Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenayra Brown.
Kenayra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hello, Dolls! My name is Kenayra Brown, and friends commonly refer to me as “Nay.” I am the owner of Just Love Her Hair, LLC., also known as JLHH. JLHH was established because I desired a career change after being an educator for four years. I dreamed of a career that would allow me the opportunity to become an entrepreneur while also being creative, expressive, and flexible. Therefore, in 2017 I enrolled in Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh (PMS) to study cosmetology.
I have always been in love with the cosmetology industry. As a young black girl whose mother was “hair illiterate,” I spent many childhood weekends inside beauty parlors. I loved the energy and excitement of watching women get various hairstyles. I was always intrigued by the versatility of African American hair and how hair stylists could use their creativity to make women look and feel beautiful.
I began doing hair when I was twelve years old. The first hairstyle I learned to perform was roller sets when my aunt taught me how to do her hair when she became ill and needed assistance. Eventually, I became her hairstylist almost every weekend to help her prepare for church on Sunday mornings. This progressed into me venturing into other hairstyles when my sisters, friends, and colleagues would persuade me to do their hair, even when I wasn’t confident in my abilities. Their persistence led to me perfecting hairstyles such as weave installations and braids until my older sister finally encouraged me to apply for cosmetology school.
I had a lot of self-doubt beginning cosmetology school because I didn’t believe I could complete such a difficult task. I knew this task would require a lot of dedication and hard work, but I was determined to chase my childhood dreams finally. After attending night school for two years, I completed Paul Mitchell, and in 2020 I became a licensed cosmetologist
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?
This journey has not been smooth, but it has been gratifying. One of the challenges I faced was trying to complete cosmetology school while being a full-time educator. Teaching is a demanding career, so I had to learn proper time management and organizational skills. I wanted to quit many days because I was physically and mentally exhausted from the heavy workload, but I’m so thankful to my teachers and colleagues at Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh. While attending PMS, I met an admirable group of teachers and future professionals. Their resilience and inspiration gave me the motivation to finish what I began. I appreciate this challenge because it proved that I could do anything I put my mind to if I stayed dedicated and worked hard.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
JLHH currently provides services within the Raleigh-Durham area to African American women. I specialize in natural hair care, hair extensions, cuts and color. My services include weave installations, braids, silk presses, etc. My main priority is maintaining healthy hair and educating my clients; I love creating hair magic. I believe that all women should JUST LOVE HER HAIR!
I am currently in the process of adding another avenue to JLHH, which is JLHH Wigs. JLHH Wigs is dedicated to all women, especially those struggling with hair loss due to medical treatments. My family was forever changed when my grandmother and aunt died from cancer. As a family, watching these women transition from having long, thick, luxurious hair to utilizing wigs due to hair loss from radiation and chemotherapy was difficult. This experience helped me understand the importance of wigs for cosmetic reasons and confidence building. My next goal is to become a cranial prosthesis specialist so that JLHH can become a medical wig provider.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The cosmetology industry is so phenomenal that I am grateful to be a part of it. One of the aspects that I love about the cosmetology industry is that it promotes African American entrepreneurship. Currently, there are more African American women entrepreneurs than ever before. Women can become independent business owners with the prevalence of salon suites and lofts. I love seeing how many women use their gifts and abilities to cultivate entrepreneurship. I hope this trend remains, and we will continue to see an increase in entrepreneurship in the African American community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/justloveherhair
- Instagram: justloveherhair
