Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Ramsey.
Hi Maya, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been in the beauty industry since 2014. In the last decade or so the beauty industry has transformed, and growing along with it has been an absolute joy.
I started the way most of my peers did, cosmetology school then an apprenticeship. I stayed at that salon that I trained at for years but at that time the industry was really starting to explode around me and I wanted to be in a more progressive space.
I needed inspiration so I came to a fairly young salon that was a total 180 from the corporate salon I was in before. My team at the time was motivated and talented. I began taking over more roles in this space such as education and mentoring which allowed me space to refine my own techniques and give new talent tools to start their own careers.
After some bumps in the road, I chose to go independent at a wonderful space in St Paul. Meraki Hair Lounge. The things I was looking for are prioritized here and it’s been so inspiring to approach this industry I’ve grown up in from another new lens. My journey in this industry is far from over, I still hope to continue educating others and learning myself. This new leg of my career allows me to refocus on my craft, the clients who made it possible, and more of the business side of things.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I entered the industry at a time when functioning at near burnout was almost a badge of honor. It was common to triple book and work 10-11 hour days without breaks. I found that I was getting spread too thin. I was disconnected from my guests and starting to resent doing hair.
There were a lot of things that were once standard in the industry that were quickly changing as young stylists had access to more education and learned how to advocate for themselves.
I saw peers treating hairstyling as an art and committing fully to their guests, while focusing on their own mental health and well-being. Prioritizing caring for yourself so that you can, in turn, care for your guest. Your career should not run your life. I strongly feel that you should be so passionate about your career that you’re not “working for the weekend” but instead, taking the time off to live life and then joyfully coming back to your place of work. The place our industry is now is such that the services are so complex to accomplish that it really is an art form and stylists need to protect themselves from burn out.
The way that I found to do this in my own journey was to go independent. It’s scary to go out on your own, the same burnout potential still exists, and if you fail it’s all on you. I’m learning tools that I never had time to learn previously, bookkeeping, marketing, social media, scheduling, and so many other things.
My fulfillment now comes from the people in my chair, my newfound work-life balance, and continuously taking my craft to the next level. I truly feel like it’s taken me 8 years and so many lessons along the way to get to this mindset. I hope to get back into mentoring someday with all of these lessons in mind.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in low-maintenance, high-impact hair.
I like to call it “your hair but better”. What that means to me is finding what you love about your hair or what you would like to love about your hair and bringing that out. My focus has been in dimensional color of all levels and tones. I love to create a color that looks good for months with minimal maintenance and looks intentional the whole time.
My approach to cutting is similar. I primarily dry cut to utilize the hair texture, weight, face shape, and fall. Actually customizing the cut rather then just copy paste shapes. As much as I love a gorgeous blowout or curls, it’s not always feasible to do that every day at home in order to have wearable hair. My approach prioritizes hand styling and air-dry styles (that can also be dressed up for fun).
No two people are the same and hair should be approached the same way.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Fear of risk taking has definitely held me back. I absolutely struggle with imposter syndrome and fear of failure. Not being old enough, missing opportunities, not paying enough dues, not earning something, not knowing enough, the list goes on.
Although I can’t say I’ve been successful at everything I’ve ever tried, I can say nothing has ever gone so badly I can’t recover. Most of the time it turns out to be such a wonderful experience that I end up kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Even if things don’t go as wonderfully as I had hoped there are always other opportunities and, as my dad would say, a “teachable moment”.
Pricing:
- Hair cut 90$
- Partial dimensional color starts at 265$
- Services are quoted after consultation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.merakimpls.com/maya
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mayawinanhair?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hairbymayawinan?_t=8Wt8yZF2Zfq&_r=1
Image Credits
Jillian Blanc
