Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Jackson.
Monique, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for hair began on my summer trips to Apopka, FL in the last 90’s. I would spend the months of July and August with my elderly great-aunt and being an only child, I had to find ways to keep myself entertained. Like any other little girl, I turned to my dolls and would play hairdresser, which is how I actually learned how to braid (there was no YouTube back then).
By the time I reached my high-school years, I was known as the neighborhood stylist in my area of Brooklyn, NY. Upon graduating high school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in for college. I loved doing hair but being so naive and never being told, I did not understand I could actually make this a profession. I loved art, design and math so I decided to major in Architectural Technology. During my junior year, I was over college and working in corporate America was overrated. I decided to a Yahoo search on “How to become a HairStylist” and life changed. I saw there was a school, Empire Beauty, that I could attend that would teach me how to be a professional hairstylist.
In 2008, I graduated from Empire Beauty School, became a licensed stylist and began my career as a beauty professional. From there, I began to do a lot a freelance/photoshoot work until moving to Pittsburgh, PA where I worked for a Matrix concept salon and learned all about color formulations. It took me about a year but I found what I wanted to specialize in, and that was natural hair.
By, 2012 I became one of the top stylists in Pittsburgh to specialize in Natural Haircare but being behind the chair wasn’t enough. I was ready to take my career to the next level, which led me to returning to Empire Beauty School in Monroeville to obtain a Cosmetology Teaching License. In 2013, I was hired by Empire Beauty school and started sharing my knowledge and experience behind the chair with the future generations.
In 2015, I moved back to NY to work for the Arrojo Cosmetology school while traveling to Pittsburgh monthly to service my existing clientele. After a year of this, I needed to reset and readjust my life for personal reasons, which led me to move to Orlando, Florida.
Taking a few years to build my clientele and getting my feet wet, I was finally able to accomplish a goal of mines – opening up my own salon studio, Treasuring Tresses. Not only was I able to do this, I did it during the height of the 2020 CoVID-19 pandemic. 13 years later, I have finally found my niche which is hair care, specializing in natural tresses and hair loss. There are a lot of great stylists out here but not a lot of them really care about the integrity or longevity of their client’s scalp and hair. When you come to Treasuring Tresses, I want to create a memorable experience while exceeding your expectations, love on your hair and get you on the right track to having healthy follicles and beautiful strong hair.
Over the past year, I have gained a lot of clientele who are suffering from various forms of Alopecia and since my long-term goal is to open a Holistic Beauty and Wellness Clinic, I am currently obtaining my B.S. in Alternative Medicine while taking advanced education courses to become a certified Trichologist. If all goes as planned, I see myself opening my clinic by 2024.
My current Motto is I just want to change lives one hair strand at a time.
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?
I think believing that I had what it takes to be successful was something I struggled with at first, but now that I am more confident as a human being, my passion for the industry is seen and felt from behind the chair. Also, I think with all of these YouTube stylists, it makes it hard for the younger generation to take seriously the importance of seeking a professional, especially when it comes to chemical services.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Treasuring Tresses was thought of back in 2008 when I was in beauty school. It started off as an online hair magazine where I could share cool hair tips and education to the public. When I moved to Pittsburgh, in 2010 this fell off as I was just trying to find my lane in this beauty Industry. In 2018 I started getting serious with the business name again, and through much prayer, God confirm that this was my business/business name. In 2018, I officially made it an LLC and started using it across all platforms for branding. In 2020, we became a salon studio. Treasuring Tresses specializing in natural hair, from braiding/twists, locs, silk presses, and color. Because healthy hair/scalp is important, we offer spa enhanced steam treatments and deep conditionings with a scalp massage with every service. Our motto is hair care first. The integrity and health of your hair come before anything. From the time you walk in the door, the professionalism and passion is felt. I like to educate each client on the importance of products, diet and nutrition because healthy hair starts from the inside out. What I am most proud of to date is being a 5.0 star salon on Google with 85+ reviews. My current goal is to reach 100, 5.0 stars by December 31, 2021. I want readers to know, if they are looking for a salon or stylist that will love on their hair, be honest with them pertaining to their hair, help them reach their hair goals, in a relaxed – professional setting, we are right for you.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Very shy and introverted. Outgoing, adventurous and determined. Not much has changed. Lol.
Contact Info:
- Email: chat@treasuringtresses.com
- Website: www.treasuringtresses.com
- Instagram: treasuringtresses
- Facebook: treasuringtressesllc
