Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelcey Overton.
Hi Kelcey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Austin, I grew up a little further North but after high school I knew I wanted to be in the city. I think the free-spirited energy of Austin has played a huge role in who I have become. I love this city. I started my journey in the hair industry in 2018. Before this, I went to Texas State and though I met great friends and had a lot of fun, I knew my passions didn’t lie in that path of education. I grew up loving all things beauty, fashion, and anything creative so the transition into cosmetology school felt completely natural. I attended the Aveda Cosmetology Institute where I made lifelong friends and my love for hair and connecting with people on a daily basis started. After finishing school in January 2019, I started at my first salon, Propaganda Hair Group, as an intern. I spent about a year and half in my internship learning from some of Austin’s top hairdressers before Covid hit.
Unfortunately, Propaganda had to close down due to the pandemic, so at that point I wasn’t sure where I was headed next so I decided to just take a couple of months off to realign what I would be looking for and take some time for myself. After some time, I started assisting at Blonde Faith Salon while I was looking for something more permanent. Around the holidays of 2020, Toni Jennings and her fiance, Tyler Cochran, owners of Hair House, offered me a position as a stylist at the salon. I worked with Toni previously at Propaganda so I knew I loved working with her and through her I knew Tyler, whose work I also admired, so the opportunity felt completely natural and in alignment with what I wanted for myself. It’s been history ever since. I thoroughly enjoy coming to work and love what I do, and there really isn’t much more I could ask for.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t necessarily say it has been a smooth road, I don’t think anyone would probably say that with the way the past year went, but aside from Covid, my internship was definitely challenging. I knew that going into the internship at Propaganda, I was going to be held at a very high standard and would be put through intense training and this is exactly what I wanted out of it. When I first started, my educator had me shampoo and massage his head for 2 hours straight until it was perfect, but now I can give a damn good head massage, lol! So though it was challenging, it set me up for success and I am very grateful for everything I learned working there. More recently, in December 2020 I unexpectedly lost my stepdad in a car accident. He was someone I was very close to and someone that played a huge role in our family dynamic, so losing him has been incredibly heartbreaking and difficult. Starting a new career at the same time you lose someone close is very challenging but I have been blessed with two bosses that are so understanding and caring so it has definitely made the process easier.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I work as a full-time hairdresser at Hair House. I do both cut and color and really enjoy doing both because it gives me variety in my day. I am most proud of my resilience despite any difficulties and my perseverance towards my goals regardless of external factors. I am also proud of how fast I have learned and improved in my craft in just the short time I have been doing hair. I would I am set apart from others by my integrity, authenticity, empathy, and work ethic.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many people in my life deserve credit in aiding me to become who I am. To start my family deserves so much credit. They have supported every single thing I’ve done with no question and do anything they can to help in my success. All of my mentors along the way, Amanda Arthur, Toni Jennings, Tyler Cochran, the entire Propaganda team, Sara and Lati Domi for giving me my start in the industry, all deserve credit for where I am at today. My amazing clients deserve credit for their trust and companionship. My amazing friends and boyfriend for supporting me and believing in me. The list could go on, I am truly so grateful for the incredible people I have been blessed to connect with, learn from, and be inspired by.
Contact Info:
- Email: Overtonkelceyg@gmail.com
- Website: Hairhouseatx.com
- Instagram: @kelceyoverton
