Check Out Kayla Pardue’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Pardue.

Hi Kayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
I started with a dream of wanting to style hair for movies in a small town called Texarkana, TX. Population 36,000. I graduated beauty school in 2014. I worked with my mentor for 7 years at Danny Rateliff’s Hair Salon. This is where I learned all my basics and time management. Mind you, when I started doing hair, “balayage” wasn’t a huge trend. My mentor tried to convince me not to consume my time with that type of color service. He said, “Grey coverage touch-ups… that’s the best clientele to have.” While that’s true… I love a challenge and pursued a “balayage” clientele anyways. I taught myself how to balayage and got better with every head of hair I touched. Now, I am a Queen of balayage. 

I eventually reached (what I had considered) my highest potential in that small town. I wanted more. I knew the only way to become BIGGER would be to move to a BIGGER city. I didn’t see my dream happening in Texarkana. 

Gratefully, In January 2022, I had a job offer from a new salon opening in Santa Monica, CA. (Chateau Beauty Bar) Now I KNEW this was a place my dreams could come true. Everyone’s dreams come true in California… right? 

So, two weeks after the job offer, me and my boyfriend and our two dogs packed up and moved states away to Los Angeles, CA. Population 3.8 million. 

Truthfully, I struggled for the first year. It was extremely hard growing a clientele in a brand-new salon that had low foot traffic. After 6 months of trying to make it work at Chateau Beauty Bar… I realized I needed to reevaluate my options, or I would be running out of money and moving back to Texas. 

It was as if the universe knew what I was asking for because that’s when I found Planet Salon (located in West Hollywood). I have been working at Planet Salon since August 2022. I can see the Hollywood sign from my salon windows, and it’s unreal… considering where I started at… (Texarkana with a sonic as the view) 

I still have not found the movie hair gig of my dreams YET, but I have come to a place with endless possibilities and opportunities. So, this story has not found its ending yet. I feel I’m just getting started, and completely grateful with how much I’ve achieved/experienced so far. 

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 think to succeed at anything in life you must first experience the struggle. I definitely had my fair share. My first obstacle was paying for beauty school. I’m 1 of 5 daughters, and my parents didn’t have the extra money to help put me through school. So, at 19 years old I pulled my first loan out of the bank to pay for it. I worked full-time and went to beauty school full-time. And for a year straight, I lived off 4 hours of sleep every night. My second struggle came shortly after getting my cosmetology license. The first salon I worked at was a booth rent salon. I remember after a month of working there… I had DRAINED my entire savings account paying for booth rent and supplies. I broke down crying on the phone with my dad, who instilled the little bit of faith I had left. He told me “Kayla, pick yourself up, get back out there and try again”. So grateful that I did because that’s when I found Danny Rateliff’s Hair Salon. The salon that I considered my second home until moving to LA. 

Which brings me to my HARDEST obstacle/struggle. 

The move. Starting over. 

What a scary thing to do. I left my salon of 7 years and being booked out a month… to not having one single soul in my chair. In a new city. In a new salon. Different culture. Different style. Different everything. I had to learn an entire new product line. An entire new COLOR line. All while trying to grow my business from the ground up again. It was hard. It was several cry sessions and some depression… Spiraling through thoughts of “Did I make a mistake in moving?” “Can I make it work here?”. I started a journal to document my new beginning so I could reflect back and know that, YES, YOU CAN GET THROUGH THIS TOO. 

I am also grateful for my partner. He has been a constant backbone throughout my entire journey and supportive every step of the way. He pulled me through my depression and lit the fire underneath me again to get out there and go after the things I want in life. Hence, finding Planet Salon. My second home in LA. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Hairstylist. I color, cut, style, and create beautiful hair. I warm people’s heart with a wonderful portrait of themself. I listen to their stories, struggles, fears, and goals. I offer advice for their hair AND life. I accept people for who they are and welcome them to a safe space. I let people unwind in my chair after a good/bad day at work. I offer clarity and perspective when my clients tell me their troubles. I offer chatter or silence, whichever the client wants. I am versatile. And making people feel good again is my passion. To experience my uniqueness is to experience time in my chair at the salon. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t give up. Keep a positive mindset as best you can, if not ALL THE TIME. Your thoughts are powerful, so only feed your mind the good ones. Be gentle on yourself in the beginning because it’s hard for everyone just starting out. Brand yourself with creating what you love and utilize social media to advertise your work. TAKE PHOTOS. Learn to be a photographer and social media guru. It will help grow your business. Do not rely on a salon to build your clientele. And most importantly… ASK people to do their hair. Don’t be afraid of being told “no”. 

Pricing:

• Balayage $220+
• Highlighting $220+
• Grey-coverage $125
• Extensions *consultation for price*
• Haircuts $125

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairbykaylapardue/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairbykaylapardue?mibextid=sCpJLy