Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachelle Hardnett.
Rachelle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
At the age of ten, I enjoyed the biweekly trips to the hair salon with my mom and two sisters. At that age, my fascination of hair grew from seeing the huge smiles placed on woman’s faces after the hair salon chair turned around and faced the mirror. I believed that doing hair was like a superpower and I was very eager to enter the industry! I wanted to be that person who could also put smiles on woman’s faces just by doing their hair and making them feel beautiful. So as a child would, I begged my parents for a mannequin doll to practice on and I promised them that this was something I was going to make a career out of.
My first job was sweeping the hair off the salon floor at the age of eleven. I worked in a salon owned by a church member who gave me my start and taught me her techniques. She also helped me practice/study for an audition to attend a cosmetology program at a local magnet school. It was very important for me to get into a magnet school because I knew that after high school, it was expected for me to go straight to college. Therefore, attending a magnet school with a cosmetology program would allow me to have my cosmetology license by the time I graduated high school so that I wouldn’t have to worry about getting my license after college.
Long story short, I was denied admission from the cosmetology program at this dream high school and was sent to my local high school. By this time, I started working at my family hairdresser’s salon and became her shampoo girl, working for $5 tips. My parents appealed this decision several times and even had to meet with the school board and the county’s superintendent. My parents believed in me and my dreams, and they refused to take no for an option.
So, after completing my first year of high school, I applied for another cosmetology program at a school that was 45min away from my zoned area. I got accepted into that school but the dilemma was that there was no school transportation for me since I lived further than the other students. So my parents rearranged their work schedules and would drive me to school every single day because they believed in me. A guidance counselor found out how far I traveled and pulled some strings for me and helped me transfer into a cosmetology program that was a local high school.
For the remainder of high school, I started taking clients and doing all of the high school students in the area’s hair at my house. People loved my work and started referring to their friends. I also started posting my work on Instagram and Facebook, which helped me out a lot. My clientele grew rapidly and by the age of 16, I finished hair school/high school and became a licensed hairstylist.
At the age of 17, I went to college and studied Business Management at the University of Baltimore. After one year, I transferred to Morgan State University and studied Business Administration. At this time, I also transitioned from working in the house and into a hair salon. I started passing out business cards and flyers all over my college campus to get new clients. Eventually, traffic picked up and I became “the girl who does hair” around town.
At the age of 20, I launched my own luxury hair extension and accessory company, So Bomb Virgin Hair Collection. My company took off and I started providing women with quality hair extensions, wigs and accessories until this day. At the age of 22, my clientele grew so much that I touched over 1,000 clients. My clients started traveling from different states just to sit in my salon chair. At this age, I also graduated from Morgan State University with a B.S. in Business Administration.
I wanted to find a way to tie my hairstyling skills with my business degree. So, I launched a business called No Stylist Left Behind. This business helps assist aspiring hairstylists with business etiquette and branding skills through consulting and workshops. Now I am the age of 23 and I have three successful businesses. I thank god every day for the path I am on and I can not wait to see the higher heights that I will climb.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This journey has not been smooth but I wouldn’t want it any other way. One of the hardest challenges was being a college student and an entrepreneur. It was very difficult to find balance both in and out of the classroom. I remember barely sleeping throughout my college years because if I wasn’t at work, then I was at school. I also attended an HBCU and I was eager to get involved in organizations and have a full “HBCU experience.” So on top of working and attending school, I also was actively involved in several organizations and held leadership roles within them.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Styled By Rachelle was birthed 8+ years ago when I was doing hair in my house. Now I have an extensive clientele base that expands across the country. I specialize in weave extensions, hair color and silk presses on natural hair. Many people know me for my silk press service because I am able to take natural hair and transform it into super silky straight hair without ruining the natural curl pattern/texture.
I am most proud of how diverse and large my client base has become. I remember weeks where I would only have one client and now my clients book me months in advance to avoid being on a waitlist. I think the thing that sets me apart from others is simply my professionalism. I used what I learned in my business classes in college and apply them to my actual business. My father always told me that everything is 80% business and 20% talent. Meaning, if the business side of your talent isn’t up to par, your talent will get overshadowed eventually.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have stood a little more firm and charged my worth. I started at a young age, so I was charging the bare minimum because I assumed that my peers wouldn’t be able to pay my prices since we were young. Now I understand that you should always charge for your time and worth and that there is an audience out there for you who will respect that and support you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sobombvirginhair.com
- Phone: 4438041292
- Email: getstyledbyrachelle@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Chelleellie
Image Credit:
Photographer: a.Ken.Production
Hair: So Bomb Virgin Hair
Makeup: Morgan Danae Slay
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