Today we’d like to introduce you to James Hoff.
Hi James, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been a hairdresser for over 20 years, and I really just kind of fell into it, don’t get me wrong, I have always loved hair but never really thought of it as a career path. As I always joke with my clients when telling this story that the original plan was to be a lawyer till I found out how much schooling was involved. I finished high school and did the college thing but ended up dropping out with a degree in Busch light (which wouldn’t get me far) and went and stayed with a friend in California, not to live but more like an “extended stay.” Came back to Omaha Nebraska, where I grew up, and my mother was like, you need to figure out what you are doing with your life—she said, “What about hair you have always liked hair.” So, I went and met with the Admissions folks at Xenon International School of Hairstyling, who told me it would a year before I could start, and I was like, whatever, I’ll find something else before that. The following week I received a call from admissions who were like, if you can start next week, we have a spot for you. And the rest is history.
I started my professional career at a Mastercuts Salon in a mall and honestly, I learned more there than I did in 2200 hours of schooling. I worked there for a couple of years till I decided I was ready to move on, since obviously, Mastercuts was not the end goal. I was fortunate to get a job as an assistant for a well know hairstylist in Omaha, and she taught me so much about the business and what is important… your guests. While being technically proficient is important but how you make your guests feel is so important. She used to always say something that I still to this day say and teach my girls at my salon “There are a million salons, but they chose to spend their money with you… make it worth it.” It was a fantastic experience and really created the foundation of my career as a hairdresser and a person. Fast forward, I relocated to Dallas with my partner in March of 2019, I worked at a salon in Roanoke. It was great salon but not what I wanted out of a work environment. I wanted a place where education is paramount and customer service was ever present. We opened TEEZ Hair Studio in November of 2019 and have been going strong ever since. We are an education-driven salon that focusses on customer service and the health of our client’s hair. When I am not behind the chair, I am fortunate to work for L’ANZA Healing Haircare as a traveling artist and educator doing national hair shows as well as sharing the L’ANZA love to salons across the country.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road, just like most things in my life but I would not know what I know without the bumps. When I got into the business, which is definitely a social business, I got caught up in the drinking and partying and it definitely took its toll on my career professionally. I got sober in July of 2008, which was not easy but it let me really focus on what I love and where I wanted my career to go. It is always interesting to me that once I really looked at myself internally – flaws and all, it really changed the way I viewed the world. I feel like it makes me understand my clients better, to be able to sit back and view the world through their eyes really helps me know them and how to make them feel and look their best.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about TEEZ Hair Studio?
We opened TEEZ Hair Studio in the fall of 2019, with intention of providing a place for artists to bond, grow as well as a place where clients feel comfortable and at home while still in a professional environment. What really sets us apart is our focus on education for our staff. We have multiple classes per quarter, provided by our brand partner L’ANZA Healing Haircare or internally from our team. We are a collective of talented artists who each have a unique point of view, so their is always something to learn from each other.
We are fortunate to partner with L’ANZA Healing Haircare, an amazing brand that really steps up to the plate and does what they say, L’ANZA’s B.I.G Mission is to Believe Inspire and Grow stylists and salons in any way they can and truly support the tribe. One of the things we really love about L’ANZA is that they are brand right here out the USA, and they are privately owned. L’ANZA is the only non-diverted privately-owned brand around. It’s funny when I opened the salon, people would come in and were like, “what is this L’ANZA?” But once they have tried it they are always hooked! We invite folks to stop by and speak with anyone of our amazing stylists who can share some amazing and pretty in-depth knowledge of why L’ANZA is the best for your hair.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am an incredibly shy!! Behind the chair, I am super comfortable or on a stage talking about my favorite subjects, “L’ANZA and Hair” but in social settings, I am very introverted and quiet.
Contact Info:
- Email: teez@teezhairstudio.com
- Website: www.teezhairstudio.com
- Instagram: teezhairstudio
- Facebook: teezhairstudiotx
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/teez-hair-studio-highland-village
