Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jacqueline Cavazos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jacqueline , appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents migrated to the United States from Mexico in 1991, Here they worked day and night multiple jobs, while juggling having my older sister (a toddler at the time). They were blessed to be able to stay with family members who opened up their homes to them and gave them a plate to eat. Little did our family know they were fueling my parents to work for everything they have now. That time was hard for my parents often sleeping on floors or trying yo explain to my sister that garage sale clothes and toys where new things to them. They have told me stories where they cried together some nights wanting to give up and go back to Mexico where they had most of the family. But thanks to Opportunity’s God has given them, the hunger to be better & the dedication to give me and my brother and sister a better future, they have made us a whole hard working team where we have built a foundation of businesses and humble relationships with people of the city of Austin and the surrounding areas. If one thing they did right was to hold on to the American Dream and work hard as God’s people. Their story together is one to tell and give motivation and give hope to those who have a Dream never give up and work for it. My mom had more than 10 brothers and sisters and she lived happily with my grandparents in a humble home in Mx where they slept on the floor and never complained. That was their heart full home to them. Her padrinos(God parents) saw something in her and offered to pay for her to study cosmetology at age 17. She studied hair and worked with my grandparents, she then fell in love with my dad and they married. They had my sister, Leslie, and migrated to the U.S. my dad noticed my moms passion for hair and when they were able to work hard enough to raise enough for their first appartment, my parents recycled a mirror and chair they had found in the appartments dumpster yo make my moms first hair station in their apartment. There my mom would work 2 jobs and then offer to cut co workers hair in the appartment. I must note that those people she serviced then are still faithful clients 25+years later. My parents both worked and saved to then get a mobile home where my dad made our living room a hair salon just for my mom. Fast foward some years they worked hard, saved and bought another mobile home where built an attachment to the home and that became my moms iconic hair salon. She named after my oldest sister (Leslie Hair Style) In that salon I have blossomed to be my moms clone as her clients call me ‘Juanita Chiquita’ and my Lovely clients know me at ‘Beauty by Jackie’.
At the same time my mom grew her salon my Dad worked hard to make his own trucking company and now we are all getting together to make my mom her over all dream salon! This glamorous salon that is currently in the process of finishing getting built will be 2 stories where we plan on having close to 10+ talented stylist and home some local latina owned businesses in the upstairs suites. This project is going to be continued so stay tuned for when I announce the grand opening of ‘Sanjuanitas Salon & Suites’ in 2023!
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
My name is Jacqueline Cavazos, my friends call me Jackie and social media knows me as @Beauty by Jackie. I’m a professional hair colorist and stylist. I’m, what we call here, a unicorn, Austin born and Raised. I got into the Beauty industry because of my mom. Her passion for hair and amazing relationships she’s built along the way has always been my foundation to doing what I love to do. As a little girl I would watch my mom do hair everyday! I would watch her formulate colors and transform people into a beautiful version of them selfs! My first haircut was at 9 years, I was more eager than nervous. I had watch my mom do it for so long that it was second nature for me. When I was in Middle & High school my friends were my color clients and I would offten find myself skipping school to do some highlights or colors. I just loved it! I then became a teen parent to an amazing little boy & went on to cosmetology school. I juggled being a mommy, a student and working on constructing my career in the salon. I did this until I finally got my license and became a full time hair artist. Later I had 2 more beautiful kids and became a single mother of 3 at age 24. Through my journey of my cosmetology career I have also personally grown emotionally and mentally. After having my kids I became my heaviest most depressed self. Weighing in at 325lbs and being in a emotionally toxic relationship and being extremely depressed for this time. I had officially hit Rock bottom in my personal life. And frankly it was affecting my career as well. No one wanted to go to a depressed hairdresser. You want to do is go get good energy and look good after your appointment. So I did what any person does once they hit Rockbottom. I leaned on God for strength and the opportunity came up where I got the gastric bypass surgery in feb. 2018 and started my weight loss surgery. As the weight shed off so did my depression. I became to be more present in my day to day and I wanted to share that w my clients. I am now around 175lbs and I have picked up a healthy lifestyle, from going to the gym, eating better, going to church, and spreading my story with who ever I can reach. If I could get out of the dark pit I was in and now be as happy and positive as I am I believe anyone can do it too! I believe by my personal growth and the profession I’m in now, I can use it to enhance my clients not only by making their hair beautiful but by inspiring them to just live a happy life reguardless of the season they may be passing. And the fact that I’m on this platform means soo much to me and keeps me motivated to be a better me everyday for myself my kids and my clients who depend on me to make them feel good!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
In this beauty industry, you have to be uniquely yourself. Everybody in this industry has their own style, their own way of doing things you just have to find your own and that’s how you will grow your clientele at your speed depending on how you make yourself authentic. You don’t have to be copying everyone on social media. You just have to be yourself and the right people will come into your chair. One thing I’ve learned being in this industry is that not everyone is meant to be your client. I have learned that certain clients are meant for you and certain clients are meant for other professionals and that’s the amazing part about this is that there’s so many of us in this industry, and there’s enough clientele to go around, for everyone, there’s absolutely no reason for anyone in the beauty industry to be stingy with their clients. We all have the right to choose who we would like to go to just feel better, may just even be having to sit down and have a talk and have a blowout or getting a balayage done. As a professional, the one thing i can say to the future professional is that everything you do whether it be a 30 minute haircut or a 5-6 hour long color service do it with all your heart and put yourself there 100% do your best every single client, No one is more or less than, everybody deserves your full attention and when you give it, you will get it. At the end of the day, you reap what you sow.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson that I had to unlearn is that I thought I was done learning. I have learned that in this industry or even in life alone when you think you’re done learning a lesson boom there goes a new one, and when you feel like you’ve done learning, there’s always something new to learn, so always keep your mind open for the next big thing. Life is funny like that, it will always have you on your toes to make sure your ready. Always be open to learn never feel like you know it all. There’s no competition in this world, one day you can be up and one day you will be down and then again you’ll be up as long as you’re being the best you can be today that’s when you’re the best as yourself. Never compare yourself with others. There’s always somebody higher somebody lower, but we should never be comparing ourself. Just be better than yourself yesterday.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautyby_jackie
Image Credits
Personal photo was taken by @onecamphotography