We recently connected with Jojo Parks and have shared our conversation below.
JoJo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?
One thing you must remember is NO ONE owes you the support. Be prepared for let downs. Having a village behind you when starting out can be valuable on so many levels. A lot of times its not all the family and friends you’ve known for a lifetime. It’s the family you’ve built going through life. Whether that’s jobs, schools, functions, etc. You need people surrounding you that just don’t share a post here and there. You want uplifting, accountable, a not afraid to give you harsh reality and beneficial advice kind of support.
JoJo, 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 am the owner/operator of Heir Kreations By JoJo. As long as I can remember hair has always come to me in full circle moments in my life. It seemed like no matter how hard I’ve ever tried to shake it, it comes back and hits me with cupids arrow. I was born in Warren, OH in 1981. I remember being 5 -6years old sitting on my grandmothers bed watching our favorite show “The Golden Girls.’ It never failed like clockwork after the song intro and that first commercial hit she was sleep. I’d tip toe to her bathroom and grab her conair curling iron. I’d perfectly line those rows off curls up never burning her. She’d wake up wiping her eyes in amazement and nod with approval. This went on several months until the bright idea of letting my little brother get a shot. Needless to say that ended my short lived career. Fast forward I had to be about 12. We had really hit financial struggles and my mom was pretty depressed. She had been invited to a function without any money to be properly pampered. I had gotten pretty good doin my hair over the years due to monetary stress. So I gave it a whirl ad decided to give my mom a beautiful French roll. As I finished the perfectionist in me wasn’t satisfied (typical Virgo) lol. I found some old pearl buttons hairpins and voila!!! Suddenly a kitchen stylist was born. Then as a teenager some difficult disappointments, let downs, and hurt. That passion dwindled again. I just wanted to get to 18, stop working at fast food spots, and graduate high school. Turning 18 felt like it took an eternity, but I made it. My 1st week as an 18 yr old senior and adult I got a job at Sallys Beauty Supply!! I was back reading, breathing, soaking up hair. I remember grabbing Black Sophisticated Hair Magazine, in awe of the clip in save hair styles. Just a page with hundreds of hairstylists sending in their work. I swore to myself one day I’d have my little 1×1 inch clip in there too. A few years passed at Sallys and with jobs sometimes management, policy, and frustration will you have you wondering what life has you going. I had turned 21 I was pregnant with my son and began my life in healthcare field. I guess I’ve always had the soul of wanting to help or make others feel better. I loved myself I started finding but had become unhappy with my surroundings. Home was losing its magic and I had been recently visiting family in Arizona. I fell in love and decided to move. That’s when I fell back in love with hair. Having a selection of stylists who specialized in kinky, ethnic hair was almost impossible to find in 2008. I then made a vow to myself, son, God, and family. I would pursue my passion. I called my grandmother everyday on my way to hair school reminiscing about where I had started and where I was headed. She spoke greatness back into me. I lost her 5 months before I graduated and keeping my promise. After graduating I freelanced for a few years building a small clientele and still in healthcare I needed to choose one path. Something about the light you see when a woman who comes in sad but leaves floating on cloud 9 will always be why I chose this path. So I became a stylist at JCPenney InStyle Salon for ten years. I became a safe space, big/little sister, auntie, FRIEND. Not just that I literally created a village of family and friends. Receiving so much more education, traveling, creating, and even getting a featured article in the magazine I promised little JoJo she’d have a snip and clip 1×1 inch photo. Breaking barriers in a salon where not a lot of women look like you, or have hair like you was an achievement I never thought I could reach. Being from a small town where we all are similar in looks and likes. It’s hard to imagine a city so big and different from what I knew would become home. 2020 covid brought a whole new change to the industry. With a corporate company so many new rules were implemented. This time I didn’t run from my passion I bet on me. I was ready to be on my own. I talked with all my clients, and the closest in my circle. Everyone had my best interests at heart and I knew it would be a huge gamble and said what are my greatest accomplishments…. Well the first one was easy, my son Ja’Mari, my legacy, my HEIR. The love I have when I’m in my zone are whole C(K)reations. So now that you see how hair has been consistently circling my life into each new chapter I enter. I’m glad to be setting a foundation that has changed tremendously since I’ve first moved to Arizona. Not only do I provide services to mostly all hair textures. I specialize in custom colors especially when it comes to different and diverse skin tones. Which is extremely important with black women are shades and hues come in some many tones. Transitioning my chemically relaxed clients so that they’re able to enjoy some of the perks of trying new colors while still maintaining hair that’s healthy with sleek and or bodied curls. I provide a range of Silk Press services which includes a Plant Based with steam service included. A service I specialize in a temporarily straightening of the hair but still protecting the natural integrity of the hairs curl pattern. When using heat to alter the hairs texture it isn’t just turn on the flat iron to 400 and go. I do so much prepping even with my basic Silk Press. It starts with the scalp for sure. I treat it like a garden you don’t just plant you have to prep that soil. So I prep the scalp. Offering several treatments the most popular an Aloe Steam Treatment focusing on nourishing, increasing blood flow, and several other benefits to scalp. Whether the client chooses a Lavender and Agave or one of my Luxury Plant Based Silk Press scalp therapy is a guaranteed game changer. Healthy hair, lives, energy are just a few services I provide. This sisterhood is for many who thought it didn’t exist here. My clients range from 13-84 years old from all walks of life.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Being able to learn everyday and not taking criticism whether helpful or not personally. Growth is a part of this industry you have to be willing to nuture and take care of it like you would a garden.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
So when I first moved to Arizona in 2007 I was petrified of starting over. I was in a totally different culture zone from what my 25 years in Ohio had been. No one looked or sounded like me. Even the health facility was another level. The elderly I was now dealing with were from a different era. It was challenging to get them to accept me but with kindness and patience I made beautiful relationships. Just watching those faces light up bringing in bedtime meds, snacks, conversations, and love. The downfall of creating amazing relationships is losing your residents you’ve grown close to. It was then I decided to go back to hair full time. It’s the only other time I felt that light and happiness I give to my ladies. Even when they have the worst days if i can get that to be forgotten for even an hour it’s the most rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://heir-kreations-by-jojo.square.site
- Instagram: @heirkretionsbyjojo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeirKreationsByJoJo?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Yelp: Heir Kreations By JoJo
Image Credits
JoJo Parks, Ja’Mari Wright