Today we’d like to introduce you to Tuesday Martin.
Tuesday, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I became interested in cosmetology probably my senior year in high school. I was originally into photography but of course, with photography comes hair & makeup; which I have a passion for the most.
It was when I transitioned from relaxed to natural hair that I began doing my own.. from there I would style & color my cousin’s hair and eventually I started doing my sisters’ hair, my mom, etc.
I honestly never would’ve imagined this being my career being that I was one of the last of my sisters to start doing my hair on my own. I knew it was something I enjoyed doing & wanted to learn more about.
After I graduated high school in Columbus, Ga in 2014, I enrolled in Virginia College that Summer where I studied cosmetology. I became licensed in 2015 after I passed both my written and practical state board exam.
It was after I became licensed that I began to really get into hair styling. I loved it! I worked in my first salon within a month or so after passing my boards, from there I moved onto my second salon which I remained for a year.
In June 2017, I moved to Decatur, Ga where I currently reside. Moving to Atlanta was definitely one of my best moves yet. I love it! As of June 2018, its been a full year that I have been expanding my career here.
While living in Atlanta, I worked in 2 salons. Both for short periods of times but I learned something from each. I realized that I enjoy traveling doing hair more than being behind a salon chair.
As of today, I am a full time, licensed, traveling hairstylist & I am also pursuing barbering as well. My goal is to have 3 cities in which I travel to month to month where I would be providing hair services.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not, nothing worth having comes easy. That’s something I had to learn as well. Being in the beauty industry, you have to have a very strong mindset and believe in yourself.
One of the things I struggled with as a young hair stylist were people trying to take advantage of me. A lot of people assume that because I’m young that I’m dumb & naive.
I would even have some clients that would hesitate while being in my chair because I was 19 years old working in a hair salon, but I never let it defeat me. I knew that my work spoke for me and each time they left my chair completely satisfied.
Also, gaining clientele. When you first start you’re so eager & anxious to gain clients but it takes A LOT of patience & hard work. I would start to become discouraged because I wasn’t making much money but once I started to advertise & improve my work, I was able to achieve my goals. you have to put all of your time into building your brand & skills to ensure the client wants to return & also refer people! You have to gain the client’s trust, which isn’t easy but possible!
My advice to anyone starting out is to stand firmly behind your beliefs. Have patience, faith & to be productive at all times. You have to be your biggest supporter! When others see the love & passion you have for your craft, they will respect it. Lastly, I would say to never stop learning! Take as many classes as you can to be beyond the best that you can be.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your business story. Tell us more about the business.
I style & care for the client’s hair. I specialize in natural hair, protective styles (such as braids and twists) and hair coloring. I am most known for my silk press, hair coloring, crochet styles & locs.
I am the proudest of how far my brand has come! I remember when I first created my business page on Instagram with only just a few followers. Now, I’m past 1,000. I get messages from potential clients every day. 90% of them book an appointment and for me, that’s a blessing!
I started doing hair in Columbus, Ga. I am now located in Atlanta, Ga where I have also gained clientele here as well. I will always travel back to Columbus no matter where I go because that’s where it all started and where I was born & raised. It’s an amazing feeling to have a great clientele base in 2 cities.
I think what sets me apart from others is my personality, drive and customer service. I make it my priority to make sure my clients feel the most comfortable while being in my chair. I remain professional regardless of any situation. I always make sure my client is satisfied before leaving & if they aren’t, I ask “what can I do to change that?” or “how would you like me to fix it?”
I actually love styling hair. It’s not something that I do just for the money. I couldn’t imagine myself choosing any other path for a career. I feel that with anyone who actually LOVES what they do for a living, will always have that extra care that a person needs.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Stay true to yourself. Don’t get discouraged. You may see others around that may appear to have it better but continue to focus on you & your brand! Have faith in yourself and trust the process. If you have to set an alarm to wake up every morning to promote your work then do so, use your hash tags! Never be afraid to ask questions so that you can better your skills and techniques and just to ALWAYS remain positive!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 706-239-5492
- Email: tuesdaymartin03@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martin.tuesday/
Image Credit:
Tuesday Martin
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