Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanajah Conway.
Hi Tanajah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The Years 2015- beginning of 2018 was a very rough few years for me; not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life, accepting anything, such as how people treated me, doing anything, such as hanging out in rough places with no real destination, my mother kicked me out Feb 16 in the middle of the winter with nowhere to go I ask someone I was cool with on Instagram as friends if I can stay with her for a few days too I figured out what I wanted to do. I also contacted a high school friend and ask her if I could borrow some money for a flight. I bought a ticket for Feb 18, 2018. When I landed at the Ontario airport, never had been on a plane, let alone been to CA, so wide-eyed and also scared I only had 9 dollars in my pocket. I found my way to Long Beach, and the first place I saw was a gas station. I applied for a security position. I got the job and save up every check for 2 months, and started to look for apartments and better jobs. After being in LA for about a year, I was on the bus on my way to a job interview, and I saw a barber school; I immediately jump off the bus and went into the school. I sat and talked to the instructors, and they are telling me all the good stuff about being a barber and how it will change my life. I didn’t have any California identification, so I started school 2 months later. I fell in love with my clippers and have not put them down since I have been in LA for 6 years and have been cutting hair for 5 years. I love what I do, and I love being part of a community!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been easy, finding places to live, or finding rooms to rent from people you don’t know, having to put trust in people was very hard. Even when it came to barbering, I wanted to be great at haircuts and just cutting hair period! It was times I couldn’t take criticism and had to learn; it was times I became frustrated but determined to get the fade down to perfection! Times I was going too may day job crying because all I wanted to do was be in school and learn more about my craft, I felt it was holding me back from what I really wanted yo do.
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 am a professional Master Barber, I specialize in fades, shadow fades, bald fades, tapers, enhanced haircuts, combovers and pixie cuts for women. I am proud that I saw a dream and I’m living it out right now, I get to cut all different types of people’s hair, I get to know them and treat them like they wanted to be treated in a professional barber atmosphere. I am a hustler and will not give up regardless if I had a bad day or not. When I’m with my clients, we have fun, we laugh, we cry, we sing, and we enjoy our time together! I call myself energy because that’s what I am ENERGY!!!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
LA is filled with a lot of opportunities; you can collaborate and meet wonderful people here. I believe the people in the community can do better with helping each other out with making sure Skid Row and the homeless are being sheltered instead of on the street
Contact Info:
- Website: www.youngambitiousco.com
- Instagram: @young_ambitious_cutz
- Facebook: Young&Ambitious Co.
- Other: @young_ambitious_co
