In this episode, we chat with four inspiring individuals making waves in the beauty industry. First, Jennifer from Adored Salon introduces Lana, a hair school student passionate about curly hair and inclusivity. Next, Sunshine shares her journey with hair loss and how it led her to open a hair restoration salon. We also hear from Ebony Carine, founder of The Beauty Genie, a hair care vending machine brand for college students. Lastly, Katelyn, a recent graduate, is excited to start her career inspired by her grandmother’s experience with alopecia.
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00:00:00-00:00:14 - Jennifer introduces herself and welcomes Lana, a hair school student, to the conversation.
00:00:14-00:00:45 - Lana shares her interest in the beauty industry, particularly in working with curly hair, color, and hair extensions to bring more inclusivity to the hair world.
00:00:45-00:01:56 - Jennifer discusses the importance of specialization in the industry, as it can help stylists grow their clientele faster.
00:01:56-00:02:03 - Lana asks Jennifer about being on social media, and Jennifer provides advice on taking before and after photos, using good lighting, and crafting captions that provide education.
00:02:03-00:03:22 - Jennifer continues to offer social media tips, emphasizing the importance of practicing and finding a purpose behind the content.
00:03:22-00:03:28 - Lana shares that she just started in the fall and has two more years of school.
00:03:28-00:03:58 - Jennifer mentions that Lana's school wants to have them come in for a curly day, and they discuss the potential collaboration.
00:03:58-00:04:16 - Sunshine introduces herself and shares her journey into the beauty industry, which was sparked by her own experience with hair loss due to lupus and fibromyalgia.
00:04:16-00:04:22 - Jennifer notes that Sunshine is the third person she has met who has experienced complete hair loss.
00:04:22-00:05:16 - Sunshine continues to explain her path, starting with makeup school and then transitioning to cosmetology school, becoming a cosmetology teacher, and eventually opening her own salon focused on hair restoration.
00:05:16-00:05:23 - Jennifer asks Sunshine to share more about the specialties of her salon.
00:05:23-00:05:57 - Sunshine explains that her salon, Extra Cute Salon, specializes in hair restoration, offering services for various hair loss issues, including wigs and cranial prostheses.
00:05:59-00:06:03 - Jennifer asks Sunshine about her role as an advisor for the Cosmetology program at College of DuPage.
00:06:03-00:06:08 - Sunshine confirms that she is a full-time advisor at the college.
00:06:09-00:06:17 - Jennifer inquires about Sunshine's travel schedule between the salon and the college.
00:06:17-00:06:32 - Sunshine clarifies that she lives in the area and travels to the salon, while the college is closer to her home.
00:06:33-00:06:51 - Jennifer and Sunshine discuss the possibility of Adored Salon collaborating with Sunshine's student group at the college, particularly for a curly hair workshop.
00:06:52-00:07:07 - Sunshine invites Jennifer and her team to the student group's "Girl's Club" workshops, which focus on inner and outer beauty.
00:07:07-00:07:27 - Jennifer expresses enthusiasm for the collaboration, mentioning Adored Salon's specialization in curly hair and extensions, and their previous experiences with school visits and styling demos.
00:07:27-00:07:51 - Sunshine shares a recent request from a student in the group for a curly hair workshop, as the student is adopted and has curly hair, but his adoptive father does not have the same hair texture.
00:07:51-00:08:01 - Jennifer and Sunshine agree that the curly hair workshop would be a great fit for their collaboration.
00:08:01-00:08:16 - Jennifer discusses the growing demand for curly hair services, particularly from men with curly hair who may not know how to style it.
00:08:16-00:08:30 - Sunshine shares an example of a male client who came in for help with his curly hair before his wedding.
00:08:30-00:08:37 - Jennifer and Sunshine conclude their conversation, expressing excitement about the potential collaboration.
00:08:38-00:08:43 - Chloe introduces herself and welcomes Ebony Carine from The Beauty Genie.
00:08:43-00:09:01 - Chloe asks Ebony about her career path and how it has brought her to the beauty industry.
00:09:02-00:09:14 - Ebony shares that she started in the tech industry as a consultant and later launched a hair care vending machine brand.
00:09:14-00:09:31 - Chloe inquires about the products Ebony's vending machines offer, and Ebony explains that they focus on hair care, skin care, makeup, and fragrance for the 18-25 age demographic.
00:09:31-00:09:54 - Ebony elaborates on the types of products available in the vending machines, emphasizing the importance of quick, easy, and convenient options for students.
00:09:54-00:10:10 - Chloe asks Ebony about how hair texture and diversity have been considered in the vending machine offerings.
00:10:10-00:10:41 - Ebony discusses the industry's shift towards embracing natural hair textures and the importance of education and knowledge to help young people make informed decisions about their hair care.
00:10:45-00:10:53 - Ebony shares that one of the vending machine locations is at the Chicago Union Station.
00:10:54-00:11:00 - Chloe and Ebony conclude their conversation, with Chloe expressing interest in visiting the vending machine location.
00:11:00-00:11:32 - Jennifer introduces Katelyn, a newly graduated hair school student who is starting her first salon job the next day.
00:11:32-00:11:40 - Katelyn shares that she initially did not want to pursue cosmetology, but her perspective changed over time.
00:11:40-00:12:18 - Katelyn explains that her grandfather's story about her grandmother's experience with alopecia inspired her to enter the industry and potentially specialize in hair replacement services.
00:12:19-00:12:26 - Katelyn provides more details about her grandmother's alopecia, which started in patches.
00:12:26-00:12:42 - Jennifer shares her own experiences with clients who have experienced sudden and complete hair loss, and the impact it can have.
00:12:42-00:12:44 - Katelyn relates to the experience of her grandmother's hair loss.
00:12:45-00:14:03 - Jennifer and Katelyn discuss the growing need for hair replacement services in the industry, as well as potential causes of increased hair loss, such as environmental factors and side effects of medications.