Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Maloney.
Jaime, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was first introduced to the life of styling hair at a very young age. My mother is a hair stylist as well who has owned a salon for 30 years. When I was a little girl I would go to work with her and to keep me busy she would give me a mannequin with some perm rods and I would give the mannequins fake perms for hours and hours. Needless to say, I crushed that part of the cosmetology license exam many years later. I decided upon graduation from high school that I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do but I knew going to cosmetology school would set me up with a solid job for the meantime and I could always go back to school if I wanted to. The journey that has unfolded for me has surpassed anything the 18 years old me ever could have imagined and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My career started out working at my mom’s salon in the suburbs of Massachusetts for a few years until I decided to move to the city and try to get a job in a bigger salon.
After moving I got an assistant job at a salon on Newbury Street in Boston where I worked for 6 years and was really able to develop my craft of cutting, coloring, and styling men’s and women’s hair. In 2019, I got an opportunity to go to NYC to style hair for a celebrity client, after having an amazing experience doing so I made the choice to move to LA to pursue a career as a freelance celebrity stylist in 2020. Since moving to LA there have been so many opportunities for growth in learning how to run my own business in a brand-new city. I now have a full clientele of cut and color clients that I do house-call appointments for aside from traveling with clients for press junkets, editorial shoots, and red-carpet award shows. In 2021 I got certified to be a Reiki practitioner so I have incorporated doing sessions for clients in between my busy schedule of styling hair.
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?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road, I moved to LA in January of 2020 and like everyone else in the world had no idea that just two months later the world would be shutting down completely because of a global pandemic. I had no idea what to do at the time but I knew I would make it work because there was no other option. Luckily because I wanted to pursue a freelance career I had already been doing house call appointments for a few clients and that news quickly spread to many more clients who were in desperate need of having their hair done after many months of being stuck at home. I was able to quickly build a clientele of wonderful clients who allowed me to keep things afloat until life returned back to the new normal that we have adapted to post-pandemic. As soon as things started picking up again, I was ready to hit the ground running and have been doing so ever since. Aside from that, one of the most challenging things for me was learning how to budget and finance correctly for taxes. When you work for a company those are things that are taken care of for you, so after a scary first year of a lot of ups and downs I have it figured out. One thing that’s very important for freelance artists is being very vigilant with saving money because the future is not guaranteed. You could have a good run of working 10-16 days in a row and then have no jobs for the same amount of time and anything in between. So I try to take every job that I can knowing that there will always be ebbs and flows in my schedule.
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’m a freelance hairstylist which means that I work for myself and offer services for clients to do home visits. I offer cutting, coloring, styling, mens grooming and Reiki sessions. I specialize in color services, particularly blondes. I love natural sun-kissed colors. One thing I try to do for my color clients is create a color that they love while doing so in a way that is a natural grow-out so they never feel like they “need” to have it colored until they want to. I love creating seamless blends of blondes and brunette colors. Having a variety of different services ensures that things are always fun and different day to day.
I would say the thing I’m the most proud of with my brand and business is that it is completely referral based and advertised through Instagram. As a hairstylist, there is no greater compliment than being referred to another client who trusts you and loves your work and style. My business has been built based off of that and to see the growth in clientele I’ve had in three years is incredible, it’s something I am so deeply grateful for and very proud of.
Another thing that sets me aside from others is that I’m a Reiki master. Since getting certified it has helped my career in so many ways. For those of you who don’t know what Reiki is – it’s an energy healing modality that was originated in Japan. It’s a healing service that helps with emotional, physical, and mental blocks that are causing any distress in your body and mind.
During the process of learning and practicing it’s helped me slow down and really get connected to myself so I feel completely confident going into any situation that may be presented. It also helps me connect more deeply with others and really understand them and what they’re looking for. I’ve learned how to protect my boundaries in all circumstances and maintain a healthy lifestyle while running around with a very busy schedule. I’m currently working on a program in hopes to educate and encourage other people in the beauty industry to learn the importance of energy healing and create a community for men and woman to open up and connect on a deeper level with themselves, each other, and clients.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
One of the most amazing things about the beauty industry is that it’s always evolving. I believe that over the next 5-10 years, one of the biggest changes will be beauty professionals prioritizing health and their personal lives more than we have in the past. There’s a lot of old conditioning to always be available or you will lose your business and not be as busy. However, that creates a lot of burnout and health issues because we overwork ourselves. Health and wellness is so prevalent right now and I hope it continues that way. Finding a work-life balance is so important for our mental and physical health.
As far as trends, it’s always fun to see history repeat itself having trends that were popular years ago resurface with a modern twist. Generally, it takes one really big celebrity to make a huge change and then it becomes the most popular trend for a period of time. Lately, long layered hair such as the butterfly cut have been very popular but I think the bob will have a comeback shortly as it has been recurring since the 1920s.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaimemaloney.com
- Instagram: _jaimemaloney
