Our mission at Harper Ellis Hair Co. is to support stylists in their quest for personal success. We elevate our hand-tied artists not only by providing them access to the highest quality hair extensions on the market but also in offering an unparalleled stylist support network and industry-leading hair education.
In this spotlight, we chat with St. Louis hairstylist and owner of Calÿsto Salon, Jamie Harrington! We’re so excited to share Jamie’s story and her work with you and talk all about her plans for 2022!
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, JAMIE!
I am a stylist in St. Louis, Missouri! I’ve been working behind the chair for 15 years now, which is crazy to think about! I grew up in St. Charles before moving out to Colorado with one of my best friends in 2011. I met some amazing people, and I loved being able to explore as much of Colorado as I could but decided to move back home to be closer to my family in 2017.
Once I moved back I met my amazing husband (we got married in November 2021 🥰) and we’re just enjoying life, both being closer to family again and with our two German shepherds, Lazlo and Aeris!! I would have 20 of them if we had the space for it!
We would love to know what’s brought you to where you are now! Tell us about your career as a hairstylist — how you started, all that fun stuff!
I started my journey at a cosmetology school close to where I grew up. I went through a semester at a community college and quickly realized it just wasn’t for me, but as soon as I stepped into The Salon Professional Academy, it was so clear that’s where I wanted to be.
After working at a salon for almost five years, I moved to Colorado! There I really gained my confidence, knowledge, refined my skill and found my passion for hair extensions. After moving home, I became an instructor at the school I attended. That really taught me how to share my passion and I hoped I was able to authentically coach and guide young stylists into starting a successful career! I was so lucky to be able to find a whole different passion within the industry!
Now, I am running my own business in a studio setting and absolutely love it! I have some amazing goals set for myself and my business, and I cannot wait to share even more of my career as it unfolds!!
What advice would you give to other stylists starting their careers?
Never stop learning! Education to keep yourself updated and motivated is always available to you. Keep adding more knowledge to your resume — it will never hurt!
Also, never stop exploring all of the amazing things this industry has to offer. There are so many avenues you can pursue and each one has a lesson that will help you along your journey as long as you’re open to change and new opportunities! The biggest lesson I’ve learned in my career is that if one door is just too hard to open; don’t force it. The right doors will open easily at the right time and there will ultimately be a very clear reason why once you get there!
Can you tell us why you choose to use hand-tied extensions and why you use Harper Ellis hair?
I learned extensions initially using a tape-in method (which I still love occasionally for different reasons), but once I started using hand-tied hair extensions it brought me a whole new obsession!! I love the flexibility, longevity, and the appearance. Once I found Harper Ellis though, I knew the game had been changed! Their brand just spoke to me, their method excited me, their education inspired me, and the fact that they keep in touch to help with any aspect of your career made me feel like I could trust them long term.
Tell us some of your 2022 goals!
I’m looking at 2022 with fresh determination! Cultivation is a great overall term to describe the goals I have for just about every aspect of my life! I’m really hoping to bring even more Harper Ellis to Missouri!! And, to find space for 20 German shepherds. 😉
Thank you so much, Jamie! We are so inspired by your hard work and constant growth! Be sure to follow along with Jamie’s journey on Instagram and check out some of her incredible work below!
