Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Elder.
Hi Olivia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My career as a hairstylist started back in 2022. I had dropped out of college in 2020, started working full time at a retail store and didn’t know where to go with my life. A co-worker at the time had suggested cosmetology school, noting how often I did my hair and others around me. During school I still didn’t have a sense of direction I just knew I wanted to prove I could do it, to not just myself but my biggest supporters; my parents.
Early March of 2023 I filled out information on a program that would match me to different salons in the metro area, I just submitted my resume to every salon that I felt was right and hoped for the best. I was weeks away from graduating Cosmo school and was failing to see myself go anywhere outside of it. It wasn’t long before Chelsea, at The Hair KCMO Aesthetics Collective, reached out for an interview.
I think we spent almost a full 2 hours chatting, I was nervous and excited. The next day I received an offer letter from her. I told her, “I’ll be in touch but I have other interviews I’d like to check out first”, but I think I knew then I wanted to work with her because no other salon in the metro felt right like her space did.
After accepting the offer, graduating and starting at the salon I still felt unsteady. Like a newborn horse that didn’t quite get the memo on how to walk yet, but she helped pave the way for me. Everyday after work I would go back to my parents house and talk about everything I was learning and doing, and one day my dad asked me “So, what does this mean for you? Do you want to become a manager or open your own salon one day?”, mind you. I was maybe 3 months into working with her but I think we all could see the passion that grew in that time and how much improvement I had made. I decided then, I want to shoot to not only be a stylist but a salon/shop manager. Before my first year was up she offered that role to me, shop management. I took it on, and since then I’ve done my best to live up to the expectations, and pave my path. Through my time at The Hair KCMO, I’ve grown to be someone I didn’t think I could ever become. Not just a leader to my teammates, but a friend to my clients, reliable worker for Chelsea, an inspiration to some students in school, and the person I wished to be back when I first started doing hair.
For the last 2 years and some odd months, I’ve been growing as not just a stylist but as a manager, to the point I actually went back to college online to pursue my business management degree. I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon, I just want to keep learning, growing and pushing myself to be the best I possibly can for myself, everyone around me and to the people who believed in me from day 1.
A lot of hard work, plenty of times crying inside and outside the salon, self doubt, failures, huge wins, encouragement, and so much more has shaped me into the person, stylist and manager I am today. I’m excited to see where it continues to take me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been the smoothest road, I got a lot of criticism at points. Never from anyone who truly cared about me but from people who barely knew me at all.
From critics who told me I wasn’t good, wouldn’t make it, or that I couldn’t get better. To experiencing the lull’s in the workplace, seeing that I’m still a “baby stylist” until I hit 5 years working behind the chair I don’t always have busy days. Sometimes it’s slow weeks still, those are the hardest. It’s when the doubt and the questions of “maybe I’m really not meant to be here” sneak in. Imposter syndrome is a big issue that I had especially in the beginning.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Hair KCMO is a salon environment that not only is environmentally conscious, but socially accepting. We’re a gender neutral, LGBTQAI+ inclusive and owned salon. We are a part of a service called Green Circle which helps recycle our metal, color, gloves and so much more to prevent waste. We not only give back to one another and our clients, but also raise money recycling crushed cans to donate to places in the KC metro. Sometimes we even donate outside of the KC area, depending on the cause we are supporting.
The qualities of the salon are what makes working there feel like home, it’s something I want to see more of. A safe space for everyone, and a place that provides more than just hair services but good ethics and respect.
I don’t necessarily specialize in any one thing, but my favorite services would include blonding, vivid hair color, and Brazilian Blowouts.
While I perform and love almost every service we offer, whether that is body contouring, tanning, lash lift and tints, headspa, haircuts both short and long, I love those 3 services the most. I’m a creative, I love what vivid hair colors can give me, it’s similar to painting on a canvas. I can be precise, unique, challenge myself, develop new skills and ideas. Blonding is the foundation to vivid hair colors, without learning how to do good highlights I wouldn’t be able to paint vivids on someone’s hair. But with blonding, there is also the precision and understanding contrast with light and dark.
Brazilian Blowouts are often misunderstood, they’re not keratin treatments, not straighteners or relaxers. It’s a smoothing treatment, something that helps fight the frizz, fight tangles, improve shine and so much more. I love educating my clients on this service because it is so unique and misconstrued.
Something I have learned in my time working at The Hair KCMO, you never know too much, and you never stop learning and educating others. There are times my clients teach me a thing or two just by sitting in my chair, and that I think is a beautiful thing.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I was rowdy, loud, unique and a little bit weird.
I was also shy, nervous and anxious. I wanted to “fit in” but my personality made me stick out. I found my friend group of “little weirdos” where we all just could be who we were without having to fake it or pretend like someone we are not.
I loved spending time out in the creek by my parents house, climbing trees, skinning my knees, getting covered in dirt and the occasional poison ivy run in. But at the same time, music wasn’t far from me. I played the violin for 9-10years, always had my ear buds in, or music playing off my iPod or stereo. I grew up in a house than encouraged me to find my interests and have fun. I painted a lot, even went into IB Visual Arts in high school with a teacher I’ll never forget, he pushed me to become a better painter. Same with orchestra, my orchestra teacher pushed me harder and believed in me with such fierceness I almost made state.
My stubbornness still hasn’t left me. I refuse to give up even if the challenge is way too hard, or the skill is outside my skill set.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hairkcmo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livvividkc
