Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Swoops.
Hi Wendy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Well, my name is Wendy swoops. I’m a twin I also have three older siblings. I’m born and raised straight out of Dfw I started doing hair at the age of 13 I mainly started on myself, then I moved on to siblings and family I grew up kind of fast, having a daughter at the age of 17 and that pushed me into getting really serious about what I was going to do career-wise after having a few fast-food jobs during high school I knew that was not the right path for me so I graduated from Dunbar high school in 2008 kind of lol we I didn’t officially get my diploma because I didn’t pass one part of the tasks test but that did not stop me I took an accuplacer test and passed it and that is how I got into IRBA INTERNATIONAL RENOWN BEAUTY ACADEMY… I started there in 2010 see that wasn’t an upscale school like ogal or Paul Mitchell so it was kind of rough I only went to the school because it was close to me well bus distance I was a single teenager with no car so I made it work after I graduated in 2012 in they I went into my first salon called LTZ BARBER AND BRAIDS I learned so much there and met a lot of great stylist some even became best friends of mines from there I gained a huge clientele I was there for about six years and during that time had twin boys and got married I left ltz about 2017 where I went on to get my own suit at Phoenix salon suites after going viral on a braid style on Facebook where I gained an assistant now business partner jasmine Tucker, another licensed cosmetologist she specializes in wigs and natural hair care.
During this time me and my family fell on hard time due to my husband Cecil RODGERS catching pancreatic cancer during this time, I had to work and take care of him and the children when I decided to leave and go to salon and spa galleria in 2019 after settling in I decided to enter in the 2019 TEXAS INTERNATIONAL HAIR SHOW where I took home the America’s next top stylist title one of my husbands dying wish’s was to come and take pictures and he made it but passed only a few months later after mourning I got back to work and released my invention the “swoop band.” It’s a watch-like band used to contain hair products or accessories for people in the service industry It’s very lightweight with durable material and easily cleaned, it’s also adjustable for any size wrist in 2020 It is patent-pending I’m working on getting them in stores soon now I am currently in my own salon with two assistants working towards new goals.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Now, this road has no been east having parents into drugs growing up don’t get me wrong, my mother was great; she did what she could to be in the situation she was in at the time Having a child at 17 not having any role models close to me to help guide me in the right directions that ment choosing to do the right thing which was not always easy then losing my husband and children’s father to cancer he was just 38 and I was 29 at the time so that was well is still very tough not having the person who really helped me get to where I am today not by my side also my boys growing up without a dad just like me and he was a great man he taught me a lot I guess you could say I looked up to him as a dad some times because my dad was never really involved in my life at all.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a cosmetologist I specialize in braiding. I’m known for braiding really clean and neat styles and always nice and reliable. I always keep up with the trends. I’m most proud my swoop bands because I was the first to come out with this product and it’s very handy in the salon; also me winning the 2019 TEXAS INTERNATIONAL HAIR SHOW because it was my first big show and my 7 minutes on that stage represented my life I did almost everything without a team my assistant helped me but she had never even been to a hair show so she really didn’t understand my vision but I did it worked countless hours taking care of three children and a dying husband I put on a huge show nine models and I didn’t really know what I was doing all I know is I had to do it and I own first place I won money and a trophy bigger than me.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Well, to be honest, I’m not sure where our industry is going; we don’t have any boundaries anymore and the school’s Curriculum is not grow like the industry and one day I hope to change that I know a lot of people who never go on to get their license because they don’t feel like they have learned enough to make money after leaving school why are we mainly learning permanent waiving and hair cutting like that is all we need in this industry we need to be learning more than just the basics and we need to bring back licensing to braiding weaving and everything in between because out industry needs structure.
Contact Info:
- Email: BACKTYOURROOTS@gmail.com
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08MT7DS91
