started developing stronger over time, which then boosted me to assist three of the other stylists in the salon when they needed additional help from their assistants. I was literally 12 years old working 4-5 days a week, assisting 2-4 hairstylists.
The advantage I had with assisting multiple stylists in 1 salon was that each hairstylist was of a different generation & culture of hair. We had Iris, who had the Young, Mid & Older trendy ladies. She also was a Make Up Artist & Platform Artist for Loreal & a few other big beauty companies. She traveled & showed me that the Beauty industry was BEYOND standing behind a salon chair every day. Then we had Ms. Blondell, she had all the Older ladies. She was very grounded in her Professional Business Structure, Organized Customer Service & Business Discipline. This is where I learned the basics and foundations of everything Iris and the rest of the younger/trendier hairstylists were doing. The older clients taught me A LOT of Patience & Structure. They had a different type of Wisdom & Future life lessons that I learned in my Personal & Professional lifestyle.
Then we had Tamiko & Ms. Vanessa. They were both a GREAT mix of Iris & Ms. Blondell but on another level. Working for these four talented stylists taught me not to limit myself & limit my skills. I literally learned how to do everything there was under the hair industry from just this one job. While working there as a Shampoo Assistant, the stylists began to let me work on their clients doing more Blow Dries, Roller Sets, Wraps, Color & more advanced prepping. They seen that not only were my Practical Skills on point, but I knew how to work an Efficient Organized System between Multiple Clients & Stylists. I had those clients flowing my clockwork! Even when the stylists doubled & tripled booked their appts.
I stayed at this salon for 6.5 years until I graduated high school. I graduated high school in 2008 & started hair school one month after graduation. My Dedication & Determination was REAL! There was NO slowing down nor stopping; ONLY to keep pushing forward until God tells me it’s time to rest! As I was finishing up Cosmetology School at the top of the entire program/school, I started working in a salon independently before I graduated with my Master Cosmetology License (2009).
By 2014 (13 years later), I’ve gotten my feet wet in literally EVERY department of the Hair & Beauty industry. From Salon Assistant to Salon Manager/Owner, to the Youngest Stylist to the only Black stylist in the salon; from working/participating in Hair & Fashion Shows & Competitions to Producing my own Shows. From NY & Philly Fashion Week & Celebrity Styling to Celebrity Collabs with some of the MOST Famous Photographers, Videographers, MUA, Fashion Stylists, to TV Networks. I’ve literally done it all by the age of 24. I moved to ATL in 2014 to expand my horizons in my industry. I’ve done so much & knew so much that the passion in me was so generous to share it. I started developing a Pure LOVE for Teaching. I thought to myself, I educate my clients every visit, and fellow hairstylists literally sit/stand around my station as I’m working on clients to Look, Learn & ask questions, so why not take it to the NEXT level & take this advance learning skill to where the industry needs it MOST, the Cosmetology Schools. I trained as a Learning Leader/Cosmetology Instructor at Paul Mitchell The School, which was an amazing experience. Although I have Serious stage fright, I could easily overcome that fear when I’m in my zone teaching what I truly LOVE.
Since then, at over 20+ years in the game, I have built my platform & network here in ATL where I officially resided for the last ten years. Currently, I am an Independent Luxury Salon Suite Owner in the Perimeter area. I specialize in Complete Hair Care & offer over 50+ Hair Care Services. I literally do everything EXCEPT braids. I also offer Professional Hair Care Products & Educational Classes to Everyday Clients, Future Professionals & Licensed Cosmetologists.
I will be opening my own Full Service, Open Floor, Traditional Hair Salon this year! Where will service ALL things Beauty! Your “One-Stop Beauty Destination!”
I’ve NEVER put my talent in a box so why put my salon/business in one?! We live in a day and age where our clients want Versatility without chair hopping, spending within their budgets, Top Tier Professionalism, Genuine Expertise, Organized Business Structure, Exceptional Customer Service & a Peaceful Luxury Salon Environment where they can Truly enjoy being serviced & spend their money wisely.
My brand is ALL of the above & MORE, with always more room to grow! Especially since our industry changes every day!
The Sky’s the Limit!
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 Dream or True Blessing is EVER a “Smooth Road!” Esp with God in control! Not one path in my career has ever been easy, but God didn’t create me to give up; only to Conquer & Overcome!
I had to understand during my career that the Bigger you Dream & the Bigger your Goals, the more difficult your journey is to get there.
My biggest struggle was when I moved to ATL. I felt like I was completely starting over from scratch, which I was! After 13 years of building my career in Baltimore, I decided to move to a New City/State with NO Family, NO Job & NO Clients. I had my trials of salon hopping until I found the right Salon Home. I dealt with struggles of Few to No Clients, Unhappy Salon Employees, Salon Owners not paying me at all nor paying what I’m worth, Salon Break Ins/Thefts, Client Retention, Salon buildings being sold while under contract, No Contracts, No Budgets/working ProBono for Big Celebrity Gigs, Global Pandemic & more.
However, in the midst of ALL those struggles, they did nothing but prepare me for what I’ve always prayed for. They sharpened me and strengthened me to be able to get through the next path in my journey. I’ve overcome a LOT, with still more trials & tribulations to come along the way! I am a Conquerer, so I AM READY!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in ALL THINGS Hair Care! Hair Care is ALWAYS #1, no matter what service you receive from me. EVERY hair service is conducted with Complete Hair Care in mind as the #1 stepQ!
I specialize in everything, EXCEPT Braids; Silk Presses, Natural Hair Care & Styling, Loc Maintenance, Advance Coloring/Color Correction, Chemical Relaxers, Smoothing Treatments, Luxury Extensions (Clip-Ins, Quick Weaves, Sew-Ins, MicroLinks & more), Custom Wig Making & Maintenance & SO MUCH MORE!
Also, EVERY Professional Salon Grade Product & Tool I use on my clients are available for At-Home purchase for clients, as well as Stylists. No need to search your local beauty stores, department stores or Amazon. I have everything you need right here in my salon or online at CherelleRenee.net
All you need in your life is Cherelle Renee & a Braider, and your consistent Healthy Hair Care Journey is COMPLETE until Eternity!
I’m known for my Hair Care Expertise, Color, Wigs, Extensions & Professional Product Knowledge.
What sets me apart from the other hairstylists in the industry is my Level of Professionalism, Organized Business Structure & Exceptional Customer Service. This also extends from my years of experience/expertise, level of knowledge & wisdom in Hair Care & the Hair industry, and Genuine Care/Concern for my clients’ hair & feelings.
Every service I perform has been Mastered to Perfection & genuine care for the client, service procedure, client budget & longevity. My clients are NOT Dollar Bills, they are Real People with Real Hair, Real Health, Real Feelings & Real Hair Challenges. They are just looking for someone to genuinely care for their business & their hair.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about our city of ATL is the Versatility. ATL has become the NEW Hair Capital & although there are SO many hairstylists here, there’s still enough room for everyone to grow their business and make money. This city is so trendy and has a very broad population. There are clients out here for EVERY type of stylist, from your least to highest experience. Every client isn’t for every stylist. No matter how you want to run your salon, business or brand, there’s plenty of clients that can cater to you or you can cater to. As Creative Artists in this industry, we have the privilege to literally choose our clientele & create our business/business structure the way we want.
What I dislike the most about ATL is the Cattiness & Cockiness of the Hair Industry. It’s pretty overrated here. Which I feel like comes from the current society & social media lifestyle. Worthiness, Credentials, Quality & Real Legitimate Business isn’t a factor when doing business down here anymore. It’s like they’ll look for the next person that will do the work for FREE. No matter how great you are, they’ll still pick over you for the next Freebie.
Veteran Hairstylists like myself have spent decades paying our dues, and it seems like this new black Hollywood lifestyle will belittle the greats for the next ProBono Stylist with little to no experience or care for the talent/client.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CherelleRenee.net
- Instagram: @CherelleReneeHair
- Facebook: @CherelleReneeInc
- Youtube: @CherelleReneeHair
