We all go through a phase where we hide a little inside, things don’t make sense and we don’t understand why God puts us through the challenges he does, and why he guides us in situations we feel uncomfortable in? I would go about my life wondering, “How I can better myself and be the woman God wanted me to be?” – It wasn’t until my senior year when I really thought long and hard about what I wanted my future to look like and what career I wanted to pursue. – Hey there! My name is Kayla Clodfelter, I’m 20 years old from Winston Salem, North Carolina. I’ve been in the hair industry for about 2 years.
I was the girl who never gave myself enough credit, no confidence, and I looked down on myself because I wasn’t like “everyone else.” I was very uncomfortable in my own skin, didn’t know who I was, and didn’t really understand my purpose in life, only because I thought I wasn’t good at school. I was not cut out for college, definitely a 4 year university, I couldn’t sit in a room with hundreds of other students and act like I knew what I was doing, only to feel miserable. I was always fascinated with hair, something about it just caught my attention. With my grandmother being a hairstylist for 45 years (now retired) I knew I could come to her for just about anything regarding this career and if it was the most suitable for me, she is such an encouraging, Godly woman so I knew she would pray on this.
I didn’t care if people judged me or looked down on me because I didn’t go to some big college to fit into society. I wanted to do what I love and so I did just that. I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina the summer after I graduated high school, went to Cape Fear Community College to study cosmetology. I met some amazing girls during that time, cherished each friendship! While I was in school I still experienced college with some of my best friends that went to University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Had the best 2 years of my life, lived on my own and truly understood responsibility. A couple months before I finished my 1,500 hours in cosmetology school I got a job, assisting an amazing stylist who I now cherish and adore as my best friend, Ashley Corbett. Within that time, she taught me the in’s and out’s of hair and poured out her knowledge to me. She is a hard worker, with a badass attitude and constantly thriving to be her best, definitely kept me on my toes and not afraid to tell me how it is, but most importantly SHE molded me into the confident/hard working stylist I am today.
Now fast forward another year later, I moved back home – I’m in a beautiful salon located in High Point, North Carolina. My confidence has boosted, my motivation is stronger than ever, I have an amazing support system, along with the best family. I faced a lot of challenges in my life but one thing I will remember is to take “one day at a time.” A quote my mom has never failed to tell me and it’s been molded into my brain. Hair is my life, it’s what I’ve been called to do. God has given me a talent, something that is for me. I have the ability to make women feel beautiful only within a couple of hours and that’s a pretty damn awesome feeling. I work in an industry that is always evolving, an industry that’s exciting and is never going to fade. That’s an amazing feeling, right? This is me and this is who I am. With that being said, so what if I didn’t go to a 4 year university, make straight A’s through grade school, the star athlete of my class, or had a ton of friends. I followed my heart, I made a name for myself. I wake up blessed to see another day to work behind my chair to make someone feel beautiful. It’s not an easy career that’s for sure, but it’s the one for me. I love what I do, I love making women feel powerful just by a look, and I love where God has placed me thus far in my life.
Thanks for reading, xoxo – Kayla <3
– @kaylaclodfelterhair