We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jami Barajas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jami, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission behind the chair as a hairstylist is to uplift my community by bring out confidence and self love out of everyone I meet. Of course I love co-creating styles and perfectly tailored looks for my guests. But what truly helps me connect with them are the in depth conversations we always have. I love taking the time to really understand my guests on a personal level. Sure, I will give you some bomb hair! But if I can listen to you, remind you of all the beauty inside you, and help you accept the parts of yourself that might be over looked, then I can help you radiate light from the inside out. I absolutely love it. I wasn’t always a confident person but the beauty industry has helped me developed my self worth. It was my escape from a toxic lifestyle and loving on people helped me love myself. It is always an honor to service whoever finds themself in my chair. I can’t help but to feel so grateful for our time together!

Jami, 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?

I started in the beauty industry in 2009. I knew that going to a university wasn’t an option for me. Honestly, I wasn’t the greatest student. But I did know I was a fast learner and a hard worker. And I wanted to find something to do that I could pour my heart into. After touring local community colleges, I found myself very interested in the world of cosmetology. Everyone around me was shocked because I did not give off the vibe of a girl who really would thrive in that kind of industry. But I knew deep down that it was meant for me, and I was right! Immediately I found myself inspired and excited to learn new skills. I was introduced to new people every single day and I found that outlet I really needed as a teenager. I went to an Aveda school, so it was very focused on holistic beauty and supported a spiritual lifestyle. Fast forward to now, and it couldn’t be more aligned with the woman I’ve grown into. It’s crazy to see the synchronicities and witness how the universe has been working in my favor all along. My craft really is a gift and I love sharing it as much as I can.

I have always been a little different than my peers. I’ve always been the type to march to the beat of my own drum. I think that has helped me stand out as a hairstylist. My eclectic style has helped me have the capacity to meet the needs of many different types of people. I have been lucky enough to work alongside amazing women and men who celebrate individuality. I have also worked in different cities including Madison Wisconsin, Austin Texas, and now, Phoenix Arizona. Some might say it is a poor business move to travel and move around as much as I did. But, the amount of experience I’ve had working in different places has helped me explore different avenues of the industry. Maybe I didn’t build the largest clientele, but I’ve been able to do really amazing things like work Austin fashion week multiple years in a row, do make up for local fashion magazines, travel for weddings, work alongside photographers doing editorial shoots, be an educator, and the list goes on.

Moving to Arizona from Texas during the pandemic was the biggest leap faith but like I said before, the universe is always working in my favor. Again, I was able to get experience working for a very established salon company in the valley. Unfortunately, my time there ended quite suddenly and although i was shocked, it pushed me in the direction to work for myself. I now rent a chair and am building my brand Honeydrip. I love having complete control over how I connect with my clients, work behind the chair, and express myself as an individual. What felt like rejection and betrayal only led me to complete freedom and acceptance. After moving so much I’m learning that I’m now in the season of planting roots and it makes me so excited that I have control over how stable and secure those roots will be.

I’m 32 now and I started in the industry just shy of my 18th birthday. I’ve been able to grow as a woman and as a professional in ways my little inner child would be so proud of. And that’s a huge reason why I love my career. The energy exchange is amazing. I always have so much gratitude.. I feel like the intimacy of being someone’s hairstylist is so much more meaningful than what the superficial stereotype assumes. You really do have an effect on how people feel. and in return, it helps me too! It’s beautiful.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Since I did move around a lot, I’ve had the opportunity to build my clientele over and over again. Honestly, I have always had great success in retaining clients and building my books quickly. And I do believe it’s because I offer a space for people to really express themselves in an authentic way. I believe my energy feels safe, whatever that means haha! I just know people feel very comfortable with me because I hold space for them to be vulnerable. I think just meeting people where they are and coming from a place of service and gratitude will always be my reason for success. Guests at the salon can feel energy, too. It’s refreshing when you don’t have to hide behind anything and just relax a bit. It’s always the best vibes with me and the people in my chair.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’m constantly learning, reading, listening to podcast or videos on Youtube. I can’t think of any one specific that I’m listening to. I’m always rotating between entrepreneurial podcast, books about spirituality and videos that inspire me from other bad ass women in the industry. I would say The Skinny Confidential Him and Her podcast is always on deck. And I probably have every self-help book you can think of in my personal library. I’m constantly doing the work on myself to be a better human and it allows me to be a better professional. I’m able to lead by example and show up with my best foot forward. It’s a constant work in progress but I like it that way because I think I would get bored if I wasn’t constantly striving for better.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @honeydriphair_

Image Credits
all mine!