Today we’d like to introduce you to Shavontae Wallace.
Hi Shavontae, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always say that I didn’t choose this profession, it chose me and I’m so glad it did. I was originally premed during undergrad at Sam Houston State University. During undergrad, I lived in Lisbon, Portugal while participating in a medical fellowship program. Back home in South Dallas, we had a neighbor who sold professional tools to salons. One day while they were moving out, he asked me if I wanted the tools he had left and proceeded to give me thousands of dollars worth of professional styling equipment: titanium flat irons, professional blow dryers, you name it. He gave it all to me for free. That was my first time ever encountering professional salon tools. At this point, I had no idea hair would eventually become my career.
After my medical fellowship in Portugal, I realized I didn’t actually want to be a doctor. I think I pursued medicine because I was always naturally gifted in science and math, and being a surgeon is considered prestigious. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do next, so I changed my major to Mathematics. While still in undergrad, I started doing silk presses for a few people on the side. I would only take a handful of clients and would literally tell them, “Don’t tell anybody I’m doing your hair.”
One of my friends asked me, “Tae, why don’t you go to cosmetology school after we graduate?” My response was immediate: “If it’s not medical school, it’s nothing.” I had no desire to spend another year and a half in school.
After graduating from Sam Houston, I came back to Dallas and started working in finance during COVID. I worked that job for a year until I became depressed. I remember praying and telling God I wanted to leave, and God told me to wait. Then within one month, I lost three of my grandparents back to back. During that season, God told me, “Now you can leave the job.” I told God to wait because I had grown comfortable and things felt okay. But God told me, “If you don’t leave, you’re going to get stuck.” So I put in my two weeks’ notice and the job let me go before the notice period even ended.
Shortly after that, around my birthday God put it on my heart to look into cosmetology schools. What I didn’t know at the time was that Texas had shortened the required licensing hours from 1,500 to 1,000, which significantly shortened the program length. Suddenly, something I thought would take another year and a half could now be completed in about seven months.
I started cosmetology school on March 29, 2021, and by October 31, 2021, I was a licensed cosmetologist. After receiving my license, I worked independently for a year until I realized I had taught myself everything I could on my own. Shortly after that, I joined a curly hair salon, where I stayed for three years and was the only stylist there aside from the owner for two of those years. While that season stretched me in many ways, the salon environment itself was ultimately very toxic and not always the healthiest space to grow in creatively or professionally.
Within my first year of being licensed, I went viral multiple times on TikTok for educating people about natural hair and helping them better understand it.
Within my second year as a licensed cosmetologist, I launched my first international salon pop-up in South Korea and serviced clients overseas.
By year three, I landed my first paid brand collaboration with The Doux. Since then, I’ve educated and serviced both clients and stylists from all over the world.
Now, in year four of being a licensed cosmetologist, I recently became a Pro Stylist for K18, an international hair care brand. And as of last week, I opened my very first salon suite, TAESTHETIC STUDIOS.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth by far, but I really think being grounded in my faith changed my perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur with a big vision. I have always been a visionary, but being an entrepreneur automatically makes you a builder, and any builder knows that building takes time and a lot of patience.
Being a builder also requires you to be content with delayed gratification and with not seeing your vision come to pass immediately. While building my brand, social media platforms, and clientele, there were times when I felt like I was not cut out for this. Times when I felt like I wasn’t good enough or that my entrepreneurial journey would be short-lived.
But God has shown me throughout this journey that building can get ugly, but it can also be beautiful. The outcome of what I build is already written, so every obstacle is just another brick being placed onto the foundation. Once I started looking at entrepreneurship with a brick by brick mentality, I stopped nitpicking every outcome and started becoming more pleased with the business I’ve created and what it is continuing to grow into.
I also realized that this journey is not all my doing, because nobody can write a story like God.
We’ve been impressed with TAESTHETIC STUDIOS, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Taesthetic Studios, I specialize in healthy natural hair care for all textures, whether curly or straight. I am passionate about changing the narrative surrounding natural hair and helping my clients understand that healthy hair is achievable with the right education, consistency, and care.
What sets me apart is that I do not just style hair, I educate. I teach my clients how to truly understand their hair, from product knowledge and product functions to recognizing what their hair is trying to communicate. My goal is for every client to leave my chair empowered, informed, and no longer vulnerable to the overwhelming misinformation found on the internet. I often call myself a “natural hair myth buster” because so much of my work is rooted in correcting misconceptions about natural hair care. I also specialize in customized wash and go styling techniques that are tailored to each client’s curl pattern, density, and lifestyle. Whether creating defined, elongated curls, voluminous textured looks, or soft effortless definition, I focus on teaching clients how to properly maintain and recreate their wash and go styles at home while keeping the hair healthy and hydrated.
I am especially known for transforming damaged hair and helping clients rebuild confidence in their hair journey. I spend a lot of time rehabilitating hair from severe damage and creating sustainable routines that help hair reach its fullest potential. I also specialize in precision curly cuts and shaping for natural hair that translates beautifully whether the hair is worn curly or straight. Curly hair care and cutting are truly at the forefront of my work, and I am known for creating customized shapes that enhance the natural texture and movement of the hair rather than forcing it into one styling direction.
Another area I take pride in is healthy silk presses and color services for natural hair. While I do offer silk presses, they are not the primary focus of my brand. My work is centered around maintaining healthy natural hair in all forms and helping clients embrace both the versatility and integrity of their curls. I also approach curly hair coloring with techniques that prioritize the health and preservation of the curl pattern.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of the trust and overall hair transformation that Taesthetic Studios represents. My brand is rooted in education, honesty, healthy hair practices, and helping people see the beauty and versatility in their natural hair. I want readers to know that Taesthetic Studios is more than a salon experience, it is a space where clients are seen, educated, restored, and reminded that their hair is capable of far more than they may have been taught to believe.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was spending Saturdays with my great-great grandmother, yes two greats, Betty Rose Gaines (Mama Betty). She lived long enough to help raise my grandmother, my mother, and me, which is something I will always consider a blessing.
I remember waking up to the smell of her cooking breakfast on Saturday mornings before we would head out on our garage sale adventures across Oak Cliff. Mama Betty and her two best friends, Mama Evelyn and Aunt Dorothy (that’s what I called them), were notorious for hosting garage sales all over the city. When they were not hosting one themselves, we were out garage sale hunting. She was truly the garage sale queen.
We would ride around in her station wagon listening to 107.5 The Oasis. Dallas natives definitely know that station, and those moments felt so peaceful and safe to me. She always made me feel seen, loved, and cared for. I could pick out little treasures while we shopped, and when they hosted their own garage sales, I would help sell items and get to keep the money from whatever I sold.
Looking back, those moments may seem simple, but they became some of the most meaningful memories of my childhood. They taught me the value of community, joy in simple things, and what unconditional love feels like. Those are memories I will cherish forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beacons.page/taestheticinc
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/taestheticinc/
Image Credits
Domeanic Carter of D. Meshell Photography
