We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Davis-gore a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned being a Licensed Cosmetologist is that you’ve got to be resilient! When I was in cosmetology school in 2015 the beauty industry was still in its “natural beauty” era. So the styling was alot of “sew ins with leave out”, natural ponytails, silk presses and braids. My teacher, Ms. Johnson taught me well on how to properly execute those styles and how to do it while maintaining the integrity of my clients hair. I passed my test on the first try and even had a job before graduation! “I’m ready to do this!” I thought, however when I got out there into the beauty industry in 2016 natural and healthy hair was no longer what the masses wanted. The beauty trends were changing and FAST! Lace frontals became the new thing. Feed in braids and extend ponytails. Frontal ponytails and many other styles that you’d usually see on the red carpet have now become something that is being requested daily. I was struck with a challenge that I wasn’t expecting. This meant that I would have to stick with what I know and miss the money and opportunity to grow or buckle down and gain more knowledge. Thankfully I had a great mentor who was able to help me in this area but it still was very difficult to adjust. Now looking back I am so grateful to have gone through that! It was a true introduction to what this industry is actually like. It’s forever changing and to be in this industry means you must change too!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I made the decision to go to cosmetology school because I couldn’t afford to go to esthetician school. My first passion was make up and though cosmetology schools main focus wasn’t the skin, we did have a great portion of our curriculum based on it.
So I took that knowledge in and now I am also an MUA. This allowed for me add both cosmetology and make up artistry to my resume.
What I am most proud of is how I’ve never given up on my self. This industry is tough not everyone decides to stick with because of how hard you’ve got work to maintain your clientele. Though I have definitely had to go and “clock in” to help myself financially, I have never lost sight of my goal, and I’ll keep going until I get to the finish line.
I think what sets me apart from many is that I am God fearing and loud about it. With each step of this journey I know exactly where my help comes from. My steps are ordered and I absolutely couldn’t have made it this far without him!
What I am able to offer any future clients is a safe space for them to express themselves through their hair. No matter if the style is super dramatic or just simple I can help you. Or maybe you’re battling something like alopecia and would like to still have options on hair care and styling, I can help you. Even if you want just basic daily hair maintenance I can help you too. I do wedding’s
Parties, fashion shows and special events. I am always welcoming new clients and I also travel.

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

I was forced to pivot because of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time social distancing was so important our lives depended on it. Many people were fearful of being in inclosed spaces out of fear of getting sick so many salons were closed. Because the of this I had to pivot to caregiving. I know that sounds crazy given that meant I would have to end up being closer to people. However I had to make a financially sound choice and at that time it was my only option.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source for clients in my experience has always been word of mouth. The testimonials from my clients has always brought in new ones. If you do your best to make sure each experience is a good one people are bound to talk about it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: SarahLilybeauty
• Facebook: SarahLilybeauty
• Other: [email protected] for Al inquiry’s

Image Credits

The photographers name is Lauren Gore (Instagram @thepeacecircle_ )