Today we’d like to introduce you to Justi Embree.
Hi Justi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in the Crenshaw/Adams area of Los Angeles, in an extended family before gentrification. My Great Aunt Theo (Annie) and Daddy raised me in the ’70s. Back then, a black man raising a little girl without a wife was practically, a national treasure. Annie was a domestic worker with a 3rd-grade education. As a child, I spent some summers riding the RTD (MTA now) to Beverly Hills with her to clean a house or two. Dad was a teacher. We didn’t have much but one thing about it there was always cake on Sunday, and Jazz, and trouble if I wasn’t home before the streetlights came on.
Now, I don’t quite remember if it was that Chocolate Baby Chrissy Doll I got for Christmas, whose hair could go long or short with the finger pull in her back that inspired my love for hair because the flame may have been sparked somewhere in the old, tattered brown building, we lived in, by 1 of the 2 gifted braiders who lived in the apartments above and facing the door of our unit. Whichever it was, I found myself often seated with legs bowed on the floor in one of their modest, clean apartments, eyes glued, as I watched them add long synthetic hair into pillowy, blown out, natural coils to create intricate tiny, beaded, floor length, super neat box braids by hand. I sat for hours. I was hooked.
During, the mid 80’s Dad purchased a family home. Back then he used to say, “There is a formula to manifest anything you want in life. Just follow 3 simple steps. Write about it. Speak about it. Dream about it.” Those talks taught me how to survive without him. My father’s perspective was a rite of passage, he gave me permission to look beyond limits and reach for the stars. I credit most of what I am “Becoming” to those thoughtful moments that at heart, were designed for me to train my brain to “trust my gut” above any others and when it goes all the way left, still be able to “Make Lemonade.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Coming up with trendy and polished hairstyles came easy to me but becoming a respected professional now that’s another story. It all started with one picture. A group of us, including a photographer, became a creative team. We set up impromptu photoshoots to put together a “Book” of pictures. I stayed prepared for any last-minute opportunities to work. I kept a set of professionally retouched photos in clear plastic covers, specifically ordered and arranged based on flow and color scheme, inside of a leather-bound notebook with my name seared into the leather. I kept it current and crispy, just in case someone in production was questioning my skills and I had to messenger it to them or worst case take it myself for judgment. It was a lot!
After a while, I got picked up by an agency that represented “creative artists,” The Crystal Agency.” It was one of the first of its type. Right away, I booked my first paid photoshoot with Vibe Magazine. I was on top of the world. Throughout the past 20 years, my work has appeared on historic magazine covers like Hype Hair, Essence, Ebony and Honey Magazine, in classic movies like ‘The Best Man 2, Holiday” and “Biker Boys”, plus a few epic steps and repeats.
I had carved out a quiet little spot in history, but I wanted more. Since 1999 my goal had been to get into the Makeup Artist and Hair Stylists Guild, Los Angeles but by the start of 2021, I still had not. I felt downright broken. I’d applied many times over the years, but time after time, the application was denied. So, I fell back. I started to focus something else. I built a studio, an online store embreetheory.com, to sell my wig collection and begin to focus on what I had instead of what I did not.
During Covid lockdown, I watched every YouTube video I could find to learn how to create social media content. I started to tell “hair” stories that were inspired by my clients. I shared knowledge about what I have learned from touching hundreds of hair types in all sorts of conditions throughout the years. When people began to find value in my experiences, my stories gained traction, and over time my cup was filled. Embree Theory, @embreetheory is my own point of view. Scientifically speaking, the study of hair is not an exact science. What we know about it, even now, is considered theory.
So, one busy day, I get a phone call. A woman from NBC/Universal. She offered me a position on a primetime television show, Kenan S2, to style “Mika” played by co-star Kimre Lewis. I’d gotten those types of calls before, so I promptly I let her know I could not take the job because I was not a Guild member and kindly thanked her for the call. She asked, “Can I get back to you on that?” I said “ok” with skepticism because I’d had elusive moments like this a time or two before, but this time was different, she called back. In less than one week later I drove onto the NBC/Universal lot as an employee. It manifested. By the end of the season, I had earned enough official workdays to become a member of the Guild. I joined on December 6, 2021. I am a member in good standing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My AKA was “Bomb” undetectable weaves beginning circa 2000 for actresses Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, and Vanessa Bell Calloway. Today, I write “expert” opinions on hair care for a few heavy-hitting publications. You can check out my take on how to handle coils, kinks, and curls at https://www.marthastewart.com/8234358/what-never-do-curly-hair.
Looking back, I started designing wigs to transition my long-time weave clients to healthier hair care practices by gently offering wigs as an alternative to the die-hard ones. One of my long-term clients who lost her hair due to Lupus inspired one of the first pieces. She said she missed being able to part her hair and now she can. I am also known for my attention to detail and innovation. I believe communication and collaboration with my customers is the key to success. I care if they are happy because for me, that’s the sauce.
Soon see my work on HBO’s “Winning Time S2” and in the Sony film “Searching 2” which are currently in production. Next up is Embree Theory Strength, a magical elixir for kinks, coils, and straightened hair. I’m still having so much fun!
All said and done, I am most proud of having the same phone number since 1999. The bill came each month and the bill got paid. It may seem insignificant to some, but it reminds me to give myself a little credit for staying consistent over the years. I think there is a lot of self-worth hidden in little things. Believe me, not long ago, if you were over 25 and had not reached your goals, you were washed up or headed for a good government job. Thankfully, now the playing field is less narrow. You can start living your dreams practically at ANYTIME these days! I think that’s just the coolest thing. No Cap!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.embreetheory.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embreetheory/?hl=en
Image Credits
Kenan Thompson Kimrie Louis
