We were lucky to catch up with Cassandra Powell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cassandra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I am a hairstylist of 25 years licensed in Ohio and Georgia. I have been able to make a full time living in my craft. I owned a salon for 10 years prior to relocating to Georgia to work full time in TV & Film. It was hard when I first got started as a stylist because it is a business. You have to build that business from the ground up by structuring your business, building a clientele that is consistent enough to make a living along with the expenses of running that business. Working in a salon can have its ups and downs because trends change, hairstyles evolve, so its a continuous investment in learning your craft to stay up with the times. Then its the ups and downs of rising cost and slow times. Some times clients are flooding into the salon to get their hair done then there’s a slowing period where not as many people are getting their hair done especially if you live in an area that has various weather changes like when I lived in Ohio and we would have brutal winters or rainy seasons. The upside of being a hair stylist though is I have been able to work in almost every realm of beauty. I have worked in a salon as a booth renter, I have owned my own salon, I have been a platform artist platforming at the major hair conventions such as Premiere Orlando and Ohio, Bronner Brothers, and Extension Expo. I have worked on commercials, fashion shows, editorials, and now full time as a TV & Film hairstylist.

Cassandra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am originally from Columbus, Ohio where I resided up until 5 years before relocating to Atlanta, GA. I am a mother of 5 ages 25, 23, 22, 13, and 6. I first attended cosmetology school my junior and senior year of high-school where I was able to graduate high school with a cosmetology license. I didn’t start out working in the salon right away so I attended college after I graduated high school. I became licensed in 1998 but didn’t actually start working in a salon until 2004. I was a young mother so after attending college for a year I quit school and became a stay at home mother until my kids were old enough to attend school. Once they begun school I went into the salon full time and then chose to also finish my degree program that I had quit after a year. I did go on to obtain my Masters Degree in Business Administration, after working in the salon continuously I also purchased my own salon in 2009 and maintained it until I relocated to Georgia and had lived here 2 years and then sold it. Through the years of being a hair stylist I have platformed, I am an educator where I teach various classes surrounding beauty and business, I am an author of ” I Graduated Beauty School, Now What”, I work full time in television and film as a hairstylist working with various cast on Tv series, feature films, and freelance work. I also founded Set Life Academy where I host a 2 day hands on training for hair stylist, barbers, and makeup artist that are looking to either break into TV & film or just want to learn and understand what that actually is within the industry. I am most proud that I actually took the leap to pursue my dream of working in TV & film. It is definitely a dream into my reality.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of my career is being able to see my work on the Tv screen and also meeting so many amazing actors or actresses that I’ve watched on television through the years growing up. I never would have thought not even five years ago that I would be able to watch something and know I styled that celebrities hair, or I worked with the team on a movie, or that my name would appear at the end of the credits after watching something, especially with Tv being timeless. To know that I was able to use my gift, my creative ability to style hair, and it being able to be seen around the world is beyond rewarding for me.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was a mother by the time I was 17 years old still a senior in high school when my first child was born and a mother of 3 right at my 21st birthday. Of course being such a young mother I was on assistance from the state, in public low income housing. After working some years in the salon I then was able to sustain myself and had purchased a home and my salon only to become divorced by the time I was 30 at that time a mother of 4. After my divorce I pretty much had to rebuild myself, my finances, and my life as a single mom. After the rebuilding of my life and I was able to get things back on track I took the leap of faith of relocating to Georgia to pursue working in TV & film. Thinking back over the years of just a part of my journey I think being in the place that I am now from my past journeys illustrates my resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: iamcassandrapowell.com
• Instagram:@iamcassandrapowell
• Youtube: mzstylestudio1
• Other: setlifeacademy.com

Image Credits
Tyrus Riley, SR