Today we’d like to introduce you to Kammie Jordan.
Hi Kammie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am first a believer. I am a black woman. I am a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and soon-to-be wife. I am a creative, and am currently using my talents to style and cut hair for men and women. As the 3rd generation barber stylist of my family, It is my goal, our goal, to cement a legacy that inspires the generations that follow. I believe it is a superpower to be instrumental in helping others to feel and look their best.
Circa 1997… Right after graduating from DCU, I had a strong desire to move to the A! I remember traveling to Atlanta in the mid-90s to attend the lively Bronner Brothers hair shows observing in awe of all the talents on display, the then famous Freaknik, sitting in traffic watching people dance on the highway…OutKast selling their own cds before we all knew who they were. Yeah… I thought, Atlanta is where it’s at! The ability to make the move remained elusive for many years, but somehow I’ve landed here now via the “scenic route”. I’m excited to see what becomes of my time here in this colorful city!
BECOMING
I’m originally from Columbus, Mississippi. There we have a family-owned barbershop and salon that my paternal grandfather established 50+ plus years ago. My father runs the operations alongside my brother who is also an expert of the trade.
I spent a lot of my youth helping out in the barbershop, but the desire to be a part of the family business came later. I have always been intrigued by design, arts, and numbers. My initial desire was to pursue studies in Architecture Design or Accounting.
After becoming a mother at such a young age, I decided to try my hand at the family profession as a means to immediately support myself and my daughter while I figured things out.
I attended Dudley’s Cosmetology University located in Kernersville, NC. The year was 1996 and Dudley’s was thriving in Black Haircare giving special attention to helping professional beauty entrepreneurs grow by offering exclusive product retail opportunities…meaning you could only buy Dudley Products from your haircare provider. After graduating from DCU, I returned to Mississippi to work in the family business for a duration of ten years. In this time, I grew as a stylist and barber gaining a very large and loyal customer base.
THE JOURNEY
As I watched my growing daughter, Ashley, come into her personality, she began displaying unique talent in imitating people/acts she saw on television in addition to speaking in different accents, remembering jingles and punchline timing. I decided to enter her into a talent competition that over the course of two years, ultimately led to her landing two New York City Broadway shows and several national commercials. The decision to relocate to NYC was settled after the “congrats, we’re booking Ashley for the role of young Nala” callback from The Lion King casting team. It was imperative that we go so that she’d have an opening to pursue her dreams; The two of us (me 27yrs old with a 10yr old in tow) packed up and went to the Big Apple!
As Ashley is settling into her new role on Broadway, I landed a job at the then popular Luxe Studio Hair Salon located in lower Manhattan. The assistant position afforded me the chance to work with celebrity stylists and assist on music video sets as well as editorial shoots.
The following year I accepted a management position for an Upscale Barbershop in Harlem, NY that catered exclusively to men’s hair, skin, and nails. I was able to hone my customer service and leadership skills while servicing our everyday valued customers that included business professionals, diplomats, dignitaries, performers, athletes, etc.
As I am originally trained in providing haircare services for women that included haircuts, color, silk press, extensions, etc. I decided it was time to branch out on my own so that I could also include women to my client roster.
I rented a booth in large salon located in midtown Manhattan. The move to a Midtown location allowed me to service people from all five boroughs resulting in a large diverse clientele.
After four years of booth renting… I felt that I could handle leasing my own space. The suite model was appealing to me because it offers beauty entrepreneurs the ability to operate their own business in its entirety without much of the hassle of traditional space leasing. This turned out to be a great move and even more necessary when the pandemic hit in March 2020.
Currently, I lease a suite in a swanky beauty and wellness space on Madison Ave in NYC that I share with my daughter who is now the 4th generation stylist.
Although ATL is becoming my new home very quickly, I still travel to NYC to service clients monthly. My daughter, Ashley, will soon take over the NYC location as I grow my business and social presence in this vibrant city of Atlanta.
NEW YORK OF THE SOUTH? JUST PEACHY!
Who loves a great love story? I always have, but little did I know it would be a part of my life’s story.
An early teenage love and I reconnected around 3 years ago. We are from the same hometown, but life sent us in different directions. My fiancé has been a resident of Atlanta 20+ years and I’ve spent the last 17 years in New York City. I’ve gained three beautiful bonus children, and we thought it was best for me to make the move to Atlanta.
My fiancé and I are set to marry in the fall of 2023. I feel this part of my story has come full circle…the love of my life and the city I longed to be in all those years ago. We have plans to build together and have already begun what will be our business in real estate investments…stay tuned.
I plan to expand my haircare business to service my clients who have relocated to Atlanta as well as gaining a whole new clientele of Atlanteans. I’ll be offering “appointment only” services in an upscale environment…location to be announced at a later date.
I have personal aspirations to do more as it relates to all facets of design: hair, fashion, graphics, interiors, etc.
Growing in the network, sharing knowledge, and exchanging ideas, all while celebrating the culture that is ATL constitutes the start of what I’m positive will make for an even more interesting story!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Prior to moving to New York, I had amassed a clientele that filled 12-hour days five days a week. I went from being in high demand and controlling my own schedule to assisting someone for $7/hr. It felt like I had taken a huge step back! And the living conditions, let’s say, didn’t quite satisfy. At the time when faced with the decision to move to NY, I had started to build a life in Ms working in the family business, was leasing a brand new luxury car, and had recently purchased four bedroom home.
The biggest sacrifice was accepting and coming to terms with different living conditions, setbacks, and uncertainty so that my daughter could have exposure and a shot at a dream. She performed 4-8 shows a week including matinees. We lived with roommates for about two years before securing our own space in Harlem, NY. It wasn’t easy living out the single mother scene in an unfamiliar city. On most days, the comings and goings seemed to require a copious amount of effort!
The most pressing challenge is solidifying my social and business presence in Atlanta. I’ll start to take new clients this Fall.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a creative who searches for beauty in the details! I like to create in the space between what’s expected and the plot twist. Classic Edge…. neat execution. My haircuts are one of a kind in a subtle manner performed in an upscale environment. I’ve managed to master the cut, color, and natural haircare trends of cosmetology in addition to the craft of barbering. I have 25 years of experience in this industry. I enjoy learning new techniques. I will soon offer Ktips and tape extensions.
As a young girl, I remember going to the salon super early in the morning and still waiting for hours, hungry and annoyed! Stylists who were not professional was the “norm”, they had no awareness of time management, always overbooked and barely focused on the client in front of them. Those experiences helped shape what became my top principles as a professional. I thought it pertinent to make a commitment to always respect time by operating according to schedule, give 100 percent while taking note of body language and other important details. Every effort must be made to deliver a service I would be happy to pay for.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I’m open to supporting other stylists and industry leaders. Learning never ends ..I look forward to sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences.
Pricing:
- Barbering/Haircut 100+
- Haircut/Style 197+
- Relaxer/Demi/Haircut/Style 297+
- Color/Haircut/Style 397+
- Extensions Price Upon Consult
Contact Info:
- Website: KAMMIEJORDAN.COM
- Instagram: @salonkammie
Image Credits
Hair shots: Model: Amina Emanuel Jaylynn Muse Photography and Videography: CIA Figueroa Collette Bonaparte Edits: Collette Bonaparte Jerry Davis, Jr MakeUp: Ramona McDonald Stacy Christine
