We were lucky to catch up with Jacqueline Starr recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Jacqueline with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
When it comes to my work ethic, I would say without a doubt I get it from my parents. From a very young age, my parents raised my siblings and I to work hard, give our best in everything we do, and see things through to the end. My dad worked full-time providing for us while my mom was a stay at home mom raising myself and my two siblings. Their example taught me that dedication and perseverance are the keys to success, and I carry those values with me every day.
While my parents definitely molded my work ethic, my mentor helped to hone it. She taught me how to work quickly yet efficiently, pay attention to detail, and how to build a rapport with my clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
One of the most exciting and special aspects of being a hair stylist and salon owner is the ability to transform how someone feels about themselves. I meet so many amazing people in my chair and get to hear so many unique stories. As much as I have always wanted to be a hair stylist, a part of me always thought I would make a really good therapist and in some ways, I serve as a therapist to my clients. There is a special level of trust that happens at the hair salon and I’m just so grateful I can be a part of it.
I also love owning my own space! Through the years, I’ve worked at some amazing salons and also some not so amazing salons. When I decided to make the leap and branch out on my own, I loved the idea of creating a space that welcomed everyone and made my clients feel at home. My space is warm, cozy and welcoming and I genuinely love coming into work every day
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Technical skills aside, I think the most important qualities to possess would be confidence, managing stress, and active listening. I struggled with my confidence in the beginning of my career because I was young and a little insecure if I’m being honest. So trusting yourself is so so important. Advice I would give to anyone starting out on their hair journey would be to find a salon to apprentice under that actually cares about seeing you move up. A mentor that wants to see you grow and build and not just clean.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
This might be a little controversial but I actually believe that it’s better to go all in on our strengths. I’m not saying that you should just give up on something just because it’s hard or you’re not the best at it but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I don’t have to be good at everything and that’s ok with me. This can depend on what you’re talking about. For example, I’m really not great at perms. I didn’t grow up in that era and as much as I practiced, I just couldn’t get it down. So when I opened up my own studio, I wanted to make sure the services I provided made me excited and happy to do and not anxious and stressed out. But I do want to touch on the difference of giving up on something because it feels hard or uncomfortable because that is where I truly believe growth happens. I recently started up running a few months ago. I’m a true gym girl so cardio is just not really my jam but I wanted a challenge. Was it hard? Absolutely. My first few runs I would run to a specific point and then walk home. My heart was racing, I was sweating, and it was really hard. But eventually I was running the whole loop there and back! And afterwards? I felt amazing! I actually just signed up for my first 5k in April! So trust yourself. If something really isn’t speaking to you, I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.serenhairstudio.com
- Instagram: @serenhairstudio
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