By Madison Naves | WeINSPIRE Journalist 

BIRMINGHAM, AL. - Stephanie King says that she is more than just a hairstylist. Before she starts her day as the ‘First Lady of Hair,’ she must help others first. At six A.M., King’s alarm blares. She awakens her four children and gets them ready for school. She makes sure her children are prepared for the day. She forges a nutritious breakfast and rings up her extended family. After making sure her family is up and moving, King makes her way to Spectacular Hair Designs. There, she works as a hairstylist and make-up artist. In between styling clients, King promotes her beauty products, The Celebrity Line. King prides herself in being a multifaceted entrepreneur under her multiple businesses, titled The First Lady Series (FLS). Her days are long, but King still makes it her mission to find time to help others. Along with running FLS, King mentors young women as a founder of Let’s Talk About Beauty for Women (LTABW). LTABW works to empower young women through spirituality, financials, entrepreneurship, and daily wellness. King began LTABW after she noticed the traumas her clients were facing in their lives. King wanted to do something about it. 

According to The Center for American Progress, women are more likely to face trauma and toxic stress in their lifetime. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines toxic stress as excessive psychological stress responses in the absence of stable relationships. These traumas can be experiences such as poverty, abuse, and sexual assault. Moreover, women of color often are subjected to racism as an additional trauma. The Department of Psychology at The University of Georgia reported that over 60% of black Americans experience racial discrimination in their lifetime. These forms of discrimination can cause anxiety and depression to be 20% more likely to affect black Americans. King saw these traumas firsthand in her own life and from her clients. 
King studied architecture at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. She left the university after facing challenges while pursuing her education. Later, King was able to pick herself up and began styling hair in her parent’s hair salon. She returned to school to earn her cosmetology license in nine months. King fulfilled her dream of becoming an architect, but not in the way she expected. She became an architect of hair. While styling, King listened to the stories of women experiencing toxic stress and trauma in their lives. She styled clients while uplifting them to build up their self-esteem and worth. 

“Whether you have straight, curly, long hair, or are bald, you are still beautiful,” King said. 

After starting a new career path, King found success in hair styling. She competed in national hair competitions, worked alongside top hairstylists in the industry, and opened a hair salon in Ohio. She often referred to her salon as “the church shop.”

“There was an atmosphere of peace. It was the shop where everyone came to feel better,” King recalled. The business was well for King, but she says one day God spoke to her. She said God told her to leave her shop and return to her hometown to restore herself. 

It took six years for King to rebuild her hair brand. She is thankful for this challenge that she says God presented her. King was able to build upon her talents and expand her business to become FLS.  She reaches even more women through LTABW. She plans wellness retreats, entrepreneurship classes, and fulfills prayer requests through LTABW. The group is currently online only because of the pandemic. Online, LTABW manages to connect hundreds of women across the country still. 

In the future, King says she will continue styling hair. She wants to continue building her empire to provide for her family while making clients feel beautiful. 

“Even if I become a millionaire, I will still be doing hair. It's not about the money for all of us,” King said. “Hair has kept me moving. It’s what I breathe. It’s what I love to do.”

King is more than a hairstylist. She stresses the importance of recognizing that hairstyling is not just about trends. It is making clients feel beautiful, nourishing hair, and changing lives. She listens to the people she encounters. She hears their stories and works to make a difference wherever she can. She hopes to continue inspiring more people to feel beautiful and empowered. To hear more of King’s journey, please click the podcast link below!