Today we’d like to introduce you to Yana Nathan.
Hi Yana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
hi there I’m Yana! I’m a licensed cosmetologist and i am the owner of Dazed & Divine, a solo chair Catonsville based salon. i grew up going to private christian schools until 7th&8th grade when I switched to public school. going to private school taught me a lot about allowing myself to be curious. i think even though i was a great student, I wasn’t their favorite because i asked questions that challenged belief systems and pushed back when answers were muddy. i left and went to public school in 7th grade, and began to discover so much more about myself and my family’s roots. I was always the artsy woo woo friend in the group doing a tarot reading or talking abot astrology or drawing something for someone, and the friend that would do everyone’s hair/makeup before doing my own for homecoming or prom or a choir performance. i also had my fair share of bad cuts from taking a pair of kitchen scissors to my curls, and my mom should have known then that i’d grow up to be a cosmetologist haha. i think i’ve always known that i wanted to be in the creative field but wasn’t too sure that i’d be supported and leaned a little more into science and english growing up, thinking it wouldn’t be possible to pursue something creative. cosmetology is really cool because it blends creativity/expression and science, and also care for others. i did a few semesters at a community college taking basic credits in my hometown until having a conversation with my mom and dad about my passions and receiving an abundance of support. i went to a paul mitchell school at night for 1.5 years and worked at sephora, starbucks, and a local salon as a shampoo girl to keep my bills paid! i was 3 days away from finishing my 1500 hours when i found out i would need to withdraw because of health issues. by the time i was ready to finish my last 21 hours the pandemic was upon us, and i waited another year to complete my hours at a different school and i aced the licensing test first try! i got my first job as an assistant, social media manager, and part time behind the chair at a salon in baltimore that i had described as my dream salon to anyone that would listen. you know that saying “don’t meet your idols”? i think you can guess where i’m going with this haha. i won’t get into the nitty gritty of my time there but i worked at that salon for 3 tumultuous years, and by the end of my time there i knew i could no longer work directly for another person. i learned A LOT in my time there about myself, my values, how (NOT) to run a business, how (NOT) to manage others etc and i am grateful for the lessons learned and even MORE grateful to be in the space that i am in now where i can fully focus on the client experience. i have owned my own salon for 2 years now! it has it’s challenges but being the boss and changing my clients lives for the better makes it all worth it
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
it has not always been a smooth road to get to where i am. one of the first obstacles was my health actually! i had 3 days (21 hours out of 1500) left to finish when i had to withdraw for medical concerns. then when i was ready to finish the covid-19 pandemic hit! i waited 2 extra years to finish my last 21 hours. i then worked at a place i thought was my dream salon, and quickly realized it was a place i’d learn from and leave but not a place that could truly foster growth in any capacity because of how toxic the owner was. the employees at this salon (including me of course) had to endure covert narcissism, covert AND overt racism, taunting and name calling, personal private details being shared with clients and other staff, falsehoods spread about employees to clients and other staff, constant berating and so much more by the (consistently drunk) owner of this established Baltimore salon. being there i took a knock to my confidence because of constantly being told i would never succeed anywhere else. i spent 3 years trying to convince her to live by her own morals and values and the salons morals and values, one of the main reasons i chose the salon in the first place, by bringing concerns about staff treatment to her. but by the end of my time there she grew tired of someone trying to hold her accountable and she fired me and then changed the salons values afterwards. i was mentally, emotionally and spiritually drained from that 3 year experience and knew that could never happen again, especially if i was the one in charge.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
i am a licensed cosmetologist, and soon to be senior cosmetologist! i own my own business called Dazed & Divine in Catonsville, where i service ALL ages and ALL textures but specialize in curly haircare and cutting. i have always been passionate about curly haircare! growing up there was practically 0 education about curls, and i always had my hair butchered at salons. when i became a hairstylist it was my intention to be able to service all hair types with a focus on curls and to eventually teach others how to service curls and make every client feel seen. i am the most proud of teaching parents how to care for their young childrens curly hair, and instilling confidence and self love into those tiny clients. i am also proud of my attention to detail with each and every client and the amount of love that gets poured into every client that sits in my chair. nothing feels better than having a client reach out to let you know how much you have impacted them!! i also offer lash and brow services, and tarot readings as a part of my business. i also create and sell acrylic paintings and occasionally illustrate as well.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
i was a VERY shy and quiet kid! my dad nicknamed me little mouse because i was selectively mute until i was around 7. i was actually quietly on the spectrum until i was diagnosed as an adult, which is funny because both my younger sister and older brother were diagnosed adhd very young and i kinda slipped under the radar because i presented differently than both of them. literally everyone thought i was just shy, advanced, and quirky haha. i was in all advanced classes and i LOVED to read and escape through books, drawing and painting, and of course through movies as well. a big part of my childhood was going to the movies with my father, and picking books at the library to read with my mom. i’ve also always been into “creepy” things like horror movies and bugs and bones, and started collecting dead bugs when i was in my teens. i’ve ALWAYS believed in magic and that we humans have barely scratched the surface of existence, and learned about tarot and astrology early on. i began practicing tarot and witchcraft in high school and started learning about my ancestral practices through hoodoo. it took some time to learn how to speak up for myself growing up, but trust me once i learned i made sure to use my voice to advocate for myself and others and still do to this day.
Pricing:
- kids curly cut maintenance $45
- curly cut full experience – new client $200
- curly cut maintenance $85
- natural braid/twist set $180
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dazedndivine.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dazedndivine
- Other: https://vagaro.com/dazedndivine
