Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Cox.
Hi Karin, 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 backstories with our readers?
Honestly, I am surprised I ended up in the beauty industry. In high school I was expected to go to college since I had done so well in school, but after my first quarter of college, I quickly realized it was not the right fit for me. My insp[iration came from my high school mentor who worked behind the chair a couple of days per week while being a mom and could help support her family so I figured why not try it out?!
So, I dropped out of college and enrolled in beauty school. What was so interesting was that I didn’t think I was going to fall in love with hair, but I quickly became obsessed. And to top it off it seemed like it was a natural extension of me which was also really nice! I also loved that I could make a difference in someone’s life with something as simple as changing their hair color or the length of their hair.
During school I worked myself to the bone; on top of school I worked full time at a coffee shop, so I would go to work from around 5am-12pm then drive an hour and a half to go to school from 2pm to 10:30pm then drive the hour back home and do that all over again 5 to 6 days a week. Alongside that I was in a long distance relationship with my now husband who lived here in Florida! So after I finished school I was a stylist at a salon in Portland, OR and I worked at the coffee shop until I moved to Florida after getting married in July 2019.
When I moved here, it really wasn’t the best experience. No one would hire me as a stylist since I had not assisted nor did I have any semblance of a clientele, so I took a job as a receptionist and salon manager. During those years, I learned so much about the business part of being a hairstylist and how to be professional and kind even when the circumstances are hard. I went through many hard seasons including the loss of my older brother that shattered my whole world. That season was what really made me start searching for a place to be back behind the chair, doing what makes me feel alive. He was the person who I know was the most proud of me no matter our differences, and I wanted to make him proud. So in September of 2021 I restarted my hair career at The Ivory Salon in Lake Nona and it was one of the best decisions. I know that he would be so proud to see me now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle was finding my voice. I knew that I could do absolutely anything if I put my mind to it and it was supposed to be in my life, but it was those around me that doubted what I could do, and I let those voices be the most prominent. When I first started out, only a select few people thought it was a good idea. One of my relatives told me I was never going to make a decent living unless I went to college. When I was going to go back behind the chair in September I was again told I was making the worst decision of my life and again that I wouldn’t be able to financially take care of myself.
I got lost in what others thought I should be and I didn’t listen to what I knew was right for me. When I finally chose what was meant for me, everything fell into place and in the last 8 months every single day I got to work feeling alive and fulfilled. I am in love with what I do and why I do it. I do hair to make a difference in our community, in the lives of those that are in my chair. There are so many people out there who are scared to go to the salon or have had bad experiences and I strive to make my chair a safe place for all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a hairstylist in Lake Nona and I specialize in Blondes and Extensions! I feel like the one thing that makes me unique is that I have a favorite type of service and I love doing hair so much but I love who is in my chair even more. I could be doing a darker color for someone who clicks with me and I will want to keep them on my books till I retire. Yes, I am in the hair industry but I’m in it for my people. I’ve been through things in my life that put me in the position to love and care for people in their most vulnerable states, and I hope to never take that for granted. It’s more than just hair for me, it’s about being there for someone, listening to what is making them feel less than themselves then taking that and helping them feel like a whole new person that can do anything.
What’s next?
Someday I plan on opening my own salon, not anytime soon but I want to provide support for stylists but also a safe place for clients, just like the salon I am at currently.
Contact Info:
- Email: gracefullyblondehair@gmail.com
- Website: www.Karincox.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: @gracefullyblondehair
