Life and Work with Stephanie Kempsell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Kempsell.

Stephanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I went to college at UCSB and majored in a degree that I was really interested in and required me to study abroad in the country of my choice (I chose Germany!) So, to say the very least, I had an awesome time in college. And in the end, I graduated with a little piece of paper that said I have a Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies.

As with thousands of other people my age, I quickly found out that the degree I chose was very broad, vague and not applicable to any real-world experience I needed to get a great job right off the bat. So, I ended up kind of falling into different positions that I thought might be interesting and could give me some experience. With no set goal in mind, I floated through the next five years from office job to office job looking for my passion and purpose.

The very last office job I had was with a large well-known company that owns hair salons, schools, and a product line. This job immersed me in the beauty industry and had me suddenly surrounded by hair stylists. I started loving the idea of becoming a hairstylist myself, and the more I found out about it, the more I couldn’t help but know I had finally found my purpose.

Shortly thereafter, I started cosmetology school. While in school, I was the only student who took advantage of the externship program and began assisting at a nearby award-winning salon (The Compound) one day a week. Before I graduated, I had an offer for a full-time assistant job at that salon.

During the next year of assisting, I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could by asking a lot of questions, studying the techniques of my mentors, taking outside advanced education, and practicing techniques and formulation on models with the assistance of my mentors. The time I spent assisting really made me the hairstylist I am today.

I’m currently a full-time hairstylist at the same salon, building my business and clientele, and happy to report I truly did find my passion and purpose in this career!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, not easy at all! I spent years trying different jobs hoping to find one that I loved going to 40 hours a week. There were times I wasn’t sure I was ever going to find anything I liked or was good at.

Once I decided I wanted to pursue being a hairstylist I faced even more struggles. Explaining to people that I was leaving my well-paid office job to go back to school to get my cosmetology license was a struggle in itself. It didn’t feel like anyone understood why I would decide to do such a thing.

On top of that mastering a skill and starting your own business all at once is incredibly difficult and if anyone says they had a smooth road doing that, they are lying!

My advice for young women starting any journey is to find something that lights up your soul and don’t let what others think keep you from going 100% in on it. When the naysayers start, that means that you are doing really cool things and it’s time to work even harder. If you’re doing something you love and believe in wholeheartedly, you’ll never experience burn out, you’ll be willing to work day and night pursuing it, and you’ll be completely happy and satisfied doing it.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a hairstylist in Culver City for women’s cuts, color, styling, and smoothing treatments however my real passion is color and I specialize in women’s blonding services- more specifically I’m known for “lived-in” or “sunkissed” balayage on all levels of hair. As a service provider, I’m most proud of my dedication to my client’s satisfaction. I want everyone to walk out of the salon feeling good about themselves and I’m willing to take as much time and energy to ensure that happens. I try to give my clients access to contact me personally about any issues they feel they are having with their hair. If they need advice on buying products specifically for their hair or need tips on styling, I’m available for that. Giving them the information and tools they need to make their hair look and feel it’s best only makes my work look great so I’m happy to be available and accessible for that.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
A huge factor in setting me up for any current and future success I have is having a supportive loving family, who I have and continue to learn so much from.

One of the major things as a young girl I learned from my family first hand was the trials and triumphs of owning a business.

My parents started two businesses from the ground up while I was growing up. My brother is a business owner, and many of my extended family members have been or are still business owners.

Witnessing this first hand gave me a very realistic idea of just how much work and dedication are involved in owning your own business, and lessons that I still carry today.

Contact Info:

• Address: The Compound Salon
  6136 Washington Blvd
  Culver City, CA 90232
• Website: Stephaniekempsellhair.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: stephaniekempsell
• Facebook: Stephanie Kempsell Hair

Image Credit:
Deric Kempsell

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