Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kylie Bynum. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kylie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Vacationing is so important to me- whether I’m traveling to another country, taking a quick road trip, or just taking extra time at home. Burn out in the work place is so common, and I think if we had a healthier balance of work and life, we’d all be more productive in our careers. I’ve found that working longer days, but fewer days each week in order to set myself up for longer weekends, has really helped me enjoy work and down time more fully.

Kylie, 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 wasn’t someone that knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up; I tried several career paths before I realized that doing hair was going to be the most fulfilling career for me. I put so much pressure on myself when I was in school to take the most difficult classes, get great grades, and build this perfect resume, that I didn’t give myself the chance to realize how creative I am as a person. After this lightbulb went off that I didn’t have to get into a job where I was sitting at a desk all day, I knew I needed to choose a career path where I was up and working with my hands creating. I’d always loved changing my own hair, and finally made the decision to go to hair school.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

So many factors go into how I’ve built the clientele that I have and how I’ve gained my reputation. The first few things that come to mind are honesty, trust, and willingness to listen. I find that many hairdressers believe that they always know what’s best for their clients; while we do have professional training and deeper knowledge of what’s going on scientifically with the hair, it’s so important to listen to the person that’s wearing this head of hair on a daily basis. There are always exceptions to rules, and I believe that my willingness to listen to the unique needs of individuals is so appreciated and has helped me build so much trust with my clients. This may seem insignificant, but I also think the fact that I don’t ever push product on my clients, and I’m happy to recommend something to them that I don’t sell, has solidified a lot of faith in me as a hairdresser. My clients know that I’ll be honest with them about what’s best for their hair, and that I’m not more interested in making a profit off of them than I am making sure they’re satisfied with how their hair looks and feels.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Hands down, word of mouth. I certainly don’t want to take away from social media; I absolutely gain new clients from posts that I make, but social media can be very staged. Lighting, editing, and styling are great for taking photos of hair to showcase a portfolio, and it’s so important to have that in the hair business. However, when you see someone’s hair in person, you get to see how it’s worn on a daily basis, and what it looks like weeks after it’s been cut and/or colored, and I think referrals based on what hair looks like in real life are the best referrals.

Contact Info:

• Website: KysColorRoom.GlossGenius.com
• Instagram: @kyscolorroom
• Facebook: Facebook.com/kyscolorroom