Meet Raven Law of Hair By Raven Chanel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Raven Law.

Raven, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a little girl, I was always drawn to the art of hair. I had a babysitter whose granddaughter was a cosmetologist that I still look up to today. The day she taught me how to braid was the day I found my calling.

My grandmother was no hairstylist, but she always cut my hair growing up. She would give me these god-awful bangs that sat way above my eyebrows and went straight across my forehead. It wasn’t a great look, but I always loved taking out her little cutting kit and setting up the kitchen as a salon, and I may or may not have taken a pair of scissors to my hair a time or two, according to my mom.

I even wrote a third-grade paper about wanting to be a hairstylist when I grew up. Of course, as I got older, there were other interests. I pursued healthcare as a young adult and worked as a nurse’s aide at Wake Med hospital for four years. What brought me back to my true passion was walking into a patient’s room to do a routine vital check. I noticed her sitting on the edge of her hospital bed, struggling to put rollers in her hair.

At that moment, I knew I could do something that made her feel human. I lost track of time as I sat with her for an hour, chatting and rolling her hair for her. All I could think about for the rest of the shift was that this was the happiest I have been in such a long time. That day, I went home and enrolled at Paul Mitchell the school of Raleigh.

As a stylist, I have always been intrigued by the things that scare me the most.

I was terrified of cutting men’s hair in school, so naturally, barbering was my first focus. After graduating in 2015, I found a local barbershop where I worked hard to perfect my craft. I learned everything from a tight fade to a straight razor shave. Once I was completely confident in my abilities, I challenged myself again.

I went on to complete a year-long associate program at Alter Ego in Raleigh. Alter Ego molded me into the artist I am today. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, which is truly where I thrive as a stylist. As an associate, we don’t choose a specialty right away. We are trained in all areas of cosmetology and work with seasoned stylists who all specialize in different things so that we can hone in on the basics of our craft.

A moment that stood out to me as an associate was being asked to do a blowout on a client who had naturally curly hair. I was so terrified that I told them I couldn’t do it. I was embarrassed at my lack of ability, confidence, and honestly willingness to try that I told myself it would never happen again. Textured hair became my new challenge.

I started to acknowledge that throughout my entire life, like many women, I have manipulated my hair however I could because naturally, my hair is wavier textured, and I had no idea what to do with it. I dug my heels in and jumped at the first opportunity to get educated in textured hair.

I started my curl journey with Devacurl in 2017. I attached myself to the curl gurus at Alter Ego, who have become my mentors and greatest motivation. Today Hair By Raven Chanèl is one of the first private studios located in the Garner Clayton, NC areas to specialize in enhancing naturally textured hair through customized 3-dimensional cutting and color.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Gosh, the challenges never end, especially with me because I love a challenge.

When I started cosmetology school, I had two little girls at home, and I wanted them to see me succeed in something I love. I would go to school in the evening and straight to work nights at the hospital. I remember studying while patients were sleeping and in between rounds, ending my shift at 7 am, going home to take my girls to daycare, getting about 4 hours of sleep, and starting the cycle over again.

If that wasn’t hard enough, my husband and I decided to complete our family in the midst of me starting a new career. I became pregnant with our son before I finished the program. I graduated at nine months pregnant, about to pop, and I never let it slow me down. I’d have to say, though, that Covid has been the biggest hurdle of my career.

Hair By Raven Chanèl came to be at the beginning of the pandemic. In 2020, my husband had a job offer in Charlotte that we thought would change our lives. When Covid hit, everything was uncertain, but we decided to take a chance. We packed up everything and moved. As soon as we got to Queen City, the world began to shut down. Schools and businesses started to close, and the beauty industry was one of the first to go.

While out of work for three months, I had a lot of time to think about my next move. I always had a dream of opening a salon of my own. Some people might have called me crazy to make that dream a reality in a new city during the pandemic, but again, the challenge called my name. I thought there was no better time to open a private studio where people could feel safe, so Hair By Raven Chanèl was born.

With the support of my husband and family, we worked hard to open the doors of my Charlotte location as soon as salons were allowed to open again. Life took a turn only three months after opening, and our family dynamics changed, sending us back home to Clayton.

I was fortunate enough to have some clients follow me from Raleigh to Charlotte and back and to be able to relocate my business back to the Raleigh area. However, I struggled to rebuild a clientele after being away for nearly eight months and trying to maintain a business and homeschool my children through the pandemic. After a year at the Raleigh location, I began to notice that the majority of the clients who followed me were coming from our hometown.

With textured hair becoming increasingly more embraced in the industry, I also noticed a severe lack of specialists in smaller towns surrounding Raleigh. I decided to begin looking for a place to settle closer to home to become one of the first in the area to offer my specialty.

The third time was the charm. In January of 2022, I re-opened the doors to a brand new studio. I finally feel settled in a location that I know will thrive. The obstacle now is getting the word out that I am here to stay for anyone ready to embrace their hair naturally.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in helping clients embrace their natural curls through customized cutting, lived-in color, and hands-on curl training. I am passionate about educating myself and my clients on natural texture. I am proud that I continue to step outside of the box as a stylist. I pay close attention to what my clients have struggled with in the past and work with them to achieve their ultimate hair goals in the most healthy manner possible.

I am fueled by the feeling I get when I turn my clients around after completing the service. It is typically a lifelong struggle for people who have texture to find a stylist who knows how to work with their hair properly. When you have a client almost in tears (happy tears) overwhelmed with how great their hair looks for the first time ever, that reaction is what fills my tank. It’s not a typical day in the salon; it’s a life-changing transformation.

I have been fortunate to train with some of the top stylists in the country who specialize in all areas of cosmetology which translates into my work and specialties.

A few of my completed training and certificates:

• Graduate of Paul Mitchell academy 2015.
• Associate program Alter Ego Raleigh 2017.
• Thrivers society advanced business training.
• Arojo American wave certification.
• Joico color.
• Wella color.
• Redken color.
• Kevin Murphy color and products Advanced curl coloring techniques Advanced hand-painted, balayage, highlighting, and fashion shade techniques.
• Devacurl certification 2018.
• Devacurl products.
• Numerous luxury brand product lines.
• SKW hand-tied extensions certification 2019.
• Hanzo Cutting techniques.
• TCH cutting techniques.
• Advanced cutting straight, wavy, spiraled, and ethnic hair.
• Advanced barbering.
• Forever curls digital academy.
• Forever curls academy master cutting certification 2022.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t necessarily believe in luck, good or bad.

I am not lucky; I am determined. I work hard toward the goals I have set for myself and my family. When bad things happen, I look at them as an opportunity to learn. As a business in its infancy, I am still learning and on the road to success.

Hard work and determination play a much stronger role in my life than luck.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.hairbyravenchanel.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/hairbyravenchanel
• Facebook: Facebook.com/hairbyravenchanel

Image Credits
Kelly Klemmensen photography