Meet LaRae Burress | Celebrity Hairstylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with LaRae Burress and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi LaRae, how do you think about risk?
When I think about risk taking, initially I don’t think about the negatives. I like to focus more on what can be gained and not lost. You have to trust in yourself when you are stepping out and taking risks. For my career taking risks has been the best and scariest decisions that I have made. I walked away from my job as a Post Production Coordinator to become a celebrity hairstylist in 2019. I wasn’t completely sure of what the path would be, I just knew that where ever I directed my energy is what would come to fruition. Since then, there have been highs, lows, great risk, and great reward.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m not just a hairstylist. I’m a hair artist. I love to think outside the box when it comes to styling hair. I am most proud of the fact that I haven’t had to check just one box within the hair industry. I take care of natural hair, but can also give you a bust down 30inch, while also sculpting something editorial for photo shoots, and also get you glammed for the red carpets. I’m very versatile and that keeps me excited about my craft. I believe I got where I am in my career today by showing up and doing the work. In order to excel at anything practice is required. Showing up to work everyday and some of the time in between is practice for me as a hairstylist. This journey hasn’t presented me with too many challenges, but as an artist it is hard to not look around at other artists and judge yourself according to what they are doing. To refrain from comparing myself to others, every so often I have to take a social media hiatus. This helps me tap back in with myself and get clear about the art I want to create.
Along the way I’ve learned that community is important. While we would like to believe that we are solely responsible for our success, it really does take a village. I would like the world to know that my brand, Crown Confidence, emerged from my deep-seated belief in the symbiotic relationship between hair care and mental health. I am working to have Crown Confidence become a wellness brand for everything Crown related, it’s a sanctuary for holistic nurturing of the self.

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?
I always say shoutout to God for placing this purpose in my heart and walking with me through this journey. I’ve really be so fortunate to meet all the right people, be in the right places, and be granted great opportunities along they way. I like to say Felicia Leatherwood is the fairy Godmother of my story. I met her in a very unassuming way at a product launch party in 2019. Little did I know, she would become my greatest mentor, friend, and confidant. She champions me at every turn and says my name in rooms I sometimes don’t even think I’m qualified to be in. While I’m always willing to put in the work to get where I want to be, Ms. Felicia is definitely owed many thanks for the trajectory of my career so far.

Website: https://crownconfidencebooking.as.me/

Instagram: @itsraela

Other: Tik Tok @itsraelaj