August 29, 2016

Meet Hollywood Hair Stylist: Jessica Kittredge

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Kittredge.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have really thick curly hair, I was always fussing over it to keep it tame. I grew up dancing, modeling, acting, & I really hated looking the same every day so changing my hair to help give me a different persona. I always felt I was meant to be redhead so I started playing with color a lot in high school as well. Before I knew it, I was doing all my friends’ hair for, cheer, dance, prom, etc…I chose to go to cosmetology school so I could have an income while pursuing dance, modeling, singing & acting. Turns out it is the perfect career for me! I’ve been behind the chair for over 12 years now & I do it all from, men/ women’s’ cuts, color, perms, relaxers, keratin treatments, extensions, makeup & waxing! I am also an educator for Matrix Haircare Professionals & it’s such a joy to share my story & passion for helping empower other stylists, women & humans in general. I’m currently continuing to pursue all aspects of my career here in the heart of Hollywood, with the main goal of opening my own studio where I can bring all my passions together & allow others a creative space to utilize as well.

Has it been a smooth road?
After cosmetology school, I chose to move back home to my small little town in Northern California. I always wanted to be in LA but life happens… I built a great clientele over 10 years while helping my family through some rough moments. I learned a lot about business, relationships, marriage, divorce, family, death, raising kids, you name it! I did a lot of growing up which prepared me perfectly for the moment I was finally ready to move to the big city & I’m extremely grateful to finally be living my dreams!

So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
Well, I mainly plan to keep hustling as usual! A big dream of mine is to own a salon/store/ studio space for other artists to be able to utilize as well. An artist collective/ incubator if you will! I would love to create a team of like-minded individuals who support each other so I can branch out into other things as well, like focusing on my growing family!

Let’s explore some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way. What was the most difficult part of your career so far?
You know that saying “when it rains it pours”? Well, that feels like the case a lot of the time but I think a series of unfortunate events just becomes too heavy for any human to endure. Circumstances & timing can be elements impossible to stand up to no matter what kind of support system you may have.
I’ve always been very close with my family & when my dad was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago it was extremely difficult, needless to say. I also happened to be coming out of a divorce as well. Shortly after the diagnosis, my parents regained custody of my 2 & 1/2 yr old niece. One of my sisters gave birth to her while she was in prison for drug problems (among other things) & unfortunately she relapsed so I stepped in to help my mom take care of both her & my father who then began chemotherapy. He went through an intense 4 months of chemo & although signs were pointing to remission we continued radiation to wipe out any chance of return. The treatments proved to be too much, dad was tired & suffered a severe stroke. The next 5 months we cherished every moment & tried to make him as comfortable as possible. My mom & I attended court regularly for over a year to finalize guardianship of my niece. Maddison is now 7, beautiful, brilliant, cunning & so loving & we’re happy to finally be applying for adoption. It’s been almost 4 years since my dad passed & I still struggle with it daily. He was my biggest fan & my hero. All he wanted was to take care of his family & make sure we were happy. He was the best human I’ve known & set the standard for all others in my life impossibly high. I was very sheltered & always taken care of so when I lost my dad, I felt totally lost. Well, what do you do? You wake up every morning, put your big girl panties on & keep doing whatever you need to do to get through the day. For me, that was to do what my dad did- work my ass off & be happy. So I continued building my career while pursuing every dream I’ve ever had & I don’t plan on stopping until a stroke kills me too. I talk to him & carry him with me every day.

Do you ever feel like “Wow, I’ve arrived” or “I’ve made it” or do you feel like the bulk of the story is still unwritten?
I really try to celebrate every moment no matter how big. I’m very proud of where I came from & the career I built behind the chair in Redding. I then left my comfort zone to travel & joined a great education team at Matrix. Just getting through my initial audition was a proud moment as I have battled with anxiety & depression since high school. I celebrated a promotion this last April as well! I had many proud moments since moving to Los Angeles such as producing my first burlesque/ variety show & acting in a national commercial. I’ve had the opportunity to do hair & makeup on a lot of very cool & inspirational people. I truly am very fortunate & blessed.

Contact Info: