Meet Brandi Hodge: Licensed Cosmetologist

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

Hi Brandi, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Entrepreneurship is all about risk taking. Risk taking involves thinking outside of the box, trusting yourself, and going for it. If we are scared of taking risks, then we become scared of success Of course I must be realistic and admit that taking risks is a very scary thing. Leaving JCPENNEY salon to work for myself was the first big risk I took. JCPENNEY salon was a very secure environment; promised check every 2 weeks, store clientele, etc,. But with the salon being commission based, I couldn’t receive the compensation I felt I deserved. With that, I had to make the decision to continue to be comfortable or take a risk and work for myself. As I Christian, I placed all my trust is God that he would protect and lead me through this journey; He hasn’t failed me yet! Everyday of entrepreneurship is about thinking of what will make you stand out from the next person. If you don’t take risks, you won’t have the chance to find your “thing” that highlights you as one of a kind

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hairstyling is my dream job, I am thankful everyday that I get to do what I love, while getting paid for it With that, I feel that my love for my craft sets me apart from others. My clients always tell me how they appreciate me taking the time to talk with them and teach them about their hair. I am very open with my Clients, as I do believe they are a reflection of me. I always tell them to never hesitate with telling me how they are feeling. My goal is to always make them feel as confident and comfortable with themselves when leaving my salon suite. Education and training has helped me to get to where I am professionally. In this industry, you can never stop learning! There is always a new trend or hair technique to learn. Clients want to have fun, but as a stylist you learn to give them fun within their own perimeters. Use that knowledge to update their look, while keeping them comfortable. When they comfortable, you are confident they will rock that look and maintain it until the next visit My training has taught me the value of time. No one wants to spend all day in a salon. Give your clients the ultimate experience while respecting their time. If a service requires a certain time limit, I am always sure to inform them of that. When I am upfront with them, they can plan accordingly for new styles while making it the pick up line on time LOL I’ve always believed that nothing easy is worth having. When you work hard for it, you value it more. During my journey I’ve learned the importance of faith, trust, honesty, and consistency. Faith in God has given me the confidence to try new things in my business; step outside my comfort zone. Trust has taught me to value the lessons I’ve learned good and bad. In every situation, I learned to sit back and think of what I could have done better, and how I will implement that change in the future. Honesty helped me to build relationships with my clients. Consistency has taught me how to keep that relationship going I want the world to see everything that is Bedazzled by Brandi. God has blessed me with so many talents to share. If I can Bedazzle someone with a new look, a laugh, advice, or whatever; my mission has been completed.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a big foodie. First thing on the agenda will always be food I would start with brunch at Whiskey Cake (the best cheddar and jalapeño biscuits), or Taste Bar & Kitchen. Happy hour at Urban Social (tasty cocktails), or McCormick Schlick. Dinner at Barnabys (the best meatloaf dinner ever!) or Max’s Wine Dive (best fried chicken and champagne!) Houston has a lot of great festivals! I enjoy the new drive in movie experiences, especially with the food trucks nearby. I love a lot of the new indoor/outdoor venues that include colorful attraction and pop up photos ops; Seismique, Electric Feelgood, and Alexrax are some cool ones I enjoyed Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout will always be dedicated to my mother. She is the epitome of hard work and dedication. She ensured I had the foundation I needed and trusted the process as I built my business. She’s my number 1 fan My second shoutout is dedicated to my family, friends, and church members who willing volunteered their time as guinea pigs during my “kitchentician” days. A lot of whom are still clients to this day! Thank you all for trusting me and helping to mold me into who I am today My third shoutout goes to my first mentor Niesy Bluntson. Niesy taught me the inside scoop of the salon business. She was always poised and professional. You could tell her clients loved and trusted her. She never hesitated to correct me, and teach me to work smarter never harder . I will always appreciate that My fourth shoutout goes to my salon manager Honi Alexander. Honi always pushed me (and fussed) when she didn’t see me working at my full potential. She was always so full of knowledge and never hesitated to share that with me. She didn’t believe in excuses, only execution. Because of her, I learned to stay on my toes, stay professional, and always stay on top of what’s new. I admire her for her strength and determination in everything she does My fifth shoutout is dedicated to my fellow stylist Jillian Brown Lewis. As a mom of 6, she’s the hardest working woman I know. Successful business, beautiful family, and a dedicated friend. She was always very open and real with me about the salon business, while also always offering spiritual encouragement. I will always love her for that Lastly and most importantly I must shoutout all my clients. Without you, there wouldn’t be Bedazzled by Brandi. Thank you all for your consistency and dedication to my business and my dreams. My clients are always full of a good time and good words for me to follow. I love you all

Website: Www.styleseat.com/bedazzledbybrandih

Instagram: @bedazzled_by_brandi

Facebook: Bedazzled by Brandi