Salon & Life Updates Summer 2021
Hi friends!
Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being so interested in working with me. I've had the good fortune to connect with many of you in person since I started working behind the chair in 2014. Some of you are friends I've made online, and some of you learned about me through a trusted friend. All of us, out here, just trying to do right by natural hair. That's so dope.
When I started working exclusively with Natural Texture, I knew that part of my job was to change the entire landscape (damn, ambitious much?) and make it easier for everyone to find a specialist to work with. Over time, I found that even though I was able to meet with 9-12 clients a week, I wasn't seeing the industry wide changes that I believe are necessary to push us forward collectively. People were still having to travel long distances just to come see me because there are so few safe spaces they could visit. Some things that have got to improve include:
It needs to be way easier to find professional hairdressers to work with in order to achieve your hair goals and develop a routine. Everywhere, not just major cities.
The products that we're marketed as consumers and professionals are on average, not great.
Ethically produced, environmentally friendly products can out perform cheaper more harmful ones that have flooded the market.
These good products are rare, and it's often hard for their creators to stay afloat because it's challenging for them to meet demand without corporate investment.
Most manufacturers care more about profit than the mental and physical wellbeing of the people who buy their products.
Brands and retailers prey on our collective desperation, knowing that we are so desperate to find something that works that we'll often consider whatever new thing they put in front of us.
Salons are still mostly segregated spaces, which is encouraged beginning in beauty school.
Many stylists want to learn how to improve their skills but there is very a very limited amount of education that centers the Black client experience in a Trauma Informed way.
In August 2019, I suffered a massive loss when my husband died unexpectedly. In the months that followed, I had to completely re-evaluate how I wanted my life to look going forward. It took a colossal amount of work but I started seeing clients again at my salon, and a month later....well, that brings us to March 2020. To say it was a lot is like, the understatement of the decade.
While I was unable to work at the salon, I pivoted and focused my efforts on speaking with the brands, salons and retailers who had expressed so much interest in partnering with me. Fun times, it turns out that while there was a line of people who wanted my expertise very few were willing to compensate me fairly...if at all.
In the past year, I've been able to build relationships with thoughtful people all over the globe that have been looking for education that resonates with them. Education that embraces natural texture as the standard and not some niche work that's rare and tokenized.
FOR HAIRDRESSERS
I've developed THE CURL CONSULTANT DIGITAL EDUCATION PORTAL on my website to mindfully teach stylists about ways that we can do better for our clients, ourselves and our communities. For stylists who've asked about how they can work with me, this is the first step and I'm so so so excited to be able to share it with you! My first two Ebooks: An Intro to Cultural Competency In Salons, and Mindful Consultation are live on my website for you to start digesting now. I've also got my 2021 Favorite Things Guide ready for you to read and hopefully enjoy too! If you want to stay in the loop about this part of my work you can join my new HAIRDRESSER EDUCATION NEWSLETTER.
FOR Clients
I've created my 2021 Favorite Things Guide with you in mind! I get a ton of messages asking me what products and tools I like, so I've put that together into a hand dandy guide which includes notes about why I like each thing on the list.
Targeting Fall 2021, I'll be offering a limited amount of private CurlCut appointments based in my San Jose, CA salon. I don't have a wait list at this time, so please sign up to be notified through THE CURL CONSULTANT CLIENT NEWSLETTER. If you'd signed up for the newsletter on my old site (pre-May 2021), then you don't need to sign up again.
I've also created a MODEL MAILING LIST for those of you who are interested in being models for the hairdressers that I'll be training at my SJ salon in the coming months. It's gonna be super cool, I'm hella excited about it!
If you're unable to wait until I have open public booking, I always do my best to share excellent work by my colleagues on Instagram. If you're in the Northern CA, I'd suggest checking out:
If I know this was a lot of information so to recap:
I have a NEW WEBSITE
There's a super sweet DIGITAL EDUCATION PORTAL
I'm not opening up booking for private CurlCuts until Fall 2021 at the earliest
I have a MODEL MAILING LIST if you'd consider modeling for me
Sign up for my CLIENT NEWSLETTER to stay on top of what's up with me at the salon
There's a new HAIRDRESSER EDUCATION NEWSLETTER if you're a pro looking for education
I've done my best to answer the vast majority of the regular questions that I get on my new and improved website so peek around and I hope you find something that makes you feel seen and empowered.
Much Love,
Kia