We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Camellia Morris-Barclay a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Camellia, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
When I first started in the beauty industry, I would always compare my work to other stylists work. I was constantly wondering if I was a good enough stylist, or if my clients would ever come back, even though they said they loved their hair! Over time, I got more technical education, and had many many hours of trial and error. This has helped me gain better confidence and self esteem because I’m no longer “guessing” what the outcomes of my services will be. I have discovered my niche with short textured hair and I’ve perfected my client consultation so that we are on the same page BEFORE getting started on their hair. We are clear on what expectations they have which makes each appointment smooth and predictable.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a licensed cosmetologist in Phoenix, Arizona. I specialize in short haircuts and textured hair care. I focus on monthly maintenance of relaxed hair as well as naturally curly textures. Keeping up with routine scalp and hair treatments as well as regular haircuts guarantee my clients remain on the right track towards their Haircare goals. The most exciting part of my job is discovering ways to help people who are struggling with the health of their hair by finding out about their lifestyle, products used on their hair daily, and the level of maintenance they expect from the cut they want.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most important skills or qualities that have been game changers for me on my journey have been:
1. Punctuality- when you work for yourself it’s easy to think that you run on your own time all of the time. But, when you are working with clients that schedule YOU around THEIR lives, it’s important that you value their time just as much as you value your own.
2.Integrity- being honest about the services you are able to provide for someone. Nothing is worse than saying you can do something that you can’t, and a customer leaving with something completely opposite all because you weren’t truthful about your abilities.
3.Relationship Building- people don’t always remember what you said, but they definitely remember how you made them feel. Building good relationships with coworkers and clients is a great way to leave a lasting impression on the world around you.
If you are early in your career, remember, although you may be an “artist” hairstyling is still the customer service industry. People are coming and paying for your expertise but they are coming back for the experience they had with you. Always have the customer (not yourself) in mind when establishing yourself in this field..
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am absolutely looking for people to collaborate with! People who are customer experience driven, wanting to provide exceptional service from start to finish are my people.
If you are an esthetician, makeup artist, fashion stylist, event planner, realtor, or photographer feel free to DM me on IG @CamTheHairstylist about collaborating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/camthehairstylist
- Instagram: Instagram.com/CamTheHairStylist
- Facebook: CamTheHairStylist
