Meet Camille Jones | Multicultural hair stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Camille Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Camille, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, there was no thought process for me. I was tired of working for a corporate/franchise, and randomly decided to go on my own. At first, I shared a business with an old co-worker Ash for a year, then we split up (on good terms), and here we are! “Hair By Millie”, riding the wave, and we’ll see where it takes me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a multicultural hairstylist located in The Heights, Houston, TX. I have a suite inside Sola Salons. I feel like what sets me apart is that I enjoy working with all hair types, and offer many hair services. I have also created Rosemary & Lavender Castor Oil. I personally mix these oils myself. This specific blend of oils is special to me because I get the castor seeds from my home country, Dominica, and then I extract the castor oil. My oil has been proven to help with hair growth, thickening and dry scalp. It can also be used as a beard oil. I have also just launched my brand of silk and velvet durags.

I am most proud of how quickly I grew my clientele in the matter of 1.5 years, to the point where I am booked out for 2 months. In a span of 9 years, I started cosmetology school, worked for a full service salon where I was a haircut specialist for 2 years. After having my first born, there was a scheduling conflict with work and home so I then moved on to another full service salon which accommodated my availability and I was able to offer a wider variety of hair services, including haircuts, color, keratin treatments, braiding, and extensions. The salon owner at the time decided to downsize, as well as me being pregnant with my second born, so my time there had to end after 2 years. When I was ready to work again, I was hired at a full service barbershop. Another 2 years go by and the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. We were on quarantine for 2 months, and during our time in quarantine, our company was bought out by a franchise. The new owners did not make it a safe environment when it came down to the health of the employees, so a co-worker and I decided to share a business called HairXCraft Barbershop and Salon. A year goes by and both of us were getting so busy that we parted ways to start our separate businesses. From there, Hair By Millie was official, and it just keeps growing and it is the best feeling in the world.

The transition from working for someone vs working for myself has been surprisingly easy. There are a lot that I am still learning, but this whole process has been very fun for me. My goal is for the world to know that my brand is N.U.E. (Natural, Unique, and Expressive).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
With my schedule being so busy, I don’t really explore Houston. One of my favorite spots to go hang out though, is Pappadeaux. I love their food, and I absolutely love their margaritas!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people I would dedicate this shoutout to! First, I would most definitely dedicate this to my husband Mike, and my 2 hunnies Jace and Raven. The support is there no matter what and I truly appreciate it. I can’t imagine going through this all without them.

I would also like to add that my parents and siblings are also huge supporters. They all encourage me and I couldn’t ask for more.

My friends, from the beginning were always so supportive! They all shared my work, were hair models when I needed some and just like everyone who was mentioned, they all motivated me to just keep on going.

Lastly, I want to dedicate this shoutout to my clients! Obviously I wouldn’t have accomplished what I have without your support and business. So thank you everyone!!!!!

Website: www.hairbymillie.com

Instagram: hair_by_millie

Facebook: Hairbymillieee