We were lucky to catch up with Brittany Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

If I had a time machine and I could go back in time, I would have definitely started in my career a lot sooner than I did. I always thought that I would feel more fulfilled choosing a different career path. cosmetology has always been an interest of mine since childhood I would watch my cousin do hair all the time . I loved the styling my dolls and practicing on friends. It wasn’t until I graduated college and after several failed job attempts that I decided that I wanted to pursue cosmetology full-time because that was something that was near and dear to my heart. when I decided to fully pursue and put all of my potential into cosmetology, I was at a career crossroad. I was really in search of a career that made me feel fulfilled and something that I love.

At this point in my life, there’s nothing I would change about the past and what it took to get me to where I am. Without those past experiences struggles, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am still a work in progress forever learning for ever-changing forever growing.

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 come from very humble beginnings. I was doing hair in a little nook in my bedroom when I first started. I had no license just a skill set that I acquired over time practicing on myself, family and friends. I am thankful enough to have had people trust me from the beginning to service all of their hair care needs even before i truly engulfed myself into the industry.

Since childhood doing hair has always been something that I took interest in. Unlike most things that I’ve done in my life, it truly challenges me. Outside of taking classes, I am for the most part self-taught. I pretty much look at something create an image in my head , and then determine a way to accomplish that style. I’ve never had a mentor haven’t had much help however social media has blessed me with plenty of amazing and talented stylist to look up to.

2013 was when I officially decided that I was going to take this career path seriously and enrolled in cosmetology school . My traditional education background is in accounting so while I attended school, I also held several positions in that field. I enrolled part time due to work so it wasn’t until 2015 when I officially graduated . For me that moment was more important to me than graduating with my masters degree because I did that for myself . Finishing cosmetology school was for me, all of my other degrees was for the approval of my family and peers because it was the right thing to do but finishing cosmetology school was for me.
I started off as a braider. Most of the clients that I acquired from doing hair at home was for braiding services and some extension weaving services. I have been fortunate enough to have some of them still follow me to this day . Overtime I started to experiment with color and cutting and realize I’m pretty good at these things too so then they became services that I offered as well. As i have progressed in my career I’ve gone into realms, such as trichology the study of hair. With that being one of my favorite topics because it dives deep into the structural make up of hair and many scalp maladies and disorders.

Recently, I have taken even more interest in holistic health holistic studies and treatments for the hair, scalp and body.
I even make my own natural hair, butter, beard, butter, and scalp oil. I one day plan to add other all natural products as well.
Service wise right now I provide luxury extension services that includes k tips i tips and tape in extensions as well as traditional sewins glue in and natural hair and protective styling. My primary focus is healthy scalps , healthy hair, and transforming and restoring confidence in each and every client .

The thing that sets me apart from other stylist is that I really and truly care about what’s best for my clients hair. I am the stylist that will tell you no.I am the stylist that will ask about your health and wellness. I am the stylist that wants to take a holistic approach to the health of your hair your scalp and yourself as a whole.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Something I had to unlearn was comparing myself to others . Although many of us have chosen similar paths, no one’s journey is identical to another’s comparison is the thief of joy. There was a time where I would go on social media and go to certain stylist pages see their work and compare their work to my own . I tried to understand why is it that they are booked and I am not .
I would often times feel discouraged after doing that. It wasn’t until one day I told myself to worry about myself and not what other people are doing. I needed to figure out what was going to work best for me in order to bring myself the clientele I desired . Once that finally settled in my mind, I am immediately swung into action. It is important to be able to identify your target market and be able to market to that niche.
In 2018, I took a marketing class with Rasheeah Burrell under the BBBEE that changed my life and the way I looked at my Business. Her class helped me realize that everything I need it I’ve had it all along I just wasn’t using it properly . This course help me to better brand my business and create marketing strategies for my business that I still used to this day. Once i focused on myself and what I wanted to accomplish thats when things turned around for me.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency is always key. Once I started to become consistent, I noticed a difference an influx in clientele,inquiries and my business overall . Honesty, is another attribute that I think has helped build my reputation in this market as well. Clients value consistency and honesty. It lets them know that you are someone they can depend on to deliver and you will never give them something that may compromise the integrity of the hair.

Contact Info:

• Website: Thabhive.com
• Instagram: Tha_b_hive_
• Facebook: Tha b hive