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

Hi Jaris, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I’ve always been a risk taker. I’ve fully embraced betting on myself and it’s worked out for me.

It started in my college dorm room, where I launched my first business with more vision than resources. I didn’t have everything figured out, but I had enough belief in myself to start. That’s always been my pattern…move first, figure it out later.

At 21, right after graduating, I took another leap and moved to Chicago. No safety net, just ambition. I stepped into corporate life as a “corporate hottie” working at Allstate Headquarters in social media, building experience and learning how brands show up in the world. From the outside, it looked like I had it all together, but I’ve always known I was meant to build something of my own.

Then life shifted. During COVID, I moved back home and stepped into a completely different role as a high school teacher. It was a season of recalibration, growth, and perspective. But even then, I knew that wasn’t the final destination but only a part of the journey.

In 2023, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life: I chose myself. Fully. I walked away from everything comfortable to focus on my goals and build the life I had been envisioning for years.

Now, I run three businesses: Sixth Sense Makeup, Sixth Sense Hair, and BLVD Branding, all at 100%. And this year, I’m opening my first brick-and-mortar space, The BLVD, a place created for creatives and entrepreneurs to build, connect, and grow.

Risks are familiar to me. I decided a long time ago to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s where the growth is. That’s where the next level is.

I am committed to showing up for myself and trusting that I can figure it out.

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.

I’m a branding strategist, beauty professional, and entrepreneur who has built my career around helping people show up confidently, creatively, and intentionally personally and professionally.

I actually got my start in business while I was still in college, running my first business out of my dorm room. From the beginning, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to create something of my own. After graduating, I moved to Chicago at 21 and worked in social media at Allstate Headquarters, where I gained valuable experience in marketing, brand presence, and how businesses communicate with their audiences. That experience gave me a strong foundation, but I always knew I wanted to build something for myself.

During COVID, I moved back home and became a high school teacher. That season taught me a lot about leadership, communication, and impact, but it also pushed me to fully step into my purpose. In 2023, I made the decision to bet on myself completely and pursue entrepreneurship full-time.

Today, I am the founder of BLVD Branding, Sixth Sense Makeup, and Sixth Sense Hair, three businesses that all connect through one core idea: helping people elevate how they show up.

Through BLVD Branding, I provide brand development, website design, content strategy, and creative direction for entrepreneurs and small businesses. I help clients go from scattered ideas to a clear, cohesive, and profitable brand presence. With Sixth Sense Makeup, I offer professional makeup services for weddings, events, and photoshoots, focusing on enhancing natural beauty and creating a luxury, confidence-boosting experience. With Sixth Sense Hair, I provide premium hair extensions designed to give women versatility, quality, and a polished look that complements their lifestyle.

Across all of my businesses, I solve one core problem: people don’t always know how to present themselves in a way that matches their vision, their goals, or their value. Whether it’s a brand that lacks direction, a business that struggles with visibility, or a client who just wants to feel more confident in how they look, I help bridge that gap between where they are and how they want to be seen.

What sets me apart is the experience I create. I don’t just deliver a service, I focus on how people feel throughout the process. I want every client to feel seen, understood, and confident in the decisions they’re making. My approach blends strategy, creativity, and presentation, which allows me to support both the visual and foundational sides of a brand or experience.

One of the things I’m most proud of is having the courage to bet on myself and build multiple businesses that are all aligned with my vision. Each brand I’ve created serves a purpose, and together they’ve allowed me to impact people in different ways, through business, beauty, and community.

Right now, I’m also stepping into a new chapter by launching The BLVD, a physical space designed for creatives, entrepreneurs, and professionals to connect, create, and grow. It’s a reflection of everything I’ve built and everything I believe in when it comes to collaboration and community.

What I want people to know about me and my work is that I’m intentional. I care about quality, I care about experience, and I care about helping people elevate. I’m not just here to create something that looks good, I’m here to create something that works, something that lasts, and something that makes people feel confident in who they are and what they’re building.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what’s helped me build my reputation in my market is that I lead by doing. I don’t just talk about branding, presentation, or showing up. I actually live it every day across my businesses. I’m very intentional about how I present myself and my brands, and that consistency builds trust. When potential clients see my work, my visuals, and how I operate, it naturally makes them want to work with me because they can see the standard I hold.

I also focus heavily on the client experience. I make sure people feel seen, understood, and confident throughout the process, which leads to strong relationships and word-of-mouth referrals. Over time, that combination of consistency, quality, and real results has helped me build a reputation as someone who not only creates beautiful brands, but also delivers an experience that people remember.

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

One moment that really shaped my resilience was when I had to move back to my hometown after living in a major city. At the time, I had just come from working in a fast-paced corporate environment at Allstate in Chicago, and I felt like I was on top of the world. So having to return home during COVID felt like a major setback for me.

It was a humbling transition. I went from city life and corporate momentum to starting over in a completely different environment, and I had to really sit with what I wanted next. But I didn’t allow that moment to stop me. Instead, I used it as a reset. I focused on growing, gaining clarity, and continuing to build toward my goals, even if it looked different than I originally planned.

That season taught me that setbacks don’t define you, how you respond to them does. It made me more resilient, more focused, and more committed to betting on myself. This shift ultimately led me to fully stepping into entrepreneurship and building the businesses I run today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blvdbranding.com
• Instagram: jarievee, blvdbranding, sixthsensehairco, sixthsensemakeup
• Other: https://www.sixthsensebeauty.co

Image Credits

Jamal Sharp | By All Means Co.