I met Kelz on my first tour in Korea 2010. Listen, I am a real life introvert ya’ll, and it takes folks like Jennifer to bring me out in the best ways. After a while, she brought me out of my hermit shell, and we couldn’t go more than a couple of days without running to each other’s room and venting about work, guys, and life. We had the codes to each other’s rooms, and I remember bringing her water on hangover mornings and I’m sure she walked in on me “face down ass up” on a night or two with my ex-husband. It was just such a treasure having her around and I will always love you for that Kelz.
Kelz has a way of bringing people together with her amazing energy (even on days where everyone wanted to ‘introvert’ like me). She is a fire cracker Aries soul that is passionate and will go to bat for the people she loves on a monumental level. I remember being drawn to her for her honesty and vulnerability because it is so rare to find someone so open, raw, and unapologetic. Kelz is someone who will say how she feels even if it pisses someone off and you will capture that essence in this interview.
Former Active Duty service member vibes. She still promotes the Air Force core values in her business
Now let me tell you, this girl has been through hell and back as a young dancer, veteran, and now she resides in Everett Washington as a bossy single mom. She has taken life head on while going through breakups, endometriosis, and addiction. The most inspiring part of it all is that after what she calls the “rollercoaster”, years later she is a girl BOSS. She put herself through training and school over the course of 5 years and is now a business owner, instructor, and owns Image by Kelz in Washington.
Her passion is helping people become better in whatever way they want to be.
“I love when people are passionate and that fuels my passion to help others”
So let’s hear what Kelz had to say to Charlotte!
What does women empowerment mean to you?
I just want to help women in any way I can. If they want to open their own salon I will give them information. I believe any person that wants to make themselves better is empowerment. Your happiness is the empowerment. I think it’s really important to be truly happy, independent, and know you can get through anything. It’s going to be a rollercoaster, but when that ride is over you’re good to go.
“Growing up my parents were always givers and I think that was ingrained in me. It makes me happy when other people are happy”
If I didn’t have …I would go insane.
I’m going to be honest about this one. Since I have moved to Washington I would say weed. It has helped a lot with anxiety. I get overwhelmed by energies, so I need something to even me out a little bit. I don’t like medication so I don’t think I could keep that balance as well without it in my life.
How do you feel about the stigma that is associated with Marijuana?
I’ve never caught myself sitting there and doing absolutely nothing. If I ever caught myself laying around on the couch, not wanting to make money, take care of clients, or cancelling appointments then that’s when it would be a problem. A lot of people don’t like to admit that they smoke. There is a stigma around it, but I am just really open with it… and I am obviously handling my life even better than I ever was without it.
As an Air Force member I don’t partake it this activity but….I’ve conducted research on it and you’d be surprised at the number of successful business owners, politicians, and celebrities that loved them some of this stuff. As someone interested in the health field, there are so many great benefits of marijuana. However, if you are a military member reading this….don’t end your career over it. Kelz didn’t.
If you had to leave this earth tomorrow, what would you absolutely have to do?
I would probably go spend the day with my parents and my son. Family time with people that I love.
What do you love most about yourself?
Sometimes I feel like it can be a burden, but I don’t have a filter (this is why I love her) and I don’t think before I speak. I am really real.
What’s a skill you want to learn to better yourself?
I am working on having boundaries, charging my worth, and learning when to say no. Its easy to do things for free when you are kind. I’m working on the balance of being who I am but not giving so much that I end up losing myself. That’s with business and relationships.
What is a day of self-care for Kelz?
In Washington when we get a nice day, I will go driving around and go shopping. I am a shopper when it comes to rewarding myself and I love bargain shopping. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money, but I like to spend some on myself.
What are the challenges you’ve encountered being a woman in business?
I get a lot of people that don’t take me seriously. Especially because I don’t dress or look a certain way. I wear regular clothes, I have tattoos and piercings, and I curse a lot.
Kelz went on to tell me a story about how when she went shopping to pick up items for the first salon she opened up and needed to renovate, the employees treated her like she was working on a small project. It wasn’t small.
I told them “you might want to take me seriously and pay attention because I am renovating an entire salon and I am spending a lot of money” The guys especially wont take you seriously.
Who is your woman hero?
You. You’ve always been that person and I don’t think I would be the same person without you. I never had a lot of positive women in my life. When I met you….
Okay I feel weird typing all the super nice things she said about me but I definitely got emotional. I love you Kelz.
What do you say to someone who wants to quit?
It depends on if you feel its temporary or real. If you are upset about a client or something small. Just sit back, go read. If I get discouraged I will watch inspiring you tube videos on microblading.
Take a second to yourself to think about it….if its worth it to you, you just have to keep pushing. If you are on the right path things will come naturally to you.
What advice would you give yourself?
I feel like I have learned so much at 30. You finally come to terms with the fact that you don’t know everything in the world. I think that I had an issue with saying yes even when I don’t want to, so I think it would be to follow my gut and my instincts more.
What was your wall/rock bottom?
I have hit a lot of rock bottoms in my life and each one helped me learn something completely different. I had an epiphany once I had my son. I stopped accepting things for what they were and I decided I was going to make things happen because I wasn’t happy and I had to change that.
Kelz went into how she went through hormonal problems, the military, and had to deal with an unsupportive relationship.
That was an emotional rock bottom for me and having my son was my my strength. I realized I can’t deal with a rock bottom like I normally would! I’d have to suck it up, figure out what I am going to do, move on, and be a boss ass bitch. I have to do it for my son because I want him to grow up and be a boss.
Grand Opening with mommy
Why do you think that we stay in situations when our gut tells us something else?
I think that we think that we can fix it and have control. You really have to let things go….when its not working its not working.
What does LOVE mean to you?
I feel like LOVE is a feeling. It’s a mutual connection. You want to do things for a person and be around them and do anything for them.
Yessss to LOVE
Kelz offers micro-blading, permanent makeup, lash extensions, tattoos, dermaplaning, micro-needling, scalp micropigmentation and certification classes at Image by Kelz.
