Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Primrose.
Hi Andrea, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for hair and beauty started when I was about eight years old. One of my earliest memories was getting my hair pressed and curled for my grandmother’s wedding. I remember loving the entire experience — the feeling of being cared for, the transformation, the confidence it gave me. Looking back, I think that was one of the first moments I realized I wanted to be in the beauty industry.
In 1999, when I was 15 years old, I first enrolled in cosmetology school while still attending high school, but I didn’t complete the program at that time. Even though life took me in different directions, the desire to work in beauty never left me. In 2009, I decided to fully commit to my passion and returned to cosmetology school in Washington, D.C. at Bennett Career Institute.
While attending school, I worked as a shampoo assistant at Avatar Salon & Wellness in Silver Spring, Maryland under salon owner Bruce Johnson. Working under Bruce taught me so much about professionalism, consistency, and the importance of creating a real experience for clients. At Bennett, I learned not only about hair, but about business and entrepreneurship. It opened my eyes to the many different paths I could take within this industry.
Over the years, I developed a real passion for kinky, coily, and textured hair. I’ve always been inspired by the beauty of the 1970s — the big hair, the volume, the afros, the curls, the freedom and boldness of that era. At the same time, I also loved the sleekness and drama of straight hair inspired by icons like Cher. I became obsessed with learning how to recreate those looks in a healthy, modern way for everyday women, especially professional women.
That passion pushed me to really study hair care on a deeper level. I wanted to understand products, hair structure, styling techniques, and how to maintain healthy hair while still creating beautiful, versatile styles. The more I learned, the more I realized this was not just a job for me — it was my future.
Owning a salon had always been a dream of mine, but entrepreneurship actually became a permanent path for me during the pandemic. Like many people in the beauty industry, I watched salons struggle after being labeled non-essential. During that time, I started searching for salon suites, but I couldn’t find any availability anywhere. Eventually, after being on a waiting list, I finally received a call from Sola Salon Suites — and that moment truly changed my life. That was the beginning of Cohesive Beauty Hair Salon.
Since opening my salon in 2021, the journey has come with a lot of challenges, lessons, and growth. Every year I’ve continued to grow personally and professionally, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in business is that you have to keep going. You can’t allow the hurdles to run you away from your passion. You have to learn from mistakes, improve, network, take classes, stay connected to community, and continue evolving.
I truly believe there are no limits when it comes to business, creativity, and purpose. I’m still growing, still learning, and honestly, I can’t wait to see how far this journey takes me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has honestly been both smooth and complicated at the same time. In many ways, it felt smooth because my business continued to grow, and because of that, it was sometimes hard for me to fully process all of the challenges I was experiencing behind the scenes.
One of the biggest struggles was that I didn’t necessarily plan to become a business owner in the exact moment that it happened. I kind of grew into entrepreneurship in real time, which meant I had to learn everything on the fly. I had to quickly educate myself on taxes, business expenses, pricing, boundaries, client management, contracts, and how to separate personal emotions from business decisions.
I also had to learn how to protect myself personally in case something happened where I couldn’t physically work behind the chair, because as a hairstylist, your income is directly connected to your ability to show up every day. Learning how to maintain healthcare for myself as a self-employed business owner was another major adjustment and responsibility.
I’m honestly still learning every day. One thing I’ve realized is that the quote “more money, more problems” can absolutely be true in business. The more I grow, the more responsibility comes with that growth, and the more I discover new areas of business that I need to understand better.
But through all of it, I’ve learned that growth requires adaptability. Every challenge has taught me something valuable, and every mistake has helped me become a stronger business owner. I think entrepreneurship constantly pushes you to evolve, and I’ve learned to embrace that process instead of being afraid of it.
We’ve been impressed with Cohesive Beauty Hair Salon, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a Licensed Professional Cosmetologist and salon owner based in South Austin, Texas, specializing in kinky, coily, curly, and textured hair care. My number one service is the Silk Press, and I’ve built a strong reputation around healthy hair, versatility, and creating styles that allow women to feel polished while still embracing the beauty of their natural texture.
As my business continues to grow, I’m especially excited about expanding further into hair extensions, including curly, kinky, coily, straight, and wavy textures. I truly believe this next chapter of my business is going to evolve into something major because I’m passionate about offering textured extension options that feel authentic, luxurious, and accessible for everyday women.
What sets me apart is that my focus has never just been about hair. I really care about creating an experience and an environment where women feel seen, comfortable, understood, and cared for. I often say my ideal client is the everyday imperfect woman — the woman balancing life, work, motherhood, relationships, healing, ambition, and self-care all at once. I want my salon to feel like a place where she can pause, reset, and leave feeling more whole than when she arrived.
Through Cohesive Beauty Hair Salon, I offer services for natural hair, relaxed hair, textured styling, healthy hair care, extensions, hair color, and retail products. My overall approach is centered around versatility, education, professionalism, and maintaining the integrity of the hair while still delivering beautiful results.
More than anything, I want people to understand that my brand is rooted in growth, authenticity, self-expression, and care. Hair has always been deeply connected to confidence and identity, and I love being able to help women reconnect with themselves through the beauty experience.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to continue growing Cohesive Beauty into a full-service, multi-chair salon that reflects diversity, creativity, professionalism, and healthy hair care. I want to build a space that not only provides exceptional beauty services, but also creates opportunities for other stylists to grow, learn, and thrive within the industry.
I also have a personal dream of spending a summer in Paris doing hair. Fashion, beauty, culture, and artistry have always inspired me, and I would love the experience of immersing myself in that environment while expanding my creativity and perspective as a hairstylist.
Another major focus for me is continuing to grow my extension line nationally. I’m especially passionate about textured extensions — kinky, coily, curly, and natural textures — because I believe women deserve high-quality options that truly reflect the beauty and versatility of textured hair. I see tremendous potential for growth within that area of my business, and I’m excited to continue building it into a recognizable and trusted brand.
Overall, my vision is to continue evolving, expanding, and creating meaningful experiences for women through beauty, education, and entrepreneurship.
Pricing:
- Silk Press starts at $125
- Extensions start at $225
- Hair Color Services is $75 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cohesivebeauty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cohesivebeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1PHXRnzpE4/
