Occupation: Owner of Jazma Hair Inc.

Contribution: Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, award-winning stylist Asha McLeod has mastered all kinds of hair textures and even developed her own line of products to make sure her clients’ hair is at its strongest and healthiest. In fact, Jazma Hair Inc. prides itself on knowing its clients’ hair right down to a science. Even Essence magazine agreed, ranking it as one of the top salons in North America.

Inspiration: “When I met my husband, I was actually working in a punk rock salon [with mostly white customers] and at home I would do my Black friends’ hair. People came to me based on my mother’s reputation as far as Black hair was concerned. So whether I wanted it or not, people gravitated towards me. My husband was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re doing white hair in the salon and Black hair at home. Why don’t you just mix it up?’”

Advice to young women: “This is what I tell people when I hire them: It’s okay to be mediocre. But if you’re striving to be the best, get continual education. That means when you come out of hairdressing school find a training salon … but that’s only if you want to be at the top of your game. It’s like any industry. You can get into any industry and stay at one level. You can struggle below mediocre or strive to be the best. It depends on where you want to situate yourself.”

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