We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jasmine Wilson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jasmine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

My very first client that I serviced and actually received compensation from was someone that I went to college with. She stopped me in the hallway of the dorm we lived in and told me how much she loved my hair. From there we sparked an hour long conversation and exchanged contact information. I remember her asking me how much it would cost for me to just curl her hair. I had no idea what to tell her! Everyone’s hair I did prior to then was either family or friends and definitely for free. I remember telling her $10 and feeling so nervous that she would think that was too much lol I laugh at the thought of that now because the same service cost a lot more and I don’t shy away from telling clients my pricing and standing firm on it. Servicing my first client felt so good because it showed me that people saw the value in my craft and were willing to compensate me for it. From this point on, I learned the power of word of mouth advertisement. It helped me gain a lot of clients across campus which in turn helped me generate a significant amount of income.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Jasmine Wilson. I am a licensed cosmetologist who is committed to curating a new norm for the beauty industry. As a young girl I was always so inspired by my mother and grandmother. They always took so much pride in their appearance. I watched my mom transform women and make them feel beautiful and knew that was something I wanted to do as well when I grew up.

I am a Baltimore native, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from University of Maryland Eastern Shore. After completing my undergrad studies and working in corporate for a few years I realized the career I began to pursue wasn’t guiding me to fulfill one of my many purposes in life; to help people. I made the hard and very scary decision to leave my job to follow my dreams and I never looked back.

My cosmetology career began with training obtained from Paul Mitchell The School Jessup. While in school I began to create custom wig units for clients, which is something that wasn’t an initial goal but the demand continued to grow for it. By 2018 I knew it was time to start branding my business so that clients could take me serious and view me more as professional and not just another hairstylist.

Vivacious Tresses is a brand dedicated to providing exceptional products, services and customer care. In addition to offering top quality custom wig units and hair extensions, we pride ourselves on providing luxurious hair care for all of your natural hair needs. As much as we love hair enhancement solutions, we promote healthy hair first. That’s why it is our mission to educate and offer products that will aid in maintaining the health and overall integrity of your tresses.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What helped build my reputation within my market that’s highly oversaturated is my customer service. Instead of just simply doing hair, I provide my clients with an experience from start to finish. They are always greeted upon entry and offered complimentary refreshments. Most of my clients WFH or are just leaving work when they come to their appointments. I pride myself on making sure they feel welcomed and valued in my business. You’d be surprised what a nice chilled glass wine could do for your mood on a stressful day. I educate new and existing clients in a way that is understandable, makes them feel at home and that we’re embarking on their hair journey as team. From the shampoo bowl until checkout my clients are rendered professional services in a safe and secure environment. I have always received compliments on my excellent customer service skills and I wholeheartedly believe that’s how I’ve maintained a growing and consistent clientele.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Being in business during the COVID-19 pandemic was extremely challenging. We were literally at work one week and shut down the next. Which was so crazy because when you’re in business for yourself you’re used to saying who, what and when! The pandemic made me reassess everything in my business because it was a wake up a call that I needed to be saving more and scaling my business to generate more income. It was a difficult time for everyone. The world experienced something that truly shook us to the core. Many self-employed, womenpreneurs, and girl bosses were battling different things such anxiety, depression and major financial crisis keeping our businesses and selves afloat.

I had to dig deep and remember why I started. Recalling my relentless journey and drive to get where I was at the time. That was a constant reminder why I refused to feel sorry for myself. COVID-19 was a small setback for a major comeback. I wanted to share my journey for that student who was trying to finish school but was feeling discouraged, the stylist who was waiting for salons to resume business to make her next dollar but most importantly for the woman who was determined to get through that rough patch no matter what. I felt like represented a vast majority of women who were scared but motivated to hustle their way back on their feet when the time was right.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vivacioustresses.com
• Instagram: @vivacious_jas
• Facebook: Vivacious Tresses

Image Credits
@thomaskirk_ on Instagram www.thomaskirkphotos.com