We were lucky to catch up with Missi Kennedy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Missi, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Many of us take a lot of things for granted everyday. Just one simple act, like getting a haircut can be extremely hard for those individuals with various needs. Whether it be a sensory issue, medically fragile or the Autism spectrum the daunting task of getting a haircut is not only overwhelming for the child but also the family . I have been a hairdresser for 32 years and been privileged to help many people during that time. I had quite a few along the way that required me to think outside of my chair. That’s one thing that many children struggle with is sitting still and wearing a cape. So who is the hair police saying that everyone must do that anyway? For years I was able to help others get haircuts in a more comfortable manor, playing outside or sitting on the floor eating snacks. I just wanted to help. However I realized my path came full circle when I became a mother to the most beautiful boy, who just happened to be autistic! I realized that there was a huge community that was being underserved. There were no sensory safe salons in my area. Financially speaking,I understand that. However if you have ever sat in a chair holding a screaming child, or stood beside it while holding your child’s hand you will realize there is more to this world than money. I started Care Cuts by going into my son’s ABA clinic and offering haircuts to those who struggled. I quickly realized that there were many others that could benefit form my help. I started traveling to homes and other centers and clinics helping all individuals that couldn’t get a haircut in the typical hair salon setting. We were fortunate enough in 2024 to get our own Care Cuts Clubhouse. It is a magical room filled with lots of toys, love and no judgement whatsoever. The most important element for Care Cuts is for our friends to feel safe. For those who don’t struggle with this feeling it’s tough to comprehend how hard this can be. We have found our play based haircut methods to be successful in helping to take our friends minds off of the hard act of getting a haircut. Does playing Paw Patrol help you feel more at ease while getting a haircut? It ABSOLUTELY does for many of our friends! Need to dance around the room with with me while I trim your hair, then lets dance! The thing that I love most about being a hairdresser is making people happy. Now I am not saying that most of our friends are happy about their haircut, but their parents sure are! We have had so many parents through the years share heartbreaking stories about past hair experiences with their child. From screaming and vomiting to having the police called special needs parents are challenged daily. You will hardly ever hear one of us complain, however when you find someone who not only gets it, but is willing to try and help get you to the other side, it is a beautiful thing. I can’t tell you the pride I feel watching so many kids who were terrified at our first session that now are able to sit and get a haircut all on there own. People come to Care Cuts in need of our help, but what we have truly created here is so much more than a business. I am blessed everyday by the most incredible families. No one is a client at Care Cuts, we are all just friends and families doing the best we can. I am just living my purpose one friend at a time.

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.

Hi there, my name is Missi Kennedy. I am a professional cosmetologist and mom to an amazing autistic son. I saw the need to fuse my two worlds together and provide a service to those who can’t visit a typical hair salon. Care Cuts is a non profit organization that has been started by and run off of a families love and desire to make a difference in this world. I realized there was a need for haircuts to be tailored in order to provide an individualized haircut experience. We use play based methods to help children get their haircut. It is very important to meet each friend at their comfort level. Clippers can be extremely over whelming for those with sensory issues. From the vibrations to the noise that small tool can be a huge deal for many. We acknowledge that this can be frightening , but we want to help change that fear. We see and understand how best to help our friend with different approaches. Using scissors only in the beginning and put a desensitization plan in place will help our friend to eventually achieve the ultimate goal of getting a haircut. The joy that we feel when you have witnessed a child go from kicking and screaming just from the idea of having to get a haircut, to sitting in a chair now wearing a cape is beyond words! Care Cuts is reshaping the standard view of haircuts for individuals that need additional support by providing a better in person approach. Love , patience and perseverance is what we strive for everyday. We will always share our love with everyone who walks through the Care Cuts doors, and give every ounce of patience that we have, as we persevere through to the act of getting a haircut.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was pretty early into my cosmetology career when I met a wonderful family. They were new in our small town and had walked in for a haircut for their daughter. That haircut lead me to next cutting the mom which lead me next to cut the little brothers hair. The salon that I worked in at the time was a nice, and always busy since there were 4 full time stylists and nail technician. My client had set her small son down in my chair . Once we established the style that she was wanting I placed the cape around his neck. Like most children he wasn’t a fan of that. I then picked up my clippers to move quickly, that is a must when cutting children’s hair. The noise of my clippers startled him then as I touched him making my first pass through his beautiful blond hair he starting screaming. Not a typical child scream. It was an awful sound and the worst part of it all , I was making this child feel this way. His mom asked me to continue as she cried. I had tears rolling down my face. The mother was no longer able to keep him in my chair. She grabbed him and hugged him tightly both of them sobbing. I turned to see the entire salon at a stand still. Everyone just staring, it was a horrible feeling. My boss then walked over to us and said that she was sorry but that I would not be allowed to cut his hair again. The look on the poor mom’s face shattered me. I don’t remember the exact words that took place after, I just remember going to her car in the parking lot and asking her if I could please try to cut his hair again. I told her that I could come to their home or they could come to mine, either way for some reason I needed to help this family. I did eventually go to their home. Once I had arrived she asked me if I had ever heard of the word autism. I had not, at that time. They had just recently moved from California where he had received this diagnosis. She then explained how hard things like haircuts, taking baths and even wearing certain clothes had become for her son. This poor mom was just trying to get her child’s haircut like so many others do on a daily basis yet it was a life changing day for me. I could not get past the fact that I made that little boy feel that way. I was just on auto pilot, cute boys haircut coming right up….never once thinking about autism. I knew that I had to find a way to help this family. I starting off by playing with him when I would arrive at their house allowing him with being comfortable around me. That would lead eventually for me to gain his trust again. That meant everything to me. I continued and started successfully being able to cut that little boys hair for years. The family moved away and came back to visit me once when the not so little boy was 16. He said my name and remembered playing and getting his haircut by me all of those years later. I like to think I helped both that young man and his mom. During a difficult situation we should not stare and judge others, we should instead think what can we do to help in any sort of way. At least that is what I chose to do on that day. 20 years later when I became a mother to a beautiful autistic son I realized the bigger role that family from California had played in not only my professional life but my personal as well. Many years ago the seed had been planted for my special needs haircutting service Care Cuts, it just took me a bit to see and remember how important it is to try and make a difference in this world!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I guess you would say that Care Cuts is a grass roots kind of business. We are mainly shared by word of mouth through incredible families that we have worked with through the years. Social media is a very big outlet for many special needs families. They allow us to turn to others for questions that only another special needs family would understand. We have been grateful to different centers and clinics who also share about our mission with families looking for help with haircuts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://carecuts.org
• Instagram: @carecuts_
• Facebook: Care Cuts DFW
• Youtube: @carecuts7092