Jessica Peprah, owner of Jpepssbeauty, kindly let us visit her hair salon so we could see her premises and talk to her about her progression from college to now owning her own business. She speaks to us about her future plans to open an academy and teach new and experienced hairdressers on how to work with different hair types.
I realised there was a gap in the market for the services I offer.
“I’ve been a self taught braider for a long time, I used to braid my friends and families hair. When I moved to Chesterfield, I realised that there is a gap in the market for the services that I offer. I mainly offer braiding services and wigs, which is something people used to have to travel to Nottingham and Sheffield for. I decided to take hair seriously and go to Chesterfield College to study hairdressing so that I could add to the skills that I’d already self taught. Thats how I started Jpepssbeauty.”
I just threw myself into the mix.
“I just threw myself into the mix. When I lived in Amsterdam, I was really confident, I never felt out of place. I moved to Chesterfield and everyone had different accents, I didn’t understand a word they were saying. I would find myself saying yes to everything but having no idea what the person actually said. (laughs) It was so embarrassing and knocked my confidence. I told myself, I speak three different languages, English isn’t my first, I should not be embarrassed about that. I just through myself into the mix and learnt from others, asking when I needed help.”
I waned to add to the skills I already had.
“When I did the hairdressing course at Chesterfield College, I already had Jpepssbeauty. I was working from the corner of my living room. I went to do hairdressing so that I could add to the skills I already had. I didn’t know how to do haircutting and colouring. Going back allowed me to polish my skillset and become a professional hairdresser.”
My main goal is to make people feel comfortable.
“My clients were going to other hairdressers and getting told that they don’t specialise in afro Caribbean hair. I quickly realised, it wasn’t right, as a hairdresser its always good to know how to work with every hair type. My main goal is to make people feel comfortable. The only way I could make up my own roles and do this was by setting something up myself.”
I want to teach people how to work with afro Caribbean hair, curly hair and Ethiopian hair.
“My end goal is to become an academy. I want to teach people how to work with afro Caribbean hair, curly hair and Ethiopian hair. Since I’ve started this, I’ve had a lot of people asking me if I am already teaching braiding.”
Listen to your heart and focus on what you want.
“If you have got a passion in something, you love it and feel like you can make people happy with your services then just do it. Just listen to your heart and focus on what you want and have a tunnel vision. Thats the advice that I would give.”