Hairstylist Justine Marjan on Getting Her Start and Working With Kim Kardashian
So you moved to LA and you started assisting some amazing people like Andy Lecompte, and our friend Jen Atkin. What was that process like? Because obviously, you knew what you were doing, you had skills, but this is a different, I’m assuming level of clientele or operation. What was the biggest difference right off the bat? And then also, I feel like you probably came into assisting in LA with more experience than most people, which would probably set you up really well to move forward. Am I right in thinking that?
Yeah. I mean, I was really nervous about moving to LA and it was actually a really hard decision for me that weighed on me for a long time. I used to meditate on it. I was really, like, is this the right decision? You know, I was so nervous because I had an established career and then I was essentially moving to a city where I didn’t know anyone. I was starting all over. And so I really struggled with the decision but when I wrote out my resume and started applying, I was like, why would they not hire me? Because I could do this. If you read my resume, I have the experience. And I think that that’s something that can apply to anyone in any field, because I think all of us have a little bit of impostor syndrome, or sometimes we’re like, Why? Why me? Why would they pick me? But then if you look, and if you’re doing all of the right things, and setting yourself up, like, why wouldn’t they pick you? You know? So I really struggled. But once I moved to LA, everything fell into place really quickly. And that’s when I really felt like it was meant to be. So to answer your question, the world of doing editorial, freelance celebrity hairstyling is completely different from the salon world. So it was really mind blowing to me when I moved here because how people carry themselves, how the products people use, the way they style, it just is nothing you could possibly learn unless you’re doing it firsthand. It was nothing like what I had, even someone like me that was taking an advanced class every six months, it’s not anything you could possibly learn in that type of setting. So I really learned a lot of life skills. And I learned, you know, simple things that go a long way, like how to carry yourself how to read a room, how to read the energy in a room, how to cater to different types of personalities, or clientele. It was such an education in those few years that I spent assisting, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.