Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanna Allen.
Hi Jeanna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love for the beauty industry really started when I was a little girl, and I can trace so much of it back to both of my grandmothers.
My mom’s mom went to the salon every single week. Whether it was for a color touch-up, a fresh curl set, a perm, or her nails, I always wanted to go with her. My dad’s mom was actually a hairdresser herself. She owned her own salon and eventually moved her shop into her home in Cottonwood, Arizona. Whenever we visited, I would play at her station and pretend I was doing someone’s hair. Looking back, it’s pretty special knowing that something I loved playing with as a little girl eventually became my career.
I’ve always loved everything surrounding beauty, fashion, hair, makeup, clothing, and styles from every decade. Even when I’m watching a movie or show, some of the first things I notice are the hair, makeup, and wardrobe. I’ve always loved how those things allow people to express themselves and how styles continue to evolve and come back around.
My path to becoming a hairstylist wasn’t necessarily a traditional one. I started working in the professional beauty supply industry and spent about 10 years in sales and management. After about five years there, my fiancé at the time, who is now my husband, encouraged me to look into cosmetology school. He knew how much I loved the industry and really encouraged me to believe that I could make a career out of it.
I had dropped out of high school during my sophomore year and never received my GED, so I honestly didn’t think becoming a cosmetologist was an option for me. My husband helped me research different possibilities, and together we found a school where I could enroll and still have the opportunity to pursue cosmetology. Sometimes the path you take looks a little different than you imagined, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get where you want to go.
I took that chance, went to cosmetology school, and began working behind the chair in 2012.
Along the way, I also spent years working in the restaurant industry. I worked just about every position and eventually worked my way up to assistant general manager, although bartending was always my favorite. I think that experience helped shape who I am behind the chair today because I genuinely love being around people. I love talking with them, hearing their stories, building relationships, and making them feel taken care of.
I knew pretty early on that I eventually wanted to build something of my own. I wanted a career where I could be creative, be around people, help people feel good about themselves, and continue challenging myself to grow. Hair gave me all of those things.
Today, I own and operate Hairbyjeannamarie , where I specialize in customized color, dimensional blondes, lived-in color, extensions, and creating hair that works for each individual client and their lifestyle. Healthy hair will always be a priority for me, and I truly believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to what I do.
I’ve built my business while also being a wife and mom, and I’m incredibly proud of how my career has continued to grow and evolve through the different seasons of my life. Every stage has taught me something and helped shape not only the stylist I am, but also the business owner I’ve become.
I’m always thinking about what’s next. Learning new techniques, continuing my education, coming up with new ideas, and finding ways to give my clients an even better experience. I don’t think I’ll ever be someone who wants to stop learning or evolving.
When I think about that little girl playing at her grandmother’s salon station in Cottonwood, I don’t think she could have known where it would eventually lead. My journey hasn’t been a perfectly straight line, but every experience, challenge, and person who believed in me helped get me here.
I’m really proud of what I’ve built, but I also feel like I’m just getting started.
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 definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that being a hairstylist and being a business owner are two completely different things. Building a clientele takes time, consistency, and patience, and there have definitely been busy seasons, slower seasons, and moments where I’ve questioned myself along the way.
I’ve had to learn so much beyond just doing hair, marketing myself, managing my schedule, pricing my services, setting boundaries, continuing my education, and learning when it’s time to make changes in my business.
Another challenge has been balancing being a business owner with being a wife and mom. My family is incredibly important to me, so learning how to create boundaries and have a life outside of work has been a big part of my growth.
I’ve also learned not to compare my journey to someone else’s. Especially with social media, it can be easy to feel like you should be doing more or growing faster. Over time, I’ve learned to trust my own path and build a business that feels authentic to me.
Every challenge has helped me become more confident in myself and my decisions. I’m still learning as I go, and I think I always will be and that’s one of the things I love most about this industry. There’s always room to learn, grow, and become better at what you do.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hairbyjeannamarie . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Hair by Jeanna Marie is about so much more to me than simply doing hair. I’ve created a space where I want every client to feel comfortable, heard, and taken care of from the moment they sit in my chair.
I specialize in customized color, dimensional blondes, lived-in color, gray blending, and hair extensions. One of the things that is most important to me is that every service is customized to the individual. I take into consideration their hair, lifestyle, maintenance goals, and long-term hair health rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Healthy hair will always be a priority for me. I love creating beautiful transformations, but I also want my clients to understand their hair and be able to maintain it outside of the salon. I’m constantly continuing my education, learning new techniques, researching products, and looking for ways to provide an even better experience.
What I think sets my business apart the most, though, is the relationship I have with my clients. I genuinely care about the people who sit in my chair. Some clients have been with me for years, and I’ve been able to experience different seasons of their lives right alongside them. Those relationships mean just as much to me as the hair I create.
I’m also always looking for ways to make the salon experience feel a little more special and personal. I want my clients to be able to relax, feel comfortable being themselves, and leave feeling confident and cared for.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve built Hair by Jeanna Marie into something that truly represents me creativity, connection, continued growth, and a genuine love for what I do. I never want my business to stop evolving, and I’m excited to continue growing it while staying true to the reason I started: helping people feel good about themselves.
How do you think about happiness?
My family is, without a doubt, what makes me the happiest. Being a wife and a mom is such a huge part of who I am. Watching my kids grow, seeing their personalities develop, supporting them in the things they love, and hopefully teaching them along the way how to be kind, hardworking, good humans is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
Honestly, just living life makes me happy. Waking up each day and having another opportunity to spend time with the people I love, make memories, laugh, experience new things, and do work that I genuinely enjoy is something I never want to take for granted.
I’m definitely a people person, so connection makes me happy too. Whether it’s time with my family and friends or the conversations I have with clients in my chair, I love getting to know people, hearing their stories, and making someone feel good. There’s something really special about knowing that something as simple as doing someone’s hair, listening to them, or making them laugh can change how they feel that day.
I also love the little things, being outside, watching my kids play sports, getting lost in a good show, podcast or audiobook, discovering something new, being creative, and of course anything involving hair, beauty, fashion, and all the things that inspire me.
As I’ve gotten older, I think I’ve realized that happiness for me isn’t really about one big thing. It’s being present for the life I’ve built, appreciating the people in it, continuing to grow, and hopefully leaving the people I meet feeling a little better than they did before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Hairbyjeannamarie.com
- Instagram: Hairbyjeannamarie
- Facebook: Hairbyjeannamarie
