How did a 23-year-old end up in the wig industry?

 

My story starts 9 years ago when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer during her first and last mammogram. At only 15 years old, I was worried that my mom wouldn't be with me the next Christmas. I prayed that she would overcome the cancer, and I also prayed that the chemo wouldn't make her lose her hair. Despite my prayers, the chemotherapy made her hair fall out. I didn't know it at the time, but this would turn into a great blessing for me. 

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Shortly after losing her hair, my mom went to a local wig shop where she bought a wig. The woman who helped her find a wig made my mom feel so beautiful and normal, in a time where she didn't feel normal at all. 

 

After months filled with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, my mom rang the bell to celebrate her win and completion of cancer treatment. In the years following, I graduated high school and begun the search for my career.

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One day as I was looking for jobs, my mom ran up to me and excitedly told me about the job she found for me. The wig shop she went to years prior was hiring. She said, "Josie! This is the most perfect job for you! You will be so good at it and love it!"

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I trusted my mom and applied for the job knowing nothing about wigs and having little interest in the hair industry. Shortly after being interviewed, I got the job!

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My mom was right, this was the most perfect job for me! I unexpectedly fell in love with wigs and toppers and the people who wear them. I saw first hand how alternative hair can change a woman's life. I have met some incredible people through this industry, and I love the feeling I get when I help these people find their confidence again.

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In 2021, my connection to this work got even more personal. After noticing my taste and smell was off, I tested positive for COVID-19. A few months later, I experienced significant hair loss because of this virus. It was emotional and overwhelming in a way I wasn’t prepared for Even though I knew I had wigs and toppers as an option, I still felt a sickening fear every time I saw handfuls of my hair in the palm of my hands. My hair became my biggest insecurity.

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I decided to try alternative hair to see if it would help me feel better. I ordered my first hairpiece, and as soon as I put it on I never wanted to take it off. Instead of avoiding mirrors, I found myself looking at every reflective surface I could find. I was no longer insecure about my hair, I was completely obsessed! I experimented more with different hair pieces and now I wear wigs whenever I don't want to do my hair, or want to change up my style. 

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With my passion for helping women find the same confidence I gained from alternative hair, my college education, the support of my family, professors and mentors, I took a leap and started JL Wig Consulting. I now get to do what I love in a very unique way. 

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Starting this business has been a long, hard, journey, but it has also been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. There is nothing I love more than using my skills and experiences to help people like you overcome the frustrations of hair loss. 

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