We are spotlighting the winners of Beauty Launchpad’s 30 Under 30 for 2023, sponsored by Denman Pro.
Today, you will get to know Jen Guido (@jenthehairmagician). She is a 26-year-old stylist at jenthehairmagician LLC in Lake County, Illinois.
Q&A:
Beauty Launchpad (BLP): What is a fun fact about you?
Jen Guido (JG): I attended beauty school while I was in high school, so technically I started my career at 18 years old! It was great to be able to get a head start building my career in an industry I felt passionate about at such a young age! A non-industry related fun fact - I have a mini zoo: three cats, a rabbit, a snake + a bearded dragon. Animals bring me a lot of happiness!
BLP: What is your proudest accomplishment?
JG: I have had some fun accomplishments along the way, like attending education with industry-leading artists, getting certified in different things, winning the Olaplex Pro Artist Award for transformations and other fun industry experiences, but I would say my true proudest accomplishment would be building and refining a client base of clients who I love to work with, creating the looks I've always wanted to create in a workspace that feels good to be in and sharing those looks with the world. They all go hand-in-hand for me. I can see where I was when I started and where I wanted to be, and I feel like I'm beginning to live it now, which is a huge accomplishment! To be able to create fun and unique looks on lovely people who bring me so much joy to spend time with and make a living doing it all at the same time is such a win.
BLP: What is your current favorite hair trend?
JG: Broad answer - anything with a ton of vivid color. To specify, I love painting rainbows in hair, painting buzzcuts, prisms and color blocking.
BLP: What is a hair tip you have for your fellow stylists?
JG: A tip I have for fellow stylists would be to take care of yourself and listen to your body. Treat selfcare as a mandatory thing your body and mind need regularly, not just to fix a hard week or a burnout. Listening to your body can mean turning away a client who is giving you a bad feeling, taking a mental health day or stepping away from a client to use the bathroom or drink water. We can't pour from an empty cup! Keeping your mind and body in a good place will keep work a good experience.
BLP: What do you love about your work?
JG: I love the creative freedom and trust that my clients give to me. It is so special to create an environment where somebody can sit in my chair and feel comfortable and confident that they are going to leave feeling happy about not just their end result but the overall experience too. It's beautiful to see somebody's mood turn around from the beginning to the end of the service! No matter how large or small of a change is made, my clients are moving and breathing works of art. Hair is art - I am so excited to create it and my clients are so excited to wear it and that fills me with so much love.
BLP: What motivates you about the industry you are in?
JG: A huge motivator for me in this industry is finding other creative people in the industry to share the journey with! Connecting with people who have similar interests and goals is very motivating, and luckily this industry makes it pretty easy to connect with other artists if you are open to it.
BLP: What is a professional goal you have for yourself?
JG: A professional goal of mine is to really support my work/life balance. In this industry, we don't clock out. We are accessible from our phones ALL the time. It is easy to work from home after leaving the salon by doing things like creating/editing/posting content and replying to clients. I want to find a great balance where when I am working, I am working hard, growing and doing good things for my business and my clients. When I am not working, mentally clock out from work and truly focus on living my best life.
You can see the full list of this year's 30 Under 30 by reading Beauty Launchpad's May/June 2023 digital magazine.
