Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Georgia Tournai. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Georgia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today.  What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The hair industry can be considered one of the most unstable, elusive and demanding, yet fluid, multifaceted, and innovative careers – a lot of it having to do with the type of work you do and what you specialize in, what your work environment looks and feels like, and the location in which you work. Simply put, statistics especially in this current social climate indicate that 80% of salons fail within the first 2 years of opening. We as creatives have to put on multiple hats in order to be able to afford the lifestyle that we want to have – which is creating art and being able to live through our passions. But we have to be able to pivot and move with any challenge that presents itself to us; we have to be marketers, advertisers, landlords, accountants, human resources, legal aid, sales, developers, receptionists, and the list goes on and on and on.

Along with all of this, finding an ideal location where you are able to be creative and have your business thrive is key to be able to have the visibility you need – and it’s just another one of those facets that you need to be clever about in your decision making process. Finding the ideal location can be challenging enough, without first having something you can’t control happen. And that’s where my story comes in.

I bought a barber shop that had already been established since 1920 when I was just 23 years old. The former barber wanted to retire, so I purchased the business while also taking over her lease to the building. Like any creative person, I was elated to be able to expand on my brand and was successful in growing my clientele. A couple years later, the landlord dropped a bomb on me by allowing my lease to lapse to month to month, and then eventually giving me and my business a 30 Days Notice to Vacate, days after I gave him my rent check. Pretty classy, huh?

See, the problem was that this landlord saw a young, new business owner who was making more money than him in his building and simply put, he got greedy. He thought he could take a piece of the pie by cutting me out and having his own barber shop in my stead. His plan would’ve worked if I would’ve just admitted defeat. But definitely not, because I’m Georgia Tournai and I am unstoppable.

Instead, I was able to acquire an investor who believed in my brand and my vision of what I knew I could expand into, but more importantly, he believed in me. Like me, he was able to see what wasn’t in front of me, but what could be, and he had the courage to give me a shot. With that help, in just 30 short days, I purchased an old building that was formerly a restaurant. Remember all those hats that I talked about earlier? Well, I added becoming an interior designer and general building contractor to my collection and renovated the entire building into a 4 chair barber shop. I was able to continue my growth as well as continue the legacy within the community. I was able to further my dreams, my career and my brand and was able to expand my knowledge of becoming a building owner, a landlord, a small business owner and a boss.

Sometimes, something unexpected happens and the lesson is really in learning how to pivot, and about having the courage to stand up and fight for yourself. You are capable of so, SO much – and a lot of times we just get in our own way. If you’ve experienced or are experiencing something similar please remember, you’ve worked too hard to let someone else narrate your life and you have the power to see beyond what is in front of you. Don’t ever forget that.

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 Georgia Tournai and I’m a queer hair artist based in Palm Springs, CA. I’ve been a hairdresser and barber for over 10 years and am currently under the mentorship of Tabatha Coffey and the whole Matrix Mentor Me team – and it’s been such a rewarding experience. I’ve just opened my own queer-affirming hair studio in Palm Springs, CA, where where guests can come to relax and experience an elite, one-on-one and individualized experience as well as a one stop shop for all of their hair needs. The hair and creative studio is an all inclusive and safe space – whoever you are and however you identify, know I’ve got your back.

Upon graduating high school, one of my trans-identifying friends wanted to shave their head to better match how they truly felt. Growing up as a queer kid myself, of coarse I supported their decision and embarked on the quest of finding a salon to cut their hair. We visited multiple salons, and to our dismay, were refused service. Ultimately, this led to the crazy notion of doing it ourselves. So we purchased clippers, set up in their bathroom, and we shaved each other’s heads. It was such a pivotal moment for both of us and as I watched clumps of hair fall to the floor with each pass of the clipper, I felt a sense of solidarity and freedom. It lifted a burden for both of us that we weren’t fully able to comprehend and it was at that moment I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I knew I needed to do this.

So I enrolled in hair school and after years of continuing my education, exacting my craft, and excelling in my career, I bought my very own gender non-conforming barber shop in the town of Brush, Colorado; a rural, agricultural town of less than 6,000 people. I was only 23 at the time, but after just two years I was able to grow my business by over 80% and was hiring more stylists and barbers to work while I was also off designing and executing runway hairstyles as a new front-runner of hair fashion in Colorado. I also began working for editorial photo shoots as a concept designer, and even film work with Michael Lauter, an Academy Award Winning director.

After traveling and having the opportunity to educate other industry professionals, do hair for various magazines, New York Fashion Weeks, and off-Broadway productions, I wanted to really just find my roots again. After seven years of ownership, I sold my barber shop to my former manager in the summer of 2019 and in 2020 was able to take my runway career international by leading hair for a designer in the Paris Fashion Week shows. My partner, our copious amounts of pups, and I made the bold move to Palm Springs, a community that we’ve adored and wanted to be a part of permanently for years. This is where we know we want to place those roots.

For the past year, I’ve been mentored by none other than industry leader, Tabatha Coffey, and am pleased to announce my new studio: G TOURNAI Hair + Creative Studio. I specialize in everything cut and color, with special emphasis on clipper cutting techniques and fashion colors, on everyone, and my pricing is not gender specific, but rather on the service performed.

When I’m not behind the chair, I travel internationally as a conceptual hair lead and hair artist for clients including theatre shows, session shoots, film and runway.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s being able to give someone else the ability to see themselves transformed – to see that light shine in their eyes because maybe they weren’t able to see how magnificent they are. If I can help in some small way to help show someone’s beauty and strength, I’ve done my job. It’s never really about the hair – it’s always been something more.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Honestly, the fact that I’ve been fortunate enough to be on this amazing journey with the Matrix Mentor Me program for the past year and be personally and professionally mentored by Tabatha Coffey is a full circle moment. I remember watching Tabatha Coffey on Bravo’s Shear Genius show and again on Tabatha’s Salon Takeover and taking all I could to learn from her even then, which was years ago and a lot earlier in my creative journey. I bought her two books “It’s Not Really About The Hair” and “Own It!” and those have been huge stepping stones and are even reference points for me now whenever I need them. I highly recommend them even if you aren’t a hairdresser.

Contact Info:

• Website: georgiatournai.com
• Instagram: @gtournai
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/georgiatournai
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/g-tournai-hair-and-creative-studio-palm-springs
• Other: TikTok: @georgiatournai