We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amber Abeid. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amber below.

Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Going from a commission salon to booth renting was the biggest risk of my career. I was at my old salon for 5 years & had built a steady clientele there but one day I realized I just wasn’t happy, I was just comfortable where I was. I was working more hours than I wanted to, I wasn’t doing the type of hair I was truly passionate about. I felt like I was just an autopilot during my shifts and I was starting to feel burnt out. I decided that once I felt myself losing the passion to do hair, it was time to make a change. So, in 2021, I made the change to go out on my own & booth rent. It’s been a wild ride but if I had the chance to redo it, I wouldn’t change a single thing. I am so much happier doing hair & it shows in my work too & my clients can tell that I love doing what I do.

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 got into the industry by working the front desk at a salon while I was taking some college classes. I wasn’t happy in college and I could see the beautiful work all the stylists around me did so I decided to take a shot in the dark & tour a cosmetology school. I ended up enrolling that same day. I thought that if I didn’t like doing hair after going to school, I would just work while I finished college but I ended up loving it. Now, 7 years later, I am an independent stylist that specializes in lived-in color (balayages) and blondes. I am most proud of how far I have come as a stylists over these last years working behind the chair. Starting out, I was very soft spoken and quiet. Now, not only am I confident in my work but I am also proud of the environment I create for my clients when they come to get their hair done. I make sure they use this time to unwind and relax, vent about anything they need to, or just catch up with what is going on in their lives!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth has always been the best way for me to grow my clientele. I always make sure I have business cards on me wherever I go & I always make sure to frequently hand out my hands to all my clients, whether they are new or returning. I also have a referral program for new clients – they receive $10 off on their first haircut or $20 off on their first color appointment with me. And the client of mine that referred them gets $20 off their next visit for each person they refer in to me. I have learned that’s always a great way to get new people in my chair & it also benefits my loyal clients.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met my coworker Renee at my second job we both worked at Blo Blow Dry Bar in St. Pete. We just kind of instantly clicked and one of the first things she ever said to me was how she was looking for a small salon to have 3 chairs in. I loved how ambitious she was and still continues to be. So, fast forward a month after that, I get a call from Renee saying that she found a place in St. Pete to fit 3 chairs and asked if I wanted to rent one and work independently. That was also how I met my other coworker, Marissa. She previously was sharing a loft with Renee and was asked to rent the third chair. We all work independently – make our own schedules, run our own books, etc. We all work together so well and we have created such a welcoming space for our clients to feel at home. Working along side the two of them have been the best 6 months of my career and I cannot wait to see how the salon grows in the future.     

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @hairbyamberjean
• Tiktok: @hairbyamberjean