Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Martin.
Grace, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for hair. I got my first perm in the third grade with a complimentary acrylic nail on my thumb. Yes, I was the human mannequin for my sister who was in cosmetology school. But I loved every second of it. It was so much fun to play with hair to create your look. If you weren’t born with curly hair, you could still have it!
Growing up, I was the friend/family member doing everyone’s hair for their school dances, weddings, special events, etc. I went through all of my high school years really experimenting and creating hairstyles on myself. Everything within the range of trendy to pretty wild, avant-garde designs.
As I quickly entered into young adulthood, I had many responsibilities to handle. I had a son who was born premature and with a low immune system. Which lead me to leave my job as a Medical Assistant and quit pursuing my Registered Nursing major in college. My son’s Pediatrician, whom I also worked with at the time, explained to me that my workplace was exposing myself and therefore my son to more illness. That lead me into a thriving career in the Mortgage business. Until the housing crash which pushed almost everyone out of the industry.
It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado that I found the opportunity to finally pursue my passion for hair. I had the chance to go back to school, earn my cosmetology license and live my dream.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
You know, I’ve learned in life that nothing worthwhile comes easy. The dream is free, but the hustle isn’t. There were definitely struggles. When I moved with my family from Anaheim, CA to Colorado, it’s the first time I had really lived anywhere else. Basically, Anaheim was all I knew. Everything was new to me out here. I had no clue when moving here, I would have the opportunity to pursue a career as a hairstylist. It was always a “pie in the sky” kind of dream. The passion was always there, but the reality of it never seemed to be within reach. I was past my college days, and caught up in living day to day life. I’d always say things like “If I won the lotto I would quit my job and go to school to do hair for fun”. I had been living in Colorado for a year, when life happened again. The company I was working for laid me off before eventually closing its doors for good. Here I was at another point in my life where I had to start over and re-establish myself in my career.
The still voice in the back of my head reminding me of my desire to do hair wouldn’t silence itself. I kept trying to do what was safe and made sense. Yet no matter my hard work, those paths kept closing its doors on me. So I took that first step of faith to enroll in cosmetology school. Starting over and taking a backwards step in life when you’ve already established yourself into a comfortable lifestyle inclusive of a husband and three kids was a huge decision to make. I had my whole family to consider. As a woman alone, I could make whatever sacrifice necessary to live my dream. But here I was a mother and wife, I felt it was my duty to contribute as a provider. To make sure my kids avoided struggle and sacrifice. I wondered if it would be completely selfish to go after this dream of mine, knowing it would change my family’s lifestyle. It’s like they tell you on airplanes; in case of an emergency you have to put your oxygen mask on first, then help your child. I realized I could be the example of doing what was comfortable but not my passion in life. Or the example of going after what you love and not letting the doubt overcome you. I could show them everything I would preach to them about believing in yourself and being able to do whatever you put your mind to. I had a very small window of opportunity to go after my dream or start looking for another means of income. But I went for it. With no exact plan or security of what was at the end of this beginning, I just jumped in.
The hardest part was not letting life’s demands distract me from just sticking to the goal. For the next few years we as a family had to figure out how to live off a single income. I had been involved in a car accident which left me concussed and slowed my mind in a new and frustrating way right before school began. Along with actually completing full time school I was simultaneously working for apprenticeships and projects all the time. I offered my services for free in exchange for shared knowledge. I am still grateful to this day for all the mentors in my life who helped build me into the stylist I am today. As I look back, all I had was all I ever needed. The unconditional love and support from my family willing to take this sacrifice with me, my husband holding us down financially to support me and my dreams no matter how hard the burden became, the grace of my mentors willing to share their expertise and believing in myself even in those moments of fear and doubt.
Tell us about your business. What do you do, what do you specialize in?
I am a hairstylist who specializes in diversity. I come from a mixed family which is made up of many different ethnicities. My immediate family alone consists of my son who is Black-Jamaican-Panamanian-
My mixed family inspired me to take the time to really learn and become skilled at all hair types and textures. I wanted to see a family like my own, be able to come into the same salon and all leave with good hair. Kids, Women, Men (cut with or without clippers), Curly, Textured, Thick, Very thin and fine, coarse, stubborn, short and long. I never wanted to be a stylist that had to send someone away because I couldn’t do a type of hair.
However, the perfectionist in me also didn’t want to take on something I wouldn’t be great at. So, I took my time over the years to perfect the skills in one area before moving on to the next. I started my interest in men’s fades before entering cosmetology school, during and after. I spent time in CA shadowing some of the best barbers, and local barbershopps here in Denver. I then went on to broaden my education in blondes, colors, balayage, and cuts. Focusing on those skills alone for years, adding certifications in chemical services and hair extensions along the way. Years later, as a business owner, with a full-time clientele, I started another apprenticeship on my off days, and took classes at the House of Bumble in New York to learn more in-depth knowledge about textured hair.
My clientele now consists of men, women, kids, short hair, long hair, and every texture from fine to ultra-thick, curly, wavy, and straight. My clients are as diverse as my family and I love each client just the same too!
As a hairstylist, I am also excited about the other ways I get to be diverse in my work portfolio. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of New York Fashion Week hairstyling teams for the past few years, along with local fashion shows. I’ve also been lucky enough to do hair for editorial work, fashion shoots, commercial projects, and find my work published in magazines or part of an advertising campaign. It still blows my mind to think of the places hair has taken me and the experiences I’ve been able to have. It’s been my honor to work with so many uber-talented creatives in our industry. Everyone working together at their master craft to create…it’s something I live for and still feel so lucky to be a part of.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I know there are still many barriers women face, especially versus our male counterparts. Statistically, women are still outnumbered by far in positions of leadership. Although we’ve made huge strides in the right direction; there are still so many challenges we face. Equal pay, equal treatment, equality in how we are perceived. Women are still judged with distorted views of certain gender roles. These are old stories, but unfortunately still current issues.
I don’t however want to dwell on these barriers or say they are impeding our emergence as leaders. I also am not pointing fingers or placing blame on just one gender for how things are. I believe there are men and women who fit positive and negative roles that help or hurt women’s progress forward. I would rather focus on the possibilities not the challenges. Like I mentioned before, nothing in life comes easy. Challenges and barriers will always be between any human being and something worth fighting for. The truth is we can truly achieve whatever it is we put our heart, body and mind to male or female.
I am so proud to be a woman. We have the ability to procreate life, to end life, to grow our minds to limitless possibilities, to be strong and hard, or soft and feminine or a mix of it all. Women can do and be whatever they choose. I find immense value and respect for all the roles we fill; a supportive counterpart, an equal partner, a loving mother teaching values and skills to their child/children who is therefore shaping our future generations, a CEO or Entrepreneur running a successful business, a working woman financially supporting her family while her husband raises the kids at home, the single mother wearing all hats at all times, a grandmother supporting and loving all the generations behind her in her family, and every other role I didn’t mention. Us women have absolutely no limit to who we can be and how we can impact this world. The harder the road to get there the stronger it will make us. As we continue to grow, the barriers and stereotypes continue to be broken.
As women, let’s remember to support each other. Let’s cheer each other on with our successes and pick each other up when we stumble. Let’s value and respect the different ways we are leaders and use that to empower ourselves and all of those around us.
Contact Info:
- Address: 475 W. 12th Ave. Suite C
Denver, CO 80204 - Phone: 714-809-8605
- Email: stylist.grace.martin@gmail.com
- Instagram: @stylistgracemartin
- Facebook: fb.com/stylistgracemartin
Image Credit:
Darral Freund
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