We recently connected with Sami Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sami, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission as a hairstylist is for my clients to always leave feeling confident and great about themselves. I remember the first client I had after graduating, when we were done with her service she thanked me over and over and was smiling from ear to ear and so excited for her new hairstyle. Of course, it was an exciting moment because I was terrified I may not do everything right being fresh out of school, but in that moment I also realized that I wanted everyone to feel that way and I fell in love with this industry. I have made it my goal that every client that sits in my chair has my undivided attention, I listen to what they are wanting, what their goals are. This industry is very competitive and moves so fast with the constant flow of trends changing. I don’t just want to be good at doing hair, I wanted to be exceptional. I spend a lot of time learning new hairstyles, trends, color techniques, ect. to stay up to date. If I commit to something, it’s with the goal to be the best I can (at it). Finishing a client’s haircut or nailing the hair color they were dead set on and seeing how excited they are when we finish is what makes this career I’ve built so exciting and worth all of the endless hours of learning and fine tuning my craft.

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.

Unlike most stylists out there, I did not know hair was my passion until I made the quick decision to go to cosmetology school. Back then it was a spur of the moment decision (purely based on the fact that I did not want to go to a four year school). Makes sense right? Looking back, I wouldn’t change it for anything! It’s been a hard challenging road but it has also made me who I am and made me a better stylist. Going from cosmo school to the real world was like jumping into ice cold water, it hit me in the face and hard. I had no idea that I still knew nothing. I’ve been doing hair for close to 14 years, safe to say I absolutely love what I do. Being a stylist is hard work and takes true grit and dedication, especially if you want to separate yourself from everyone else. Keeping myself up to date on all the current trends and techniques is a constant must, and my clients love that I do because then I am able to share my knowledge with them and they benefit from it. My favorite thing to do is color and special occasion styles. The creativity and the fact that no two people are the same is what makes it fun. I have been doing hair for many years, but I also have three kids ages 5-13. To say I am busy is an understatement, but I have learned how to balance my passion for making others feel good about themselves and being a mom and juggling everything that comes with that, and that is what I’m most proud of.

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

A couple instances come to mind on this topic. For my first 7 years in this industry I worked at a commission salon. It was great for starting out, but as the years progressed I felt like my career had plateaued and was struggling to grow and feeling burned out in the process. On top of that I also had two young kids at home and felt like I was missing out on a lot and would continue to do so. It got to the point where I had made my mind up and was ready to call it quits. Within a week of deciding, I had the opportunity to move salons and switch to booth rent. It was hands down the best decision I have made! I won’t lie, I was worried whether or not my clients would move with me and if I could succeed at this big career move. I have now been my own boss for the last 6 years and I wish I had done it sooner. The freedom that came with it was amazing. I love what I do and I am able to be there for my (now three) kids. It gave me passion back, and in this case the risk was worth it.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. It’s an amazing platform to get in front of thousands of people and showcase your skills. It’s also something that has a tendency to take up a lot of time. I started my hair pages on IG and Facebook. They have turned into another creative outlet that lets me show both current and potential clients what I can do. I will say when building up your socials and trying to gain a following consistency is key. Showing up every day consistently and staying relevant to what you’re doing is important. I do go through patches where life just gets busy between the salon and my family but I have also learned not to let that frustrate me because at the end of the day it will still be there. My best advice is to have fun with it, don’t take it too seriously and let it be the creative outlet it was meant to. What you put out there is what you will attract.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktree/samijo23
• Instagram: Samijo.kc.hair
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/samijo.kc.hair