Hidden Gems: Meet LaToya Harris of Exclusively Everything

Today we’d like to introduce you to LaToya Harris.

Hi LaToya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in the Crenshaw District attending St. Bernards High School during the summer of my sophomore year of high school, I became a telephone receptionist for a hair salon named Diamonds n Pearls located in Inglewood, California. After spending hours in the salon on a daily basis I would watch the hair transformations of clients and would be in amazement. As the receptionist, I learned the ins and outs of the salon. One day as I arrived at the salon after this became my after-school job during the regular school year, I was asked to shampoo a client for a stylist named Lorie for her assistant didn’t show for the day. I was excited and scared at the same time, scared because it was my first time touching a client, and excited because I was asked to do so.

While shampooing/prepping the client, she informed me she wanted a cellophane added with her appointment, I asked what color she said to cover the grey. I asked the stylist once it was time for me to apply what color she wanted me to apply, I searched the cabinet and found many half-used bottles but not enough to cover an entire head, as I informed her there wasn’t enough of one color her(stylist) response was mix something up. I was now completely terrified for this was not only my first shampoo and now, my first color application I started pouring and mixing without any knowledge of what would work. After the client was rinsed and blow-dried she went straight outside to check her color application and I followed with no real reaction I went back to my desk. Two hours later the client was leaving she stopped at the desk and handed me $25, I said what is this for her response “That was the best shampoo I had, and I love this color.” I was elated, and that began my interest in Cosmetology. I expressed this to my parents, and while my mother wasn’t completely sold, my father’s response was we’ll talk about it another time. Over the next few months, I began to ask questions at the salon of how I could gain more responsibility at the salon and how do I become a Cosmetologist. With the information of becoming a licensed hairstylist is now being presented. I was able to do some research and find that it was a program offered through the ROTC Program at some high schools for students to start trade school before graduating from high school.

By my senior year, I was able to convince my parents to change my High School to start the process. With them agreeing, I began attending Susan Miller Dorsey High School located in Los Angeles and Universal School of Beauty located in Leimert Park after school. Once I graduated from Dorsey High in 1998 and acquired 600 of cosmetology training hours, I was ready for the next step with my age (17) being a factor and not being enrolled in high school any more financing for the program became an issue. My mother not being fully on board for my life decision being a Cosmetologist/Entrepreneur after high school I was at a crossroads on what to do. I then reached out to my Godmother and expressed my genuine interest in my future; her response was if I’m gonna go against my best friend, you better be sure. My Godmother then enrolled at Marinello School of Beauty, located in Inglewood. At that moment, I was determined that no matter what I would become the best that I could be in the industry. While attending Cosmetology School my Instructors Mr. Goines and Mrs. Hines, dropped their jewels to us upcoming stylists of how to set yourself apart from any other stylist. The saying was “Everyone can style hair, but not every stylist can keep the client’s hair on their heads”, and “It all starts at the shampoo bowl”. With having only 1000 hours to complete, I found my motivation on what can set me apart from other stylists. My knowledge from being in the salon as an assistant and learning about products and a combination of my cosmetology training, I tuned in on hair textures and hair products.

Over the years, I focused on the overall condition of the hair, I started mixing different products together and adding at-home kitchen ingredients to achieve a natural gloss and shine that would follow me in years to come. In July of 2010, I opened my first salon in the Crenshaw District with the help of my mother. After all the years of myself not feeling fully supported by my mother with my choice, I was elated that she was finally able to say I’m proud of you. Fast-forward in 2018, I had the idea of developing my own product line as many companies’ products that I have used over the years started to discontinue products. I researched tons of companies that I thought could assist and kept being defeated with the reformulation of what I had developed. Finally, after pouring my savings into my company and taking on a second job at DHL overnight to replenish my savings, I finally found a distribution company that wouldn’t jeopardize the integrity of my ingredients, and now all my hard work and sacrifices had paid off. In 2020, I was able to produce and start my line.

In January of 2020, I welcomed Exclusively Bundles with 12 hair care products all at once. While the nation was being hit with Covid-19 at the time, I became defeated by my choice to launch my line. I was completely broke with hundreds of bottles of products and no appointments due to the closure of hair salons at the time. My sole source of income became a minimum wage job, with my career of 25 years being in jeopardy. I was heartbroken and defeated. While the help and support of clients, family, and friends purchasing products online slowly kept me motivated that I would be fine. Now it’s 2023, I look back on all the sacrifices that I’ve made over the years, and I’m so proud at myself that I didn’t give up on myself or my dreams. I tell anyone to stick to it all your hard work will pay off as long as you believe in yourself.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. My first obstacle was not having the support of my mother since she was against my career choice. I believe that with her support of being an entrepreneur, her guidance would have helped me make smarter financial choices. Being an entrepreneur/cosmetologist at times, you can have one customer or 1 sale a day or 15 customers, 100 sales a day. There is no financial security. I have had some very hard lessons with finances over the years. Depleting my savings account on many occasions on expenses while having an empty salon at times.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Exclusively Everything?
Exclusively Everything came to me in 2016 after being a cosmetologist for 20 years. I learned that my business had many hats under it. I was a hairstylist, I sold hair extensions, and was in the process of developing a product line. I needed a name to fit all the hats. I wanted the name to be different and out of the ordinary from what people would expect. Exclusives Hair Salon is a salon that offers one-on-one styling services to clients 6 days a week. Exclusively Bundles is our company that sells or brands products to our customers in-store and online.

What has set us apart from other hairstylists is our dedication to the craft, treating each and every customer’s hair with the best care possible.

I would like the readers to know that you should be seeking a stylist that takes pride in their work outside of what the style looks like you can’t have a beautiful style without any hair on your head.

Our brand represents hair care knowledge hair care and integrity, so if you are looking for those things out of your stylist, check us out at www.ExclusivelyBundles.com.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I am an active member of Faithful Central Bible Church located in Inglewood and use it as my source of strength to get through.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ExclusivelyBundles.com
• Instagram: @Exclusives_hair_salon
• Facebook: Exclusives Hair Salon
• Yelp: Exclusives Hair Salon

 

 

 Image Credits

Carl Anderson