Life & Work with Jaylen (Jay) Zanelli

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaylen (Jay) Zanelli.

Hi Jaylen (Jay), we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started doing my own hair color in high school; I dyed my hair hot pink and people started asking me to cut and color their hair in my parents’ garage – and I would. Sometimes it turned out good and sometimes not. I went straight to beauty school right after, assisted for color and cut for three years under some incredible mentors, invested in attending and working a ton of classes and then went independent. I’ll have been licensed to do hair for eight years this coming January but there wasn’t ever another option in my head – I was always doing hair. I think my passion for it comes from being able to curate your outside persona to the image you have in your head, and I think my goal has always been curating an experience and environment for my clients that re-writes the traditional salon experience.

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?
I’ve been very fortunate along my journey to have support from friends and family and clients but I think the biggest struggle has been finding a space to work in that I felt comfortable claiming to be a part of and felt comfortable bringing my clients into. It felt like an inevitable compromise for a long time that there would never be a space that completely matched my personal ethics and standards – but the current space I am at is the closest I’ve ever gotten to that – it’s a true collective full of genuine people. I’m lucky to be years into this and be able to be choosy.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I currently specialize in hair color and low-maintenance, textured haircuts on all lengths and textures. For color, I do a bit of everything – alot of bleaching and blonding, vivid colors, and fun color placements as well as natural browns, coppers, and reds. For cuts, I do a lot of shags, mullets, long layers, curl shaping, some clipper cuts, etc. – my goal for cutting is always working with what your hair naturally wants to do – it’s a mix of intuitive cutting paired with the years of skill/techniques I’ve come to gather and am always trying to improve upon. What sets me apart is the patience and understanding I try to offer to my clients – I want to really listen and be on the same page and curate that open communication so we both leave our session happy. It’s a relationship – there has to be trust on both ends.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think the most important thing I’ve done is staying curious and consistently investing in learning more about my craft. Seeking out education about the things I don’t know yet or don’t come naturally – whether that be free education on social media or participating in an online class or an in-person class. The more knowledgeable you are, the more the comfort and ease in your craft will reflect in your physical work.

Contact Info:

• Website: jayzanelli.com
• Instagram: @jaylenzanelli

Image Credits
Megan Neikirk Sarah Buckley