We recently connected with Larry Sims and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Larry thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew very early on that I wanted to be in entertainment. My first performance was at preschool. My mom saw that I had the bug and enrolled me in a performing arts grammar school, which led to me auditioning to go to a performing arts high school. At 16, I booked my first gig as a professional dancer and went straight from high school to touring around the world, starting in South Africa. I eventually moved to Los Angeles, where my hairstylist journey began.

The kindest, most thoughtful, and considerate thing that anyone did for me was Gabrielle Union approaching me for Flawless. Not only did she want to pay me a salary, but she also offered me equity in the company, which was the nicest thing in business that anyone had ever done for me. I really appreciate that that was huge, and to this day, I’m very thankful to her for thinking of me in that way.

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 started in the industry as a professional dancer in Chicago before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue a career in dancing. Before I was a hairstylist, I was a backup dancer on Bring It On, where I met Gabrielle Union during a promotional shoot. She came to our trailer after the shoot and asked where the drinks were, and I was like, “I got you, girl,” and we’ve been best friends from that day on. By dancing for people like Missy Elliott and being in movies like Dream Girls and Stomp the Yard, I was able to really see the different options with hairstylists, makeup artists, and glam people.

Prior to my first job as a hair stylist, I always thought the position required being behind the chair and in the salon, and since I was in the entertainment industry, I had that bug which really opened my eyes to see that there were so many other options and avenues to work behind the scenes and in hair.

At 27, I decided to pause on dance and went to cosmetology school in Chicago and Pivot Point International before moving back to Los Angeles and starting from the ground up as a hairstylist. Getting my start as a dancer, I had to prove to industry giants that I was capable of being something other than a dancer and not letting them put me in that box.

Eventually, Ken Pavers introduced me to Victoria Beckham, and we created her iconic bob. My career as a hairstylist really catapulted from there.
Now, I am the co-founder of Flawless by Gabrielle Union, a Black-owned line of salon-quality, effective curly hair products at an affordable price. We launched at the beginning of the pandemic and, through the support of our community, have been able to stay around and build success. For repeat business, you have to be consistent in your craft and what you deliver to secure consistent business – especially when the final look is so high stakes.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Black Beauty Roster is a fantastic resource for creatives. It’s an organization that fights for Diversity and inclusion in production. The purpose is to ensure that actors, actresses, and models are equipped with hair stylists and makeup artists well-versed in textured hair and brown skin tones. It also aligns artists with work opportunities they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There are two times that I’ve had to pivot. I’ve pivoted many times in life, but two particular moments stand out. The first is my early pivot from dancer to hairstylist. This was a very natural pivot for me because I knew that I couldn’t dance forever, and lucky for me, it paid off.

The second is my 10-year partnership with Schwarzkopf. I was the spokesperson for Smooth and Shine and Got to Be for ten years. Smooth and Shine no longer exists, but Got to Be is thriving now, especially in the lace front space. However, when I was working with them, it wasn’t as popular with Black people or people with textured hair. At that time, it was used for people wearing spikes or high- and elevated hairstyles. I pivoted from this relationship to going into business with one of my best friends, Gabrielle Union. It was terrifying at the time. However, I knew that the 10-year relationship had run its course at that point, and I wouldn’t have bet on anyone other than Gab and me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://larryjsims.com/new/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larryjarahsims/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@larryjarahsims?lang=en

Image Credits
Dae Howerton