Life and Work with Ambia Elms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ambia Elms.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hair is fun. I’ve thought so since I was a grungy teenager in the ’90s, coloring hair every color of the rainbow in my bathroom on me and my friends. Once a month, all my guy friends would line up and one by one, I would cut their hair. Nothing fancy. Mostly mohawks and your standard 90’s undercut.

I was going to go to law school but high school and I didn’t get along too well so as I tried to think of what route I would go in life, I figured beauty school would be quick and give me a steady paycheck while I got a ‘real’ degree.

Fast forward 20 years, I’m still here cutting away. Mohawks and rainbows happen rarely now. Mostly being replaced by covering grey roots and trimming dead ends. The paychecks aren’t steady and I never got the ‘real’ degree and that’s ok.

I’ve always been happy with being a hairstylist. It may not bring home the big bucks but I am my own boss and I get to be me at work, like it or not. I get to hang out all day with clients that have become like friends and family. It makes my introverted self become extraverted for eight hours a day. I get to laugh and cry with my clients. I get to go through huge life changes with my clients like new jobs, new spouses, new babies, lost loves and deaths. My husband was even a client first. 20 years later and there are still challenges and learning opportunities around every corner.

I love this industry. There’s art and chemistry. There is marketing and business management. Inventory control and Human Resources. Most of all, it’s customer service. Without my clients, this job would mean nothing. I’m super grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given and all the people who have supported me along the way.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
My advice for anyone getting in this industry…
1. Never stop learning. That is the death of your career.
2. Don’t let anyone tell you your worth. There will be people that tell you being a hairstylist is beneath you or you’re too smart to do hair. If it makes your heart happy then do it.
3. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Social media is detrimental for your business but always remember, those badass hairstylists you see all over IG mess up too. They’re still human. They became badass because they didn’t give up and made their own path. You can do that too.
4. Find your tribe. You can be lifted higher if you find the right support. So many amazing stylists out there and so easy to access them. Find your people.
5. Lastly, don’t let clients beat you down. I have learned that there are people in this world who will never be happy no matter what you do for them. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ if your gut is telling you to. There are too many amazing clients out there waiting to meet you. Don’t take up their potential appointment spot with someone who doesn’t appreciate you.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I LOVE short fun haircuts with tons of texture. Those have always been my jam.
I’d like to think my clients enjoy their time with me because I take their hair seriously but everything else should come with a laugh. No one should sit in my chair and stress out. I’m here to fix you and make you feel amazing. If I can’t do that then I’m not doing my job.

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I think there’s too much pressure on women today to find some kind of balance between what society thinks is feminism and still being ‘soft’. We have to run businesses, run households, raise babies.

We’re constantly told lately that we can do it all but honestly, I don’t think we can. I read an article once that said out of like five main points in our lives (career, health, family, relationships, and self) we can only excel at three of them. Think about that. We have to sacrifice all over the place to try to have it all and it’s just a merry-go-round of a mess. We really need to stop beating our selves up for what we can’t do and raise ourselves up for what we accomplish.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3454 E Southern Ave
  Suite 102
  Mesa, Az (Inside Golden Rule Salon)
• Website: www.ambiadoeshair.com
• Phone: 4802066015
• Instagram: @ambiadoeshair
• Facebook: Facebook.com/ambiadoeshair

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