Today we’d like to introduce you to L’Nayah Cole.
Hi L’Nayah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I feel like I got started like most stylists that you know – they were obsessed with beauty in their early years. I’m sure we were all told “this isn’t a beauty salon or a runway” by their math teacher some point. I cheered in high school and before game days I loved to style hair for myself and teammates Honestly, I felt like I always ignored that passion and thought that it was a hobby but that’s because I didn’t know it could be an amazing career. Growing up, there was (and still is) a stigma on being a beauty professional – specifically being a hairstylist. Determination and passion is what’s gotten me here. I am a small 3 chair salon owner and a licensed cosmetology instructor who’s focused on growing a team of successful stylists as well as pouring into the next generation of beauty professionals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In a nutshell I’ve been a licensed stylist since 2019 and I earned my license right before COVID. The world changed quickly – I was a newer stylist and during that time I really wanted to take advantage changes in what made a strong business. I started taking more digital education and used that to grow professionally. I built a strong business, had lots of clients, felt like things were clicking in my life and them my husband got a job offer that took us out of state, and that was a huge adjustment. I had given up my business, my comfort and had to rebuild in a new city that, to be honest, I didn’t want to move to.
So in mid 2022 we moved to Kansas City, and I had to start over. I didn’t realize that because I was moving that I would go through periods of trying to figure out who I was all over again. I feel like I went from being a large fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond. I went from a Texas college town of 300,000 people (including the 70,000 students) to being in a city of 2.5 million people. It was extremely tough, and for a while instead of taking advantage of the ability to rebrand, I spent a lot of time with the woe is me mentality and eventually decided to start betting on myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a color and extension specialist located in Shawnee, Kansas. I love creating truly seamless and natural color and extensions results. I typically work with women who have medium to low density hair, and my goal is to always give hair extensions that match their lifestyle and long-term goals. A big thing that separates me from other stylists is that I offer more than one extension method or technique. I feel like there will never be a ‘one size fits’ all extension method. I aim to create custom results for my clients and I also only work with ethically sourced hair extension. The extension trade is not regulated, which means there is hair on the market that can’t be traced back to its original origin or that hair is not sourced ethically. I feel that wearing someone’s else’s hair is a privilege and that hair carries energy so making sure that the hair that I’m putting in my clients hair is coming with some good energy.
Im most proud of my ability to lead and help others grow. I am a licensed instructor and I teach at a local cosmetology school. I feel that helping to build the next generation of stylists is something I’ve been called to do because I do truly believe that there is a seat for all of us at the table. Also, in order to elevate the standards in our industry we all have to grow together – so my goal is to set the standard from the classroom and hopefully my students carry that into their careers.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In the next 5-10 years I see some huge changes and shifts in the industry. I think more beauty professionals are going to be searching for community since the industry has seen a shift from toxic salon culture. For years salon culture was really toxic and that was unfortunately the norm – breakroom gossip, stylists had to beg for days off, or there wasn’t a clear growth strategy. So naturally, a lot of stylists wanted to be in a space of their own for more freedom and flexibility. But I think a lot of stylists are realizing how lonely being an entrepreneur can be and that we all need support and mentorship. Also, as a suite renter you have 100 percent of the responsibility for an extra 10-20% to take home. At the end of the day you have to deal with the clients, make sure you’re stocked on products, aware of policies, and implementing systems for operations and taxes – to be honest, it’s A LOT!
I think in the next few years we’ll see a rise in commission/team-based salon environments where there is a clear path for growth, flexibility, and a huge emphasis on workplace culture & community. And I’m excited to be a part of that!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesocialhaircollective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lnayahdoesmyhair
