Today we’d like to introduce you to Deja Mccoy
Hi Deja, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been doing hair for 18 years now, licensed for 7. I was a kid braider, I started out with my hair and then my sister’s hair. My mom wasn’t the best stylist so I took over. But even before that I was giving my Barbie dolls layers at 5, which drove my mom to get me my first mannequin head at 7. My mom said she was tired of buying $20 Barbie’s for me to cut them up in 2 weeks. As I got older I continued my hair, friends, families and neighbors as a hobby I’d say. My sister always gave me a hard time during hair days and I would tell my mom, I COULD NEVER do this as a profession if people acted like my sister lol. So off to school I went for biochemistry, where I was still doing every ones hair and including mine. One day my mom and I were on the phone and I just had a sudden change of heart. She didn’t make a fuss, we changed my major a few times before she finally suggested cosmetology school. We started to look up schools with the highest board passing rates and a balanced tuition cost of course and transferred me to Gwinnett Technical College where I received my licensed and Studied Business Marketing afterwards. During this time I was bartending and working in two salons one as an assistant and another as a junior stylist. I wanted to build my skill and portfolio with a strong salon foundation before I moved on to an actual commission stylist. I event worked my way up from receptionist/assistant to commission stylist, salon manager and now salon suite stylist. This journey wasn’t easy but it was so necessary to take.
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?
I find that especially in our community. It can be hard to excel alone. You need mentors, you need people with giving spirits and guidance to climb to the top. As a commission stylist you don’t receive that much of your pay in some salons. Unfortunately I was at a popular salon, meaning we were receiving an abundance of clientele, but we still didn’t receive much pay. I had to play the “long game” which caused me to have to continue to work another job to make ends meet. However I knew that my day would come where I could apply all that I’ve learned from being a receptionist, assistant, hairstylist and a salon manager. My main goal is to open a franchise of wellness salon and spas. Without the journey that I have been on I would be as confident that it’s going to happen as I am today.
We’ve been impressed with Defined Beauty Hair Salon, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Defined Beauty Hair Salon is a professional hair care salon that specializes in providing high-quality hair services tailored to individual needs. They focus on delivering personalized haircuts, styling, quality hair extensions, color treatments, and various hair treatments designed to enhance the health and appearance of their clients’ hair. The salon offers expert services in areas such as custom hair color, balayage, highlights, hair extensions, and keratin treatments, ensuring a comprehensive range of options for all hair types and styles. Defined Beauty also prioritizes the use of premium, professional-grade products to maintain and improve hair health, offering a luxurious experience that blends beauty with care. Our commitment is to make clients feel confident, empowered, and, most importantly, defined by their beauty.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
As we get more into technology, I see this billion dollar industry taken advantage of how that can help us curate better systems, faster results with growth, hair care and even biotechnology that allows us to see styles before we even perform services for our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.definedbeautyhairsalon.com
- Instagram: @definedbeautyhairsalon
- Facebook: @definedbeautyhairsalon
- Twitter: @definedbeautyhs
Image Credits
@brwneyedphotography
@thegardenofeman
@arcvne
