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

Alright, Jada thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story that illustrates an important or relevant lesson you learned in school

One of the most important lessons I ever learned in school didn’t come from a textbook or a mannequin head — it came from the business portion of my cosmetology program. I was 27 at the time, sitting in a small classroom with the steady hum of blow dryers coming through the wall. I had already spent years working in salons and was still chipping away at my English degree, but the business side of the beauty industry was a foreign language to me.

Our class used a program called Nuts & Bolts, narrated by a Scottish man whose voice I can still hear to this day. In one lesson, he broke down two ways a stylist could make $500 in a day: ten clients at fifty dollars each, or five clients at one hundred. Same revenue, completely different workload.

That simple comparison was incredibly enlightening. It deepened my understanding of the concept “quality over quantity” — or, as he put it, “Work smarter, not harder.” I realized that success wouldn’t be about taking as many clients as possible; it was about elevating the value of the experience. The environment I create, the way I communicate, offering fewer more specific services, the small touches that make clients feel cared for — those things mattered just as much as technical skill.

That moment helped to shape my entire approach to my career. It taught me to value my skill, invest in my education, and build a business with real intention rather than hustle for hustle’s sake. It’s the philosophy that guided me as I moved into a larger, more beautiful salon suite — a dream I worked toward for years. I’m still growing into it, still refining, still learning, but that lesson has been at the center ever since.

It stuck with me because it was integral in me discovering my own worth, that I have value. It taught me that growth doesn’t always mean doing more — many times it means just doing things better.

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

I entered the salon industry in 2008 in San Francisco, working as a Guest Care Coordinator at Cinta Salon downtown. I had moved there to finish my degree at SFSU, but I quickly realized that the salon environment — the energy, the creativity, the sense of community — felt more like home than any other industry I’d worked in. When I eventually moved back home to Austin, I continued working as a Front Desk Coordinator at another salon for three years. It was during that time that I decided to “level up,” as I like to say, and become a stylist myself.

In many ways, it felt like coming full circle. I grew up around hair — my mom worked part‑time at Regis, and I spent weekends sweeping floors, watching stylists work, and absorbing the sounds and smells of the salon. Hair relaxer, curling irons, acrylic nails… all of it is nostalgic to me because my mom did hair and nails at our house growing up. I did my friends’ hair long before I ever held a license. Becoming a stylist was me actually going back to my roots.

I enrolled at Avenue Five Institute, a Vidal Sassoon Connection Academy, and graduated in September 2014. From there, I completed a year‑and‑a‑half apprenticeship before stepping into my first role as a solo stylist. Shortly after, I became a mother — twice — and took time off to be present with my babies. When I returned, I chose the salon suite route because it allowed me to nurse, work part‑time, and still build my business. At the time, I imagined transitioning into a mobile salon model, and I spent years researching and preparing for that path.

But life has a way of redirecting us. Between COVID, shifting priorities, and the reality of commuting from Killeen to Austin for five years — often on I‑35, which has become increasingly dangerous — I realized mobile wasn’t the right fit for me. I needed something safer, more sustainable, and more aligned with the experience I wanted to create for my clients.
That’s when I found my new space in Georgetown. It’s larger, beautiful, brand‑new, and owned by genuinely wonderful people. My commute is cut in half, and I get to drive through quiet country roads instead of battling highway chaos. It feels like a breath of fresh air — literally and figuratively.

Today, my work focuses on gray blending, dimensional color, and low‑maintenance lived‑in looks. I’m also someone who is easily overstimulated by sound and light, so I intentionally designed my suite to be calm, quiet, and grounding. I keep the lights dim, play zen garden music, and create an environment where clients can truly exhale. Many of them tell me it’s the only quiet moment they get all week.

My approach is simple: I want my clients to feel beautiful, cared for, and never overwhelmed. Gray blending allows them to go 4–6 months between visits without the harsh grow‑out line that traditional color can create. I also include the K18 treatment in all highlighting services because it genuinely transforms the hair — imagine your hair getting healthier with each highlight instead of drier or more brittle.

What sets me apart is the combination of my technical skills and the environment. I’m not just doing hair; I’m creating an experience that embraces who my clients are and how they want to feel. I’m proud of the business I’ve built — on a foundation of care, focus, education, and a deep respect for this skill, or vocation. And I want potential clients to know that when they sit in my chair, they’re not just getting a service. They’re getting a moment of peace, a customized approach, and a stylist who genuinely values their time, their hair, and their well‑being.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients is word of mouth and referrals. I had only been in business 6 months when COVID hit so I was desperate for clients. I started by offering model services and then discounted balayage services. I had a lot of people only visit once, which was expected. What I didn’t expect was for the few that kept coming back to be an integral part of growing my business. Via Facebook mom groups my ladies helped me grow my business substantially. It’s the best thing still to this day. Everything else is secondary and supplemental, but the real bread and butter is my clients telling other people about me.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I’m currently enrolled in a program for Salon Owners because I have relocated and I’m wanting to take my business to the next level. It’s called Beauty Business Formula by Mandy Zehnder. I’m about halfway through the program and it has already been groundbreaking for my business. The best way I can describe it is, it’s been like having a light turned on in a dark warehouse that I was previously navigating with little to no light.

The business principles that are taught specifically for Independent stylists and salon owners is nothing short of groundbreaking. She knows her stuff!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.newcheveux.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newcheveuxsalon