Today we’d like to introduce you to Christa Holt.
Hi Christa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a born and raised Austin resident. I have been fortunate enough to see the growth in Austin throughout my 34 years. In high school, I discovered my passion for caring for people’s hair. Although I wasn’t mature enough to accept God’s gifts at that time, I had a good friend teach me how to braid and I fell in love with the art of creating magic through hair. With a lack of proper guidance in my teenage years, unfortunately, I didn’t find passion in traditional schooling and ultimately dropped out of school. By God’s grace, I got my GED and started my adventure into adult life. I started working in several different fields in my young adult life, dabbling in dental and medical assisting, housekeeping, exotic dancing, and the fast-food industry (etc.).
Throughout that time, I also was working with my family business, APP Adtech Promotions, and I focused heavily on Adtech after my first child was born in 2008. During that time, my main focus was really just working hard in anything that caught my attention that would make sure I could provide for myself and my family. I have always made sure that I had steady employment but also made sure I had as many side hustles as I could physically handle to supplement it. In 2010, I made the decision to go back to cosmetology school because it didn’t feel like the ventures I had already been on had really been my passion. I attended Bella Beauty College first for some of my education, but after getting through most of my schooling, I realized I wasn’t in the right place, and ultimately, I decided to put schooling on the back burner while I searched for the right path. With support from my mom, was able to build a salon in the kitchen, while working for a chain pet store until I got the new that I was expecting my second child. With my second child coming and some soul searching, I realized that being a pet associate was not where I needed to be, so I back reached out to Paul Mitchell the School Austin. I fell in love with their feel-good vibes, culture, and positive ways of teaching.
I started school in August of 2013, which was the first day of the rest of my life. It wasn’t easy but God made a way for me. Though school, I continued to work from my kitchen perfecting my craft. After I obtained my license, I earned my first position in New Talent Salon. I learned a lot and started building more clientele, and during that time my third child was born. Unfortunately, the salon closed while I was building my clientele, which lead me to opening my first salon suite with a fellow stylist. In small business ventures, not all partnerships are meant to last forever, so I kept the suite and later I joined in partnership with the same beautiful soul that introduced me to braiding as a young teenager in high school. We had a lot of fun and put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into Neverland Style Museum. In early 2017, my youngest child was born and with a new small business, I learned that I needed more financial support, so I picked up side jobs to support my newly grown family and growing salon. One of the side jobs I had picked up at the time was providing hair services in assisted living and nursing homes, which was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about the art of hair styling in a different light than I had experienced previously. Still working hustling with Neverland Style Museum, I later realized that working in assisted living facilities wasn’t my passion, but I had a hunger for more experience in the beauty industry.
In 2019, I made a huge, life-changing step and went back to Paul Mitchell the School Austin to learn how to educate and obtain my instructor’s license. During my time in school, my life changed and I faced a lot of challenges. Being in school full time, I couldn’t dedicate as much time or energy into my business. I reached out for help, but was ultimately denied food stamps, and struggled with finding help with my kids. Life continued to happen; I lost friends, gained friends, struggled with my family, went to therapy, and worked hard every day even though I didn’t know how I was going to make ends meet. Every day though, God kept leading and guiding me. After obtaining my license in late 2019, I was a Learning Leader at Paul Mitchell the School Austin while still investing time, work, and everything into Neverland. For the first time in a long time, I was starting to be able to make ends meet and live my best life, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and lockdowns started happening, which caused my business to suffer. I began to reassess my choices, falling into self-doubt and second guessing.
During months of being shut down, I had time for deep introspect and a lot of prayer. Through that, made the decision to leave Neverland Style Museum and everything I had worked for to my business partner. I was honestly so scared! I knew this was the best decision at the time, even though I didn’t have a solid plan on what I would do, and with the grace of God I started working as a traveling stylist for my guests. Summer 2020 was extremely rough for me, outside of my professional challenges, my granny got sick and it rocked my whole world because she has always been my support system and my rock. It was a painfully emotional journey as she was in and out of the hospital for months. This experience really gave me a new perspective on how precious life and family are. As she was on the mend from her illnesses, I made a commitment by stepping and helping her with APP Adtech Promotional. She’s been such an inspiration for me, she is 82 years old, running her own business, helping support her team, and still supporting her family. Her passion and mine together helped me make new business plans, which lead to my forever business.
In September 2020, I opened Mermaid Strands LLC a Paul Mitchell focus Salon. I’m so amazed and happy with where this new business adventure has brought me. I love that we are serving the community with fabulous hair, traditional hair services, hair extensions, and wigs. We have also been blessed to be behind the scenes working on photo shoots for magazines, music videos, and taking care of many beautiful brides. I am also still blessed to be working with my granny at APP Adtech, and they partner with us to provide all the promotional products I need to advertise for my salon. These have been able to support my business, and I have been able to secure a steady stream of income, even now sometimes being able to work from the luxury of my home, even with the kids running around. I am so blessed by the success of Mermaid Strands LLC a Paul Mitchell focus Salon, and I am so excited for our future. I am attending school currently at Huston-Tillotson University to pursue my goal to be a lifelong learner. I am enrolled in the adult degree program I will achieve my Master of Business Administration working towards my Bachelor of Arts degree with the things I will learn, I am so excited to expand our services at Mermaid Strands LLC a Paul Mitchell focus Salon.
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?
The road for sure been full of Challenges. With all the Challenges that are presented the biggest one is getting over myself. There are so many days I feel like giving up. This road is bumpy and not easy, so getting up and getting my hustle on is the biggest challenge that presents it self. Also forgiving myself for yesterday’s trials.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an artist from day one. I can see the beauty in most things that don’t have beauty in them. My favorite part of what I do is creating magic in my guest. I love doing hair of all types. Anyone who sits in my chair though I like to start with their heart. I like to ask question and make sure they are feeling the most confident inside. So by the time their service is done rather its a 8-10 hour braiding or extension service or a 45 min hair cut service they are feeling strong and beautiful enough to take on the world.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
There are three books that changed my perspective on life and helped me to be a stronger person. Be nice or else, Winn Claybaugh. Homeless to Billionaire, Andres Pira. The Way of the Superior Man, David Deida.
Mentors are everywhere it can be someone one amazing and famous, your grandparents, or the cashier at the store. If you think you don’t have any good people to learn from around you, then open your eyes and look deeper. If you still cant see the beauty pick up a book and educate yourself.
Networking is every as well, I say take something with your information on it, business cards, pens, or if you are strapped for money handwritten notes with positive affirmations on them so you can stand out.
Start your day with five of them and don’t go home until you have talk to 5 people about your ventures to become successful. Each day add one more so 6, 7, 8- on up until you are handing out 20 a day. By the time you reach 20 you will be so full with mentors and good people in your life you won’t even have time for the 20 but it’s still fun to try.
Contact Info:
- Email: mermaidstrandsllc@gmail.com
- Website: www.MermaidStrandsLLC.com
- Instagram: MermaidStrandsLLC
- Facebook: MermaidStrandsLLC
- Twitter: MermaidStrandsLLC
Image Credits
Nina Saraphina Raphael Umscheild
