We were lucky to catch up with Jenifer Khan & David Castle recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jenifer Khan & David Castle, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

David and I recognize there’s a void in the Beauty Industry. One of our missions is to help each and every Beauty Professional with their aches, pains, and weaknesses, all the while helping them become more healthy, happy, productive, and have a stronger mind/body connection. Beauty Professionals are getting injured due to repetitive stress injuries, long/short term use, poor posture for hours on end leading to misalignment. Shoulders, feet, hips, low back, you name it, are all aching at the end of the workday and we want to bring awareness and solutions to the Beauty Industry! Each and every Beauty Professional, regardless of their age/gender/experience/weight, deserves to have a sustainable and long-lasting career not limited by physical ailments.

Jenifer Khan & David Castle, 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?

My (Jenifer) story is actually quite relatable. I joined the Beauty Industry back in 2004, long before the emergence of social media, and started off my career the way many new professionals would, by going to school, assisting, and working like a dog. I spent so many hours at beauty school, working on mannequins and doing friends’ hair, then running to her retail job in the evenings, and assisting in a salon ALL day every Saturday.

Unfortunately, those “hustle habits” continued long after I graduated. I think we can all agree that the “hustle” lifestyle of the beauty professional is not only archaic but also not sustainable.

I lived the glamorous life behind the chair of being double/triple booked… over-caffeinated and dehydrated… sneaking in smoke breaks and working through lunch breaks… body aching but pushing through day after day… hitting a bar after a long day and overeating/drinking way too much alcohol… rinse and repeat. Not so glamorous when it’s all typed out!

I was a 200-pound Hairstylist, a binge eater, a heavy smoker, and had horrible posture and more pain points than I could count! I constantly put my body in the most compromising positions and expected my body to perform at 100% every single day.

I knew if I wanted to do hair for the long haul, i’d have to make a huge change.

January 2014 was when I made the commitment to change my life and focus on improving her health, both mentally and physically. Little did I know the trickle effect this would have on her life, in a positive way of course! Two years later, 40 pounds lighter and feeling amazing, I met the man of my dreams; David Castle.

David Castle has worked in the health and fitness industry for twenty four years working from coast to coast and specializes in biomechanics, pain management, corrective movement, exercise and nutrition. He is currently training privately in Chicago and focuses on staying current with the most recent and relevant developments within his field.

David was able to take my physical health to a whole new level! He designed a program specific to my postural imbalances and was able to correct those areas through intentional movement. Not only did I lose another 25 pounds, but I am now able to end my workday with just as much energy as I started with. The way I hold my body and use my body has forever been changed!

David and I have been working on Industry Aligned since we met back in June of 2016 and it’s been so fun watching it evolve and become more and more tailored to fit all the needs of every beauty professional.

We now offer in salon workshop teaching beauty professionals all about body positioning, corrective movements to alleviate pain points on the spot as well as teaching them about the importance of proper nutrition and how all these things will improve their experience behind the chair. David also offers 1:1 unperson/zoom training sessions and online training/nutrition for individuals looking for more specific guidance.

We are proud to be the FIRST solution specifically for beauty professionals to address and improve their physical health so they have full control over how long they want to be in the beauty industry!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In April 2019 I almost lost my ability to work due to a spinal injury. My MRI showed I had herniated my C5 C6. After almost 3 months of PT/pain meds/$7000 in medical bills, my neurosurgeon was pushing for surgery as his concern for permanent nerve damage grew. David wouldn’t allow them to preform any surgery (involving a huge cut across my neck) until he got a chance to work on me. Little by little I started to get better, all thanks to his guidance, expertise and full understanding of the human body and how it moves. I went from not being able to eat, shower, drive, sleep, or work to having full autonomy and being able to get back to work and making money again.

This was one of the most challenging seasons of my life and being able to push through and make it to the other side has forever changed me IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE! I can do hard things and SO CAN YOU!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

David and I both have shared our stories very authentically. I think it helps bring everyone’s guards down and makes taking care of their body less intimidating. They see where I was vs. where I am now and it feels more achievable for them because of our transparency.

We are real people with real struggles and have found success and would like to share it with others so they don’t have to leave the beauty industry because their body can’t keep up. People want real stories and they want to feel like they know you. One of our greatest compliments was meeting beauty professionals in person at Americas Beauty Show in Chicago and telling us they feel like they know us and our online presence is true to who we are in real life. That makes me feel like we are doing it right and are on the right track!     

Contact Info:

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