Check Out Jalyn Smith’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jalyn Smith. 

Hi Jalyn, 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?
Thanks for having me! I guess I’ll start from the beginning. I grew up in Grand Rapids and went to East Kentwood High School. I attended Marquette University where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Advertising. Ever since I was little I’ve always wanted to dive headfirst into the beauty industry but was always very scared to do so. It wasn’t until I realized ‘life’ doesn’t always come to you, you really have to go out and experience it. So, I made the leap. I moved to Chicago, went to beauty school, assisted anyone who would take me and never looked back! I met some incredible people along the way who truly pushed me to my limits and beyond. They showed me parts of the beauty industry I would have never known existed.

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?
It was not a smooth road at all but I hate dwelling on the negative. One piece of advice I would give to those choosing to take a step into the beauty industry is to follow your gut. If you ever feel like you’re in the wrong place with the wrong people, it’s never too late to change lanes and PIVOT. Surround yourself with people who want you to genuinely get better. I believe those are the type of people you want to surround yourself with throughout your personal and professional life.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a hairstylist in the Chicago and Grand Rapids area. I split my time between doing hair in the salon and hair for editorial/session work. Currently, I’m building a new rental salon for hairstylists located at the Breton Village Mall called JP Studio.

When I’m working in the salon, my main goal is to create hair that best fits my client’s personal style and lifestyle. I want the client to leave the salon feeling refreshed, educated and inspired. Clients should be able to recreate and style as if I was there every morning styling their hair for them.

The editorial/session side of the job is a different pace. It allows me to embrace my creative side. Even though doing hair in the studio and at fashion week is different to the hair I do in the salon, the more ‘creative’ styles push me as an artist to approach hair with a different perspective.

I think I’m most proud of where I’ve been and where my journey is taking me. I’m proud of the clientele I built and the relationships I made over the years. I love learning who people were and are becoming. I feel very fortunate to be in the position I am to do what I do and I only want to give back.

My hope for JP Studio is to build a community that fully supports the hairstylist/artist throughout their journey in and out of the salon setting. My goal is to create a peaceful space that inspires and caters to the stylists in order to grow their business. From my experience, there is no better feeling than genuinely feeling that support from the community and space around you!

What does success mean to you?
Great question! If you asked me what ‘success’ meant to me 5 years back, it’d be a completely different answer. I think my definition of ‘success’ constantly changes as my goals reset every few years. At this point of my life, work-life balance would be my definition of success.

Contact Info:

• Email: hairbyjalynparksmith@gmail.com
• Website: jalynparksmith.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairbyjalynparksmith/

Image Credits
@theoxproject
@hairbyjalynparksmith
@hoganmclaughlin
@pauloctavious
@burialground
@kelseyjoelle
@goldenhoursweddings
@nelissacarrillo
@ciprianamia