Celebrity Hair Stylist Monaè Everett: Five Things You Need To Know To Succeed In The Modern Beauty Industry

Speaking of hair color, spend the time to find a haircolor that best suites you, your budget, and your lifestyle. The world of haircolor is so vast that you can try everything from coloring your hair darker to a mermaid blue to the best shade of blonde for you. Hair color can really dress up any style you choose and make you feel like a million bucks.

As a part of our series about “Five Things Anyone Can Do To Have Fabulous Hair”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Monaè Everett, a celebrity hair stylist, author, and public speaker with over 18 years of experience. She has worked with celebs including Tia Mowry, Yara Shahidi, Emily Tosta and Nickelodeon starlets Lizzy Greene and Sofia Wylie. She recently released “Get Out Of Your Own Way!” to help artists who want to follow their dreams of working with celebs and other high end clientele.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

As a child I was super opinionated and always wanted things to look perfect. Before there were TV shows about red carpets, I scanned images in magazines thought of ways that I would have styled the celebrities hair differently. When I told others, to my surprise, this was not something they found fascinating. Many times, I was told, “If you can’t do better, you shouldn’t say anything”! But I was convinced that with a little training, I would be able to have my work in magazines and on TV.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

When I first started on Instagram and only had a few hundred followers, I got an email from a lady who said she found me through the site. She wanted to come from Kuwait to NYC to commemorate a hallmark birthday, in 8 months. She wanted me to plan a photoshoot for her and for me to do her hair and makeup. I thought it was a hoax.

When the time came near, she signed the contract and sent the deposit. We had a great time at the shoot. She became one of my favorite clients. Not only did she repeatedly come to New York for services, but she also hired me to go to Kuwait to style hair and makeup for a bridal celebration.

Kuwait, was the first country I ever visited outside of the US, and it was beautiful. I learned many lessons from this situation including 1) you never know who is watching on social media and 2) you never know how far your skills can take you.

I never dreamed that my skills would take me to work in Kuwait, London, Canada, and most recently New Zealand.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

My tipping point was when media began to cover the looks I created for my celebrity clients. I could not believe that I could see my work published in national and international publications. The first time ESSENCE featured me as a “stylist to watch”, and my mom was able to show her friends, I knew my hard work was paying off.

This made me buckle down harder and spend time doing daily research on how to really make it in the beauty industry. I needed to learn how to make beauty features consistent in my life, instead of an occasional surprise.

I began to focus on learning the business of beauty. I worked diligently to learn how to make being a celebrity hairstylist a profitable business.

Others should take away the importance of researching the movers and shakers in your industry as well as press covering your industry and connecting with them.

In your experience what were the most effective ways for your business to generate leads and sales? Can you share a story or give an example?

Many of my leads come from word of mouth, social media, and press features. Good old-fashioned word of mouth yields the hottest leads. Social media is a great way for prospective clients to get to know you, your personality, and your level of skill. Media features are a great way to reach audiences that may not come across your social media pages or websites.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have been blessed to have a few different mentors along the way. Some offered a sounding board or advise. Others I paid to join programs to specifically help me grow.

But my go to is my bestie, Stephenetta “Isis” Harmon, who is an amazingly talented digital media expert and writer.

Many times I have felt frustrated from facing challenges in this industry and I knew I call Isis to help walk me through the problem and find a to tackle it.

At the beginning of the Covid-19 shutdown, I knew that I wanted to try my hand at writing another book, but I was scared that I would not be able to do it on my own, without a publisher. I was nervous about telling too many industry secrets.

Not only did Isis support me through the process, she wrote the forward to, and edited, my second book “Get Out Of Your Own Way!”. It’s wonderful to have someone in my corner that understands my goals, the business of beauty, and the ever changing online eco-system.

Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?

When I first started my career, I didn’t know anyone who was a hairstylist who worked in entertainment. Facebook was taking off in popularity, so I used it to locate an artist I’d learned about. She had even graduated from the same university I’d graduated from. I sent her an email and she didn’t reply. I figured that in the early 2000s, most people weren’t checking there emails daily.

I sent her a private message and she didn’t reply. I thought, wow… maybe she doesn’t keep up with her messages. So I wrote a message on her facebook wall telling her I loved her work and that I was in artist in the same city, with a similar work esthetic, and that we were both alumina of the same university.

I thought she would be happy. When she messaged me back, she was far from happy, or even flattered. She told me it was rude to publicize my work on her social media and she didn’t appreciate me not taking the hint.

I learned that many times people can so you as formidable competition before you are comfortable in your skills. I vowed to never be like her and to leave behind a reputation of service and kindness, rather than insecurity.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but know that their dreams might be dashed?

The beauty industry has never been for the faint of heart and the only way to succeed is to work hard and to have a hunger to learn more. Beauty is rapidly changing and to stay competitive you must know the top trends, and how to give them to your clients.

Look for career and technique inspiration everywhere possible. Don’t be so full of yourself that you can’t collaborate with other creatives. Remember that you got into this career to scratch a creative itch and make things for beautiful.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you please share “Five Things Anyone Can Do To Have Fabulous Hair”. Please share a story or an example, for each.

1. Find a great hairstylist to work with you on a hair cut that best suits your face shape and lifestyle. Regularly get trims to keep the shape of the style. Layers usually signify healthy and full hair. A healthy head of hair with a suitable haircut will make you stand out as a woman who knows what she wants. Make sure to choose a haircut that emphasizes your strongest features. If you have eyes, consider bangs. If you great cheek bones consider a short cut like a pixie that stops at your cheekbones.
2. While working with your hairstylist to choose the best haircut pay careful attention to your fringe. The fringe or bangs are the first thing others see when they notice your haircut, which frames your face. If you have an oval face consider a center part. If you have a heart shaped face try bangs with a short center that gets a bit longer on the sides. If you have a round face try side swept bangs.
3. There has been a long standing myth about having “good hair”. I’m here to bust that myth with a fact, all healthy hair is good hair. One of the easiest ways to make your hair look amazing is to keep it as healthy as possible. Two of the simplest ways to keep your hair in the best condition possible are a balanced diet and wearing your hair in its natural texture as often as possible. A balanced diet full of leafy greens and vitamins will put you on the right track. A lack of Vitamin B and Vitamin D have both been linked to alopecia, hair loss. A break from chemicals and heat will allow your hair rest. Everyone’s hair is it’s healthiest in its natural state. This is a great time to find a fabulous protective style that keeps your ends tucked away. The style can be anything from a bun to sewn in extension to a full wig.
4. Don’t be scared to add extensions to make your hair look fuller. It’s 2020 and that signifies the year of getting rid of excuses for achieving the hair look you desire. More than half of Americans have hair that is not considered thick, but most desired hairstyles found in magazines and Hollywood display models with thick hair. But here is the secret, most celebrities on TV and talent in magazines utilize hair extensions. So why shouldn’t you? If your twistout isn’t full enough, add some clip ins. If your long straight hair falls flat, add some tape in extensions for fullness. If you are considering a shorter look or different color, try a partial wig and blend your hair into it.
5. Speaking of hair color, spend the time to find a haircolor that best suites you, your budget, and your lifestyle. The world of haircolor is so vast that you can try everything from coloring your hair darker to a mermaid blue to the best shade of blonde for you. Hair color can really dress up any style you choose and make you feel like a million bucks.

Can you share 3 ideas that anyone can use “to feel beautiful”? (Please share a story or example for each.)

We all have our days where we don’t feel great about ourselves. There are a few things that to do to make yourself feel better on those days.

1. Focus on your assets instead of the things that you wouldn’t mind changing. If you have killer legs but don’t want to draw attention to your midsection, now is the time for a short skirt with a flowy top. Sometimes it’s fun to dress up and impress yourself.
2. Create something beautiful will help you to feel more beautiful. During the quarantine I ended up with far more free time than I was accosted to. During this time it was difficult to stay confident and easy to give into melancholy feelings. I begin to distract myself through oil painting on canvas. To my surprise, I was really enjoyed it and was very good at it. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone and creating something beautiful made me feel accomplished, confident, and beautiful.
3. Speak kindly to yourself. None of the outside and external efforts to feel beautiful will matter if you don’t speak kindly to yourself. Looks (hair, makeup, and clothes) only accessorize the way you truly feel about yourself.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I’d like to see a movement of professionals and entrepreneurs blessing each other with free tips or advice. I was recently online and noticed an entrepreneur with a wonderful idea and her social media presentation was well put together. I knew for a fact that her concept was viable because many people have expressed to me that they are looking for what she offered, yet she had very few followers.

I sent her a DM and told her about 2 business coaches that could help her with her funnel. I let her know how coaching helped me and assured her that I didn’t make one dime off of the referral. I just want to see her win.

She graciously accepted my tips and began examining her pitches and brand awareness campaigns.

That friendly exchange made me wonder what life, especially life in the beauty industry, would be like if we offered each other useful tips. There is enough business for everyone to win.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“What God has for you, it’s for you. It can’t be stolen, it can’t be barrowed, and it can’t be duplicated.”

This is a quote that I have to remind myself of quite often. I assume it is popular among all of us who operate within competitive fields. It is easy to think of opportunities being stolen or given to others. I have to remind myself that every acheivement I earn and all others that I did not receive have a blessing in common.

Through the disappointment of not receiving something I hoped was for me, I remind myself that it is a different type of blessing to avoid something was not meant for me. On my darkest days when my feelings are most hurt and I question everything, I remind myself that everything is happening for my good, and that what God has for me will never be taken from me.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

There are two amazing women with whom I would love to spend a little time with.

I would love to have a beautiful brunch with businesswoman powerhouse Bozoma Saint John. I love this marketing exec has created her own path. She works with top tier brands and made business professionals appreciate her vast knowledge across multiple industries from music to streaming. She has created her own road map and made herself highly sought after brand in her own right.

I feel we have multiple things in common including our loves for mentorship, diversity, and napping.

I would love to sit down for a lovely lunch and chat with Jen Atkins. She is a great example of how to use your influence to direct your career in the direction you desire. She has become a mogul within the beauty industry at such a young. She has combined my loves of beauty, celebrity work, education, and multimedia. I love that she has created a luxury haircare line and has a respected online platform. All while opening the door for other hairstylists. She makes learning about and making money within beauty cool.

I would love to talk with her about her tenacity, drive, and ability to kick down doors.

How can our readers follow you online?

I can be reached on Instagram and YouTube @MonaeArtistry

Website: www.TheMonaeLife.com

Thank you so much for this. This was very inspirational, and we wish you only continued success!

About the Interviewer: Jilea Hemmings is a staunch believer in the power of entrepreneurship. A successful career revamping Fortune 500 companies was not enough for her entrepreneurial spirit, so Jilea began focusing her passion in startups. She has successfully built 6 startups to date. Her passion for entrepreneurship continues to flourish with the development of Stretchy Hair Care, focusing on relieving the pain associated with detangling and styling natural black hair. For far too long, people with tender heads have suffered in pain. Until now.