We recently connected with Elijah Ochoa and have shared our conversation below.

Elijah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

It seems that every time this thought has presented itself to me, it has been in the midst of a stressful or uninspiring situation pertaining to my position as a business owner. The last time I asked myself ”Should I leave all of this behind me and work for someone else?” was about a year ago when the world was just beginning to bounce back from the pandemic. I had gone two and a half years with no extended education, decrease in income, a general lack of inspiration and the feeling of isolation within the industry. In the midst of all the uncertainty I was experiencing, I showed up to work and poured every ounce of energy I had into pampering and building up the guest in my chair that day. She requested a haircut, full color and treatment so that’s exactly what we did. To this day- I will never forget the look in her eyes when she said to me: “You helped me find myself. You saw her inside me and you brought her out to the surface so I could meet her again. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”. I was reminded in that moment why I embarked on this journey in the first place. The privilege of helping others express their identity through their hair is what brings me joy and fulfillment. I had been in a scarcity and survival mindset for so long that I lost sight of the entire reason why I love what I do. I learned to not only focus on the mundane details and responsibilities of being a business owner but to also keep my focus on WHY I do what I do. The freedom, joy and human connection this career gives me is something I will choose again and again.

Elijah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an independent hairstylist based out of Joplin, Missouri. While I specialize in haircolor, my wide list of services cater to everyone and every hair texture. As a hairstylist, I prioritize quality and inclusivity. I love the process of helping others take who they are on the inside and bring it out to the surface by providing a safe space with accurate results that are truly custom. Expressing who you are is an incredibly beautiful experience, so to be a part of that process for others is a privilege that I hold close to my heart.

There are many reasons as to why I chose to pursue a career in cosmetology. When I made the decision, I was in the midst of an incredibly pivotal moment in my life. I was a closeted, gay 18 year old in the Midwest and knew I wanted to work toward living an open and authentic life that aligned with who I was. A dear friend of mine brought up the idea of me possibly going to cosmetology school and the more I researched, the more it made sense for me. I love working with people, I’m passionate about personal expression, I could eventually choose my own hours and I would get to create art every. day. It checked all of the boxes and to this day has been one of the greatest experiences of my life after 8 years.

I now am happily married to my husband, Lalo, and we have 4 adorable fur babies!
I look forward to what the future holds for my business and the experiences to come.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Directly after leaving cosmetology school, I accepted a very generous job offer at a successful booth rent Salon. I was told by my educators about the risks of going booth rent so early on in my career, but as I said before, the owners offer was generous and I was driven to make it work. The stylists who work there were incredibly kind and helpful and the space was beautiful. The only problem was that I lacked discipline. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was true. I was going through a difficult period in my life and didn’t set myself up for success when it came to structuring my business. Because of this, after nearly one year I had to leave that salon and take a year-long break from hairstyling. It was brutal not getting to be behind the chair, but during my time away I was able to heal, grow and get back on my feet. Once that happened, I returned to cosmetology and haven’t looked back since. There have been many more lessons learned since then, but all of them have been instrumental to my growth thus far.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I started my career, social media was just starting to boom. It changed the hair industry entirely and provided stylists with independent marketing capabilities that we hadn’t had access to before. My preferred platform to connect with the community and showcase my portfolio is Instagram. While my platform is still growing, It’s already brought my business a lot of success. When I think about where I’m taking my online presence, I think about current trends, clean, exciting and satisfying visuals, education and cohesiveness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ElijahTheStylist

Image Credits
Mitzi Starkweather