Meet Jonisha Garcia- Lindsey | Mom & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jonisha Garcia- Lindsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonisha, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?

I have always been long winded and worked exceptionally hard at whatever goal I set for myself. However, things changed during the pandemic and after becoming a mom. I realized that it is possible to be successful and live a well balanced life.

After becoming a mom to my son, Jahvonne, I implemented boundaries in friendships, work and all other responsibilities so that I can be the mother Jah needs me to be. I’ve learned that motherhood is tough and requires a level of patience and mental stamina that I never had, so that meant utilizing my energy in an intentional and necessary way. In terms of entrepreneurship, balance right now includes outsourcing work and responsibilities of the business so that I can preserve some energy for home life. It looks like, setting work hours and sticking to them, giving myself breaks in between clients, asking for help with when things get overwhelming or taking time off if I feel a burnout creeping up. I am big fan of real life so it also means consuming a healthy amount of what’s on social media.

This formula works for me/us right now. Unfortunately, it does not include a lot of time for fun and friends but I know it is not always going to be like this; things will change and I will get back out there. Truth is, being a mom and entrepreneur can be overstimulating so my free time include a lot of mindless activities that are soothing such as watching a TV show or dancing to connect with my body. Balance can look differently for everyone but I think the common denominator we share is our need to reflect, rest and renew- that is an essential to BEing human.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

My business, Hair, Love, Therapy (HLT) started after months of working long hours as a hairstylist and a therapist. I was feeling burnt out one day after work and decided to pray to vent my emotions. In that moment, I remember saying to God “I am tired and overworked and I am still not enjoying the fruit of my labor” and then I followed with “God, we have to make sense of all of this”. After prayer I went into deep meditation and it was then that I received the answers; God placed it in my spirit to combine both careers. I had a pen and paper next me so that I can write down the messages I received in meditation. God said, hair because that’s what you love to do; love because I want you to continue to spread my love and therapy because you have been obedient and patient in being a behavioral therapist to my children with autism and down-syndrome. Every single detail was given to me from above- the more I wrote, the more excited I got. I am most proud of that because I know if God is in it then everything else will fall into place.

HLT is an uplifting and safe space for women to feel loved and empowered. We will be offering goal-oriented therapy sessions after all credentials are set in place but in the mean time we are spreading mental health awareness and fighting against mental health stigma through talk therapy. We also offer high quality hair extension services (Micro-links, tape-ins, keratin fusions etc) to a diverse crowd of women. Diversity and inclusion is an essential part of HLT; we are able to handle any type of hair texture/ curl pattern. Another thing that sets us apart is that we give each and every client their own allotted time with the stylist; double or triple booking clients are no longer a thing. We want to push past the idea that it takes a whole day to get your hair done and show respect for the client’s time. Lastly, we prioritize client satisfaction so we do “check-ins” directly after the client gets their hair done and a week or so after. Clients will receive a text message like “hey girl hey, how are you? How’s the hair? This just helps us to ensure that the service we provided works for the client outside of the salon.

Starting HLT was definitely not easy for me. I had to get over several mental, financial and emotional humps. I had to educate myself on how to run a long-lasting business. Putting together a P&L statement, staying on track of expenses, using quickbooks, keeping personal and business finances separate from each other etc was not my thing. I am not a numbers person but I had to do it until I was able to outsource those responsibilities. Mental and emotional humps came after I questioned whether I was worthy or if I can even do this. I defeat self-sabotage daily by constantly reminding myself that I am talented and able to execute the vision given to me. I also do so by humbling myself and asking questions when necessary. I have learned over the span of 3 years of being in business that I had to grow comfortable with being uncomfortable as a way to surrender to the ebb and flow of business; my grandmother would say “sometimes coffee, sometimes tea, sometimes none.” I now understand that a bad day of business doesn’t mean that the business isn’t successful. Within the first two years, I started to change my speech and who I listened to; most of the time it is just me and God having a conversation. I learned that the vision that was given to me wasn’t given to anyone else so it might seem too big or small to someone else so I only entrust it with God.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A week long trip with a friend would be a combination of fun, food and relaxation. Day one, I would take my friend to my favorite spot in Palos Verdes for a good hike and then find a rest spot to have wine and burritos from one of my favorite spot in LA, Olgas Mexican Vegan restaurant. Day two would be a rest day but I’d cook a good seafood dinner with a shrimp boil, baked salmon and crab cakes. Third day, we can take a train ride down the coast to Santa Barbara to do wine tasting and a nice dinner. The fourth day would be a rest day filled with good food. I would probably order some Belizean food from Tracey’s Belizean Restaurant in LA; the fried fish, rice and stew beans, plantains and cabbage salad is everything! Day five we can do some shopping-I know a lot of my friends like to shop at an affordable price so we can hit up an open air flee market like the Roadium in Gardena but if they want something more upscale, then I would take them to the Citadel outlet or The Del Amo Fashion Center. After that, we can hit up my favorite rooftop in DTLA, Spire 73 at the Intercontinental for dinner and drinks. If Day six falls on a weekend day, then I would plan a fun night out for dancing. I like hole in the wall places so we would go to the Seventy7 Lounge or Rush Street in Culver City.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have assisted me in reaching my goals- I hope y’all don’t mind but I am going to list as many as I can remember. First I have to give a big shoutout to my husband and son, Devonne and Jahvonne Lindsey. Thank you both for hanging in there with me, I love you. Shoutout to all the HLT clients who have uplifted me and supported my business- thank you so much for helping me provide for my family.

A special shoutout to my family back home in Belize (Front street massive, stand up- Shermaine, Tiphany and Esther Ciego, Aunt Lucy Garcia and God mom, Carrette Mariano). My parents (Sharlene Martinez, John Garcia (RIP daddy) and Randall Henry), my sibs (Dominic, Asiah and Amani Henry)- I truly appreciate the love and support. I also gotta shoutout my business consultants and clients, Dr. Lisa Bolden and Carrie Henley; Thank you both for uplifting me with the knowledge I needed to start HLT. Big shoutout to my spiritual mother, Katonia Sherrill and her sons, William, Michael and Kouryn Sherrill- thank you all for being family, I truly appreciate everything you all have done for me. Also my spiritual dad and pastor, Marcus Jackson for always covering me & HLT with prayer. Last shoutouts to my friend and assistant, Jasmine Abang for helping me build HLT- I couldn’t have done it without you; My friend and co-workers, Nancy Gonzalez and Runit Gray, I appreciate you both, thank you!

xx

Website: hairlovetherapy.com

Instagram: @hairlovetherapy