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

Cassandra, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I absolutely love being a business owner. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My own hours, holidays when I need them, taking the time to take my kids to all of their sports and not having to work Saturdays.

I occasionally think about what it would be like to work 9 – 5, have the work day end at the 5pm mark and not have to think again until the next day.
I work crazy hours to accommodate my clients, 12 hour days when on set sometimes. Constantly getting back to people about appointment times and hair questions. Working to make that money as I don’t have a consistent salary job.
But I love what I do, you either love it or hate it. I love it.

Cassandra, 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?

My name is Cassandra Jakubek. I’ve been a hair Stylist for almost 20 years now. I started working at my friend’s mother’s salon and stayed there for 10 years. I had my first son back in 2012 and decided after the year off, to try owning my own business, in my home. I have always loved transforming my clients hair. I really believe hair is our biggest accessory and makes us feel beautiful so confident and good about ourselves, once done.
Having people trust you to make them feel their best is pretty powerful. I love being able to take one client at a time and give them my full attention. I also form such close bonds with them this way.

I provide services such as colour/ cutting/ extensions and style.
I am constantly updating my services, taking classes and adding the newest techniques.

About 5 years ago I decided I would really like to get in to doing to hair for television, editorial, film and fashion shows. Something I had always wanted to do since the beginning but working in a salon wouldn’t allow.
I had been asked by a friend who worked in the television industry if I would like to work on a show he was filming aka The Real Housewives of Toronto. After immediately saying yes he said it would be for the next season as they had already wrapped the 1st. I watched the show and realized I really wanted to work with one woman in particular, Joan Kelley Walker. She was fantastic and I had to work with her. I quickly wrote her an email asking if I could work with her, not expecting a response but knowing it would either be a quick “no thanks” , her ignoring me or a “yes”, she wrote me back that same day and gave me a job. It was for the following weekend for a red carpet look. 5 years later we are still working together. Also now her personal Stylist for colour and cuts.
She took a chance on me and for that I owe her everything.
Through her I met other people in the industry who have hired me. I have done hair for celebrities, magazine covers, and fashion shows.
I would really still love to get my hands in film, music videos, and commercials. A goal I hope to achieve in the near future.

I love being a private hair salon, being able to use products I love and not just one brand in particular. I only use products I believe work, not just what I’m told to sell. I use all different colour brands as well.
Every client has a custom colour. I like being what I call a hair mixologist and coming up with new combinations per person. Blonde has seemed to be what I’m best at. Also the hardest in my opinion. It is really tough to find someone who can work with blonde and can keep your hair healthy.

One day I hope to make my own brand of hair products and accessories.

Outside of hair I am a mom to two amazing energetic and talented boys, Maksin and Axl and a wife to my husband Krystian. I am a sports mom to almost every sport there is and love to get away to our RV on the Saugeen River when ever i can.
I love getting dressed up and going out for dinner with my girls, but hate going to the movies lol. Give me a movie at home in my pj’s any day. ;)

I really hope this gives you a look into who I am.

I just love people and love every relationship I’ve formed through this business. I actually just did a wedding for a client who I have now done her grade 8 grad hair, prom hair, university grad hair and recenrly her wedding day hair. My clients are my family. I’m so lucky and grateful for this life and job, it is way more than a just a job to me.

Did I say the word “love” enough in this interview? ;)

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

1. Building the reputation of being reliable, answering texts calls and dms right away is very important.

2. Making sure all of my clients have my undivided attention. I’m taking the time in my consultations to really listen. I’m also very honest whether something is achievable or not.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

It’s really easy to just think you know it all and don’t need to learn anything new in this field. I have watched so many be comfortable with what they know and be stubborn to change.

Really early on in a class I had a fellow mentor say you will never be done learning and you will never know it all. Once you think that , your career is most likely over.
So I really had to unlearn thinking I eventually would be done learning.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @cassandrajhair

Image Credits
@citylightlinds @georgepimentel1 @mizmonday @aliciachurilla