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

Kristina, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

When I graduated cosmetology school in 2013, I had been doing hair out of my kitchen for years prior. I was comfortable behind the chair, but I wasn’t comfortable with the business aspect of how a salon ran. My cosmetology instructors tried to encourage me to go out and get my own salon studio right after graduation, but I was far too afraid if that much responsibility. I got hired on at a commission salon in May of 2013. I got a lot of experience working with actual paying clients for the first time. I experienced how to price my services and the timing of those services. I learned a lot about everything included in doing hair that wasn’t really taught in school. I just needed some real life experience. In January of 2014, I made the choice to go out on my own after only 8 months of experience in a salon. It was a huge risk, and I was pretty afraid, but also very confident it would be worth it. I put my two week notice in, and they wouldn’t let me finish out the two weeks. I only worked one more week. I was told by the manager there that I wouldn’t make any more money than I already did at the commission salon, going out on my own. She tried to discourage me, but I didn’t listen. I took the leap, and I’ve been out on my own ever since. That was almost 10 years ago! Isn’t very first day in my new suite, I made more money than I’d make on a two week paycheck at the big box salon. It was so gratifying and validated that I had done the right thing.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I began doing hair in my bedroom when I was just 13 years old. That was 20 years ago! I went to cosmetology school in 2012, started at my first salon in 2013, and went out on my own in 2014. I quickly gained a deep passion for hair extensions. I thoroughly enjoy doing hair extensions in general, but especially for clients with very short hair that otherwise have not found a stylist to say yes. I am the stylist that will say yes. I have had dozens of clients come in wanting long beautiful hair extensions and everyone else they consulted with said no, so I take it as a very fun challenge. And they are always blown away by what we can accomplish. Another passion of mine is providing hair extensions for trans women. It makes me so full of joy to see a trans girl come to life when I turn that chair around and she has the long luscious hair she’s been dreaming of. Servicing a trans girl is about so much more than just their hair. It’s about making them feel comfortable, seen, and to just simply validate who they are. In a word so full of hate and ugliness toward the trans community in general, I love to provide a safe space for these girls. To shower them with love and light and watch them find their confidence. Every time I do a new set on a trans girl I get happy tears in my eyes watching them come to life. It’s truly magical. These are the types of things money can’t pay for. I feel so lucky and grateful that these women trust me. That anyone at all trusts me to make their hair dreams come true. It is truly a gift I am so incredibly thankful for.

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

My most effective strategy consists of two key points. The first, is being very consistent on social media. When I was first building my clientele I was doing so in my own salon studio so I didn’t have the exposure of a salon bringing me walk-ins or commission clients. I had to post every single client I worked on, on my Instagram feed. It was redundant and I was sometimes posting very simple things like a root retouch, but it was so pivotal. It was an absolutely necessary way to get new girls in my chair. My clientele is definitely more full now than it was 10 years ago so I have slowed down a bit with the social media posting, but I can’t even stress enough how important it was to get more girls in the chair. The other way, is consistency. We are all human and make mistakes but in this industry it’s important you learn from those mistakes quickly and produce consistently amazing work. If you deliver great hair and a good experience to your clients they will speak highly of you to their friends and family and more people will pour in. People trust what they can see in the flesh. If they have a friend who they work with that always has amazing hair, they are bound to ask where she gets her hair done. Boom, there’s a client in your chair. But you have to remain consistent and also deliver the same amazing hair to them that you did their friend. They will become a regular client and recommend even more people to you. Word of mouth is powerful.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I actually had an interesting way of finding my business. I didn’t have a lot of money first starting out, so I just purchased product like haircolor, shampoo and conditioner, etc. as I went! I would go to the hair store daily and pick up whatever I needed for the day to perform the services I had booked. As time went on and I was able to save and make larger purchases, I started to stock up on my inventory! It took time but he as eventually able to get there. I am fortunate that I have the type of business where I was able to go about it this way and didn’t have to make huge investments going into it.

Contact Info:

• Website: Kristinajobehairartist.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/kristinajobe
• Other: Kristinajobe.GlossGenius.com

Image Credits
Jessica Worley