We were lucky to catch up with Jill Ottinger recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jill, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?
My Mom…. My most amazing mom. Her work ethic, her dedication to myself and siblings, working full time but giving us all she had. I always wanted to grow up and be my mom. I know most moms feel as though they are away from their children to much and have all the mom guilt. My mom always told me, the time away is hard but makes the time you have even more sweeter.! The hardest job in my eyes. My mom has taught me what hard work looks like while raising a family. The one who has never let me down, most definitely my hero!
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
I’ve been a hairstylist for 16 years now! As a teen mom I’ve worked hard to overcome challenges I’ve faced threw the years. I was a corporate hairstylist for the part 14 years and after Covid I decided to be my own boss babe and do what was best for my family. I’m a independent contractor now at the beautiful Salon 377 in Argyle Texas and have been so thankful for the opportunity to provide for my family and be my own boss! And since being on my own I’ve upped my education game and become a certified Invisible Bead Extension specialist which has been a goal I’ve wanted to achieve for years. Excited for the future to achieve goals and make dreams come true!
How did you build your audience on social media?
Professional videos! Who doesn’t love a video?! Look at how insanely popular Tictok is! My girl @beautybynickigazlay and I started making videos a few years ago and it has been so fun hearing people we have never met watch our videos. Tips and tricks, a fun date night hair do and who doesn’t love learning how to use a new tool or really educate on how to use that curling iron. Are professional media guru’s expensive? Yes but 100% worth the media recognization.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I hate to say the word…. Covid…… turned my life upside down. I bought a house one month before the world shut down. I have two children to feed. My job was no longer. Being a hairstylist can be really scary sometimes. Hairstylist aren’t a 9-5 or holidays and weekends off. We are all the time. Hairstylist and so many others have been hit hard by the pandemic. Rather it be losing half your clientele from the shut down, can’t afford the expensive anymore, cancellations due to illness and the world just simply being a scary place our job became very unpredictable. But I have always felt being a hairstylist has taught me so much and to not take this life for granted. I’ve learned more patients, boundaries, gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness and all the things these past two years! I am so thankful for my clientele being so loyal threw these rough times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://salon377argyle.com/
- Instagram: @hairbyjillottinger
Image Credits
@ashleyhuntphotography @square8studio