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

Alright, JONQUIL thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

SOME DAYS I SAY TO MYSELF THAT MY ANCESTORS LIVE THROUGH MY HANDS AND I KNOW THAT’S TRUE. I’M NOT SURE WHEN I STARTED BRAIDING I JUST KNOW IT’S A SKILL I’VE ALWAYS HAD. AT AGE 11 I HAD REAL INTEREST IN BRAIDING TO THE SCALP AND INTRICATE STYLES SO, MY FIRST COUSIN ON MY DAD’S SIDE TAUGHT ME. I CAUGHT ON QUICKLY, ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE WEEKEND OUT AT MY DAD’S. I HAVE 6 OTHER SIBLINGS AND WE’VE ALL HAD A LOT OF HAIR GROWING UP. MY MOM TOOK US TO MY AUNT’S SALONS FOR HOLIDAYS AND BIRTHDAYS, SO, WE LEARNED HOW TO BRAID EACHOTHERS HAIR IN BETWEEN TIME. IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROWING UP EVERYBODY WHO WAS ANYBODY KNEW HOW TO BRAID. BY THE TIME I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS DOING ALL THE TRENDY BRAID STYLES ON MY OWN HAIR. TO MAKE MONEY IN COLLEGE I BRAIDED OUT OF MY DORM, ONLY CHARGING $50 A HEAD, JUST BECAUSE I WAS EAGER TO GET BETTER. AFTER HAVING A CHILD AT 19 I HAD TO NARROW IN ON WHAT SKILLS I DID HAVE. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD WITH CHILDREN AND HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM , I’M A PEOPLE’S PERSON AND I’M GOOD AT STYLING HAIR. SO I WENT FROM SALON TO SALON UNTIL I DISCOVERED I WAS READY TO BE MY OWN BOSS.

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.

FROM WOKRING IN SALON AFTER SALON I FOUND WHAT WORKS FOR ME. I KNEW I DIDN’T WANT TO JUST “DO HAIR” I WANTED TO HEAL THROUGH HAIR. I CONNECT WITH MY CLIENTS AND ALLOW THEM THE SPACE TO BREATH DURING THE TIME OF THEIR APPOINTMENT. I HAVE A HISTORY IN EDUCATION AND CHILDREN HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MY NICHE. MY FRIENDS SAY I’M EASY TO LOVE. SO, I STYLE PEOPLE’S HAIR OF ALL MOST AGES. MY YOUNGEST CLIENTS ARE 2 YEARS OLD. I AM A PAITENT NATURAL HAIR STYLIST. I SPECIALIZE IN BRAIDS AND CHILDREN’S HAIR. THE HEALTH OF ONE’S HAIR HAS INSPIRED ME SINCE AGE 11. I CONSULT WITH MY CLIENTS FIRST BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT STYLE IS BEST FOR THEM. I ALLOW SPACE FOR JOY TO BE CONJURED OR FOR TEARS TO DROP. WE LAUGH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. MY CLIENTS LEAVE WITH A PROMIST OF RETURN AND THAT’S ONLY ONE OF THE REASONS I KEEP GOING. I’M MOST PROUD OF THE FACT THAT I’VE NEVER GUVEN UP. EVEN WHEN TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS ARE THROWN MY WAY I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HOW FAR I’VE COME AND HOW FAR I HAVE TO GO. I HOLD THE FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED AND EVERY DOOR THAT CLOSES FOR ME OPENS A BALL ROOM OF OPPURTUNITIES. I LOVE THE CONNECTIONS I MAKE AND THE PEOPLE I MEET THROUGH MY BUSINESS. WHENEVR I DO DOUBT MYSELF I HAVE CLIENTS OF GREAT SPIRIT THAT REMIND ME I’M ON THE RIGHT PATH. I OFFER IN SUITE AND TRAVEL SERVICE. FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW MY BUSINESS HAS BEEN RAN BY PURELY M-E. I TRAVEL ALL OVER CHICAGO FROM HOME TO HOME DELIVERING SOME OF THE BEST NATURAL STYLES. I AM INTENTIONAL ABOUT MY WORK. I PRAY BEFORE EACH CLIENT AND AM REMINDED THAT I’M TOUCHING SOMEONE’S SCALP FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WHICH CAUSES ME TO BE GENTLE BUT STILL MOVE AT A PACE THAT DOESN’T LEAVE ME OR THE CLIENT WONDERING WHEN THE STYLE WILL BE OVER. I TRY TO MAKE ALL OF MY PRICES AFFORDABLE AND FAIR BECAUSE I INTEND TO REACH AUDIENCES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. I BELIEVE IN CONNECTION WITH HUMAN LIFE AND SHARING EXPERIENCES TO GROW IS WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT. I BELEIVE THAT IS WHAT I’M AM DISPLAYING WITH MY BUSINESS. THE POWER OF LIFE IN COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ART OF BRAIDING.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

FUNNY STORY IS I DIDN’T ALWAYS KNOW I’D BE BRAIDING FOR A LIVNG. I MEAN I KNEW I HAD THE SKILL BUT WHO KNNEW THIS WOULD BE MY CAREER PATH. I WENT TO A MEDICAL HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE MY WHOLE FAMILY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST. THEN WHILE IN HIGHSCHOOL I DISCOVERED I LOVED WRITING POETRY AND PUBLIC SPEAKING. SO MUCH SO THAT I JOINED A DEBATE TEAM AND A SPEKN WORD TEAM. IT WAS HARD CORE COMPETITION, I KNEW FOR CERTAIN, I’D BE IN THE CLASSROOM TEACHING POEMS OR MENTORING SOMEWHERE. LIFE WENT ON AND I FOUND A WAY TO INCLUDE MY LOVE FOR EDUCATION AND CHILDREN AND THE SKILLS I ALREADY HAD AND TURN THEM INTO A CAREER PATH. YES, DO STILL WRITE POETRY, PERFORM AND COMPETE HERE AND THERE. BUT AS A STYLIST I CONNECT WITH NOT ONLY CHILDREN BUT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. WE MENTOR EACHOTHER AND I COULDN’T FEEL MORE WHOLE.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

THE SECOND SALON I EVER WORKED IN I WAS FIRED FROM. AFTER THAT I FELT DISCOURAGED AND QUESTIONED IF THIS IS REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE. EVEN SO, I GAVE UP FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND WENT TO WORK AS A AMAZON DELIVERY DRIVER. I FELT NO MOTIVATION IN THE JOB I WAS WORKING AND AND THAT SHOWED ME TO STAND UP TO DENIAL OF DESTINY AND SAY “HEY, I GOT THIS!” I IMMEDIATELY SET ON A PATH TO START BRAIDING AGAIN.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: JONQUIL.ANTOINETTE
• Facebook: JONQUIL MCCRAY

Image Credits

Jonquil McCray