Meet Josh Pridemore of House of Pride in Ahwatukee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Pridemore.

Josh, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up in Phoenix, I loved going to shops and salons. It was always a fun atmosphere. I enjoyed the banter and different styles. I was intrigued by cool images and hairstyles.

In high school, my family and I became homeless. I worked two jobs all while attending as much school as I could. It became tough to afford a haircut trying to provide food and motel rooms for my family. I am embarrassed and regret to say I stole a pair of Wahl Clippers from a store. I started cutting my own hair and practiced fading and blending. I really enjoyed the techniques and transformation process. I eventually started cutting other’s hair on the side for money.

After graduating high school and going to college, I eventually landed a good job. It was a good job I hated though. I would still cut hair on the side and realized I really enjoyed it. The company I worked for was going out of business. I enjoyed men’s cutting, but I didn’t want to hate cutting hair everyday. I didn’t want my work to become monotonous. I decided to attend cosmetology school at night to learn women’s hair. I figured color and cutting both women’s and men’s hair would break up the monotony.

After graduating cosmetology school, I took a job in uptown Phoenix. That salon is really what molded me. They invested in me as a stylist. Sending me to many different training courses all over. They were also very hard on me. They pushed me so much. Being a man, I didn’t grow upbraiding and stying long hair. I was forced to practice nonstop on mannequins or my coworkers.

While attending training courses I became intrigued with education. The educators seem so cool and they were setting the standard for trends and styles. I wanted to be apart of education. I wanted to share what I had learned to make it easier for those who were once in my position.

I eventually became part of the education team within the salon. This led to teaching in other salons and cosmetology schools. I worked in two salons in the valley in different areas of Phoenix and teaching courses. This just didn’t fulfill my drive.

I eventually moved to California working in a salon, photoshoots, and television. This landed me an opportunity to work in Asia. My first stop was Tokyo, Japan. While working in Japan, I received an offer to work for a well-known hair tool company. I ended up taking the offer working for the brand and within the salon.

After living in Asia for two years, I moved back to Arizona with my wife and new son. I started working for two different hair brands. Last December, I launched my own hair care product line called Pride Stylers. I also opened my own Hair Salon in Ahwatukee called House of Pride. I currently work behind the chair and still travel teaching advanced hair training.

Has it been a smooth road?
I had no real guidance in life. My parents were not good examples for me. For me, it was trial and error. A lot of errors. Make goals and work hard to achieve. I managed to have a few mentors that really helped guide and mold me along the way. Both in life and the hair industry.

I struggled with women’s hair. I didn’t know what products to use on hair and why. I had never held a brush or dryer. I really focused and practiced so much because I never wanted to mess up a woman’s hair.

Starting out, there is not a lot of money being made. Inconsistent paychecks either from the lack of clients or free work to get practice and build a clientele. Some days I would hope for a cash tip just to get gas to make it home and back to work again the next morning.

Everyone thinks doing hair is like playing with dolls. In reality, It is hard being on stage all day. Being a therapist and standing long shifts. Your body is always sore from being in uncomfortable positions.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the House of Pride story. Tell us more about the business.
My Salon is called House of Pride. My last name is Pridemore. The concept is Pride. I feel you should always take pride in your image. No matter the style or trend. When we were homeless, I would lock the bathroom door of the park and clean myself up. I would change into fresh clothes and do my hair. I made sure to take pride in the way I looked. I didn’t want others to know I was homeless. We tend to judge a person by their appearance. There are so many different trends and styles it is okay to be different and not look the same. If you take pride in your style with confidence it really makes a difference in your appearance and perception to others. Therefore, my salon is a place to visit and the start to take pride in yourself. We also take pride in being able to make you look and feel great.

My haircare product line has a similar concept. It is called Pride Stylers. The motto is to take pride and tame your mane. We are not perfect. Even the script on the bottles is imperfect. If you were to execute a hair color or cut with perfection, the result is imperfection. For example, you can follow a guideline completely perfect for a haircut, but each individual has a different head shape, hair texture, density, etc. Then we start cutting into the cut to remove weight, adding texture, products, etc. It is no longer perfect. But it ends up being perfect for the individual.

I believe in being positive. I wanted to create a space for others to come and feel the positive atmosphere. Fellow hair artists to come and collaborate and support one another in our community. Negativity spreads and nothing good comes from it. I believe in education and progression. I’m always learning and practicing to better myself.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Three years ago I said the mullet was coming back and nobody believed me. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of mullets and bowl cuts. Everything always comes back but changed slightly. With social media, the internet, and COVID-19 it’s hard to say.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4302 E Ray Rd STE 104
  Phoenix, AZ 85044
• Website: Www.houseofprideusa.com
• Phone: 6028009969
• Email: Houseofprideusa@gmail.com
• Instagram: House_of_pride

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