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

Jada, appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

If I said I didn’t ever ask this question, I would definitely be lying. However, my answer always remains the same–I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Running your own business takes a lot of brain power. By that, I don’t mean extreme intelligence. I mean literal power. You always have to be “on”. It takes tenacity, willpower, ambition, determination, confidence, resilience, stamina, and flexibility, to name a few characteristics.

So, in the moments that I wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job, I am often doing a sort of check-in with myself. There are times when business is slower, and I think it’s in those moments when insecurity tries to make a presence. Sometimes I can’t see the future and it makes me anxious, but I don’t really ever consider switching. I love being in control far too much to ever have to clock in again.

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

My name is Jada and I’m a native of Austin, TX, though I now commute from Killeen to Austin. I decided to go to the professional side of hair after working at two salons and falling in love with the industry while simultaneously getting feedback that I had a natural understanding of all things hair, especially color. That, combined with having grown up around the salon (my mom was a part-time hair stylist), I made the decision to go to Cosmetology School. It was one of the biggest and best decisions I’ve ever made.

I am currently an Independent Hair Stylist and operate out of a salon suite in Northwest Austin. I made the decision to go Independent after having two babies and realizing how crazy and unpredictable children could make a regular job become. I felt that this was the best way to be able to work, but also available to my babies. It is also a part of my journey to becoming fully mobile. My goal is to build a robust clientele and transition to operating a fully mobile salon.

I consider myself a modern Hair Stylist. I offer modern hair color and hair cut solutions to my clients. By modern, I mean providing low-maintenance and natural looks, but with elements of sophistication and elegance using modern techniques. I also integrate long-term hair health into my guests’ hair care plans. The majority of my clients are either career moms or career women so time is of the essence. I can give them amazing hair that looks like it naturally came right out of their scalps, and for most clients, I can keep their maintenance to two to three visits per year.

In an era where people are stuck indoors and bound to their work, self-care has become a crucial aspect of humanity. My business is a way to provide a form of self-care. As a private salon, moms who have kids or women who are constantly taking calls and emails for work can come in to see me, refresh their hair, and take a beat away from the noise and constant activity of life. They can create their own environment. It can be silent with ChillHop radio playing, we can chat while they have wine, or they can keep working on their laptops. And let’s be honest, our hair is a major part of our identity. If our hair looks bad to us, we think we look bad.

I am so thankful for what I have been able to achieve. I am proud that I have been able to grow my business, get my bachelor’s degree, and run a household of seven (I have three bonus kiddos in addition to my two girls) with my husband. I’m proud that I’ve been able to do both of my dreams–hair styling and writing–while juggling everything else life brings.

I am so thankful for my clients. They keep the cogs of this machine running. I want my potential clients to know that I can relate to being overwhelmed, tired, and feeling blah. I love to find ways to connect with clients and make that connection that helps me know who they are. This is a crucial aspect of making the right choices for their individual hair needs. I am not a one-size-fits-all hair stylist. I find out who you are, and make you shine brighter.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A huge part of my journey that has really built up my stamina is having a family. Between the two of us, my husband and I have five children. He had three children from his first marriage, which have also become mine, and then he and I added two more to our bunch in 2017 and 2019. During this time we both were going to college and trying to work on our futures.

One of the most challenging times for me was during my last semester of college in the fall of 2021. I had a full 14 hours of classes. My degree is in English so I was basically reading in every minute of spare time that I had. I managed to stay busy at the salon, cook dinner, take two of our girls to dance class twice a week, do my homework, sleep (very little), and graduate Magna Cum Laude at Arizona State University.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is the number one way that I receive new clients. Facebook and Instagram are the platforms that I use. I got started on social media with a marketing strategy specifically for hair stylists. I started by creating a separate Facebook account in addition to my business page. This was also separate from my personal Facebook page. I wanted to create a space that clients could get to and see immediately.

I then joined several groups where I felt I could find my ideal clients. For me, these were the mom groups. I then simply started interacting in the groups like a regular person. I didn’t want to come off as a bot or as disingenuous. After becoming a little more familiar with the dynamic I did several model calls. I offered color services at a lower cost in order to beef up my photos for Instagram. This was a crucial step because I managed to keep a number of these clients that now pay my regular prices. They got to come in a do a test run with me to see if I would be a good long-term fit. They have also become my cheerleaders in the Facebook groups. When group members seek out a hair stylist, they go and tag me in the post along with a recommendation. Sometimes it starts with direct contact, or sometimes I get new followers that then lead to direct contact.

Instagram is amazing because it acts as my portfolio. I don’t have to explain what I do, I can just show it, and all I have to do is drop a link. Although I’m still working on gaining followers myself, I would say the biggest thing is to show consistent and quality work on social media. If everything looks different, or it’s not that great, it isn’t going to be eye-catching.

I’m constantly reminded of the attention span of people online nowadays. In one of my college classes, I watched a TED talk video in which the speaker said the average attention span is less than 3.5 minutes in regard to watching videos online. I feel that it has to be much less when dealing with the News Feed and scrolling. All that is to say that what you have on display needs to instantly grab one’s attention. Keep them there long enough to see who you are and what you do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.newcheveux.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newcheveuxnow
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/newcheveuxnow

Image Credits
Daniel Rigdon–in salon photos and self-portrait