Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Watson.
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Doing hair was never a passion of mine at first (basketball was) nor did I ever think that I would end up taking this as a serious career path, I started at a young age playing around in my aunt’s and cousin’s hair, which, little did I know was helping me shape my hairstyling skills. In addition to having family members’ hair to practice in I also grew up with a bonus mom as a salon owner/beautician, who played a major role in the inspiration and motivation I have today. After high school, I no longer played ball and was battling between going to college or getting a 9-5 job to save up some money, so ultimately, I decided to work. Well, that got old and boring quickly! I wanted to be an entrepreneur and work for myself, but I just didn’t know where to start so I picked up hair as a side hustle having my family and friends for my initial clients. Don’t they make the best?! Absolutely not lol but they helped me a whole lot. They spread the word and before you know it hair was paying the bills. I was able to quit both jobs and take on hair styling full-time boy word of mouth is something isn’t it? Before I knew it, I was a “kitchentician”.
However, I wanted a shop, but my clientele wasn’t big enough just yet so financially I wasn’t ready nor was I licensed so I had to be patient until I was ready. My Dad and pawpaw were the driving force behind becoming licensed and they knew I was bigger than doing hair from home. They didn’t want me to get comfortable nor would they let me settle for anything less than what I deserved so they pushed me and would not let up until I went to cosmetology school. During this time that I was going to school to get licensed, I saw that virgin hair became a popular thing and women were buying up a lot of hair, so I saw an opportunity to increase my revenue while growing my hair skills. This allowed me to not only get licensed and then start doing hair professionally but to also expand my service. This added revenue allowing my hair business to skyrocket, so I did some research, found vendors, and started testing out hair, and before you knew it I had a brand! The business grew and so did I. I am thankful today because who knew I would make it this far in business but look at me now.
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?
As they say, “Whew Chile!” Where do I start…the path to becoming a hairstylist wasn’t easy AT ALL. Although doing hair started out as a hobby it later became my profession. At the beginning of my career, the only challenges I faced were selling my hair and trying to keep up with all of the new trends. After searching for perfect vendors and testing hair to look for the best quality I still managed to run into a few problems along the way. I had to deal with likes/dislikes, customer complaints, being bashed on the internet, refunds, and much more. This made my skin tougher because when dealing with any kind of vendor outside of the country whether it’s hair, clothes, accessories, or beauty products, you have to deal with not being able to physically hand pick your products. Furthermore, I’ve taken many losses when it comes to this hair business because whether you like it or not there will be bad batches/ products and it is out of your control. Therefore all you can do is find a solution and make it right. However, the most trying time for me was at the peak of my career getting accredited which was a huge challenge for me and the main hold-up with me going to cosmetology school. This was due to me trying to figure out how to go to school and still manage my clientele because, at this point, I didn’t have a job or a backup plan.
Thankfully, my clientele grew, but the dilemma was still trying to keep my scheduled appointments all while trying to get my curriculum which was a headache within itself but not to mention the times I missed months of class and work because of an accident involving me being struck by a 4wheeler. This led me to not be able to stand or sit down long enough to do hair because of the loss of nerve and feeling in my legs and feet. Having to turn away clients while I was healing was difficult. However, I was set on making this my career so my dad helped coach me to put everything into perspective. This was no longer a hobby this was now my career. I could have sat around moping but instead, I took that time to get my life affairs in order. After getting things back in order I put together a business plan, a website, booking info, and branding expansion ideas, and here we are years later… a salon owner in Spanish fort, AL where I am the only black-owned salon.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Hippie Hair ?
From the main brand to the REBRAND
I started off my business naming it Xtension Addiktion which is a true definition of a person in my opinion, when it comes to styling their hair. Xtension Addiktion was created for those that wanted my help in enhancing their beauty with my skillset and also wanting to create a new brand that represents me. As I grew, my vision expanded and that led me to rebrand my business. The official new name of my rebrand is Hippie Hair. Hippie Hair is unconventional, out of the ordinary, natural, fun, and spunky. Hippie Hair will be BIG! To me I want Hippie Hair to represent freedom; mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I want my hair and products that are included under Hair Hippie to make people feel good about who they are and what I represent. After enduring so much pain and many losses over the course of my career, I was ready for a change that’s why this rebrand was very necessary. I am embarking on this new journey, and I wanted to take my customers with me. I almost quit, but I knew that wasn’t an option.
I offer services that include natural styles, custom braids, and extensions. Additionally, I am now offering products I created that will help with the maintenance of all styles I service.
What matters most to you?
What matters to me the most is not giving up and ALWAYS following my vision.
If there is any advice to give those embarking on their entrepreneur journey I would say, never give up, never lose sight of your goals, and never let anyone or anything get in the way of achieving your dream. You have one life, live it to your fullest potential. My name is Stephanie Watson I am THE HAIR HIPPIE and I present to you HIPPIE HAIR.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thehairhippie.as.me/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/_hippie_hair_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hippiehairextensions/
Image Credits:
ICME Events, Branding & Marketing Company – Jennifer King
