Meet Kaylee Drake of Franklin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaylee Drake.

Hi Kaylee, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I was little, I have always known I wanted to be in the beauty industry. As soon as I turned 16 and could drive myself to work, I started working as a shampoo girl in a high-end salon in Frederick, MD. I learned so much there and worked evenings after school and on the weekends. In Frederick, there is a program called the career and tech center where I was able to go to cosmetology school for 1,500 hours on top of regular high school courses and then sit for state boards. I received my cosmetology license when I was 18 and have been in the industry ever since. I went to school and studied business and marketing but always had a part-time job at a salon; however, I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted to do forever. One day I decided that I needed to improve my men’s hair skills and landed in a barbershop and fell in love with the atmosphere. That was about 8 years ago, and I’ve worked in barbershops full-time. I am very passionate about my career and consider myself lucky to love going to work every day. The relationships I build with my clients over time, meeting new people every day and learning about them, the laid-back barbershop environment, and the freedom of creativity I have daily is why I love my career. I just moved to the Nashville area from Maryland with my husband and 3 children to be with my husband’s family; we love it here! I now work in Franklin at 5th & Barber with some talented and very skilled barbers. I have met some wonderful people here and am excited about the future.

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?
One challenge I encountered along the way was figuring out how to manage work/ life balance. Of course, I wanted to be a great mother and wife heavily involved in my children’s lives, but I also didn’t want to give up a career I had worked towards for so long. I experimented with many different schedules and finally found the perfect fit. I now manage my book and have the freedom and flexibility I need; I give all the credit to working for and with wonderful people who value family just as much as I do.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I now specialize in men’s hair only. I am known for my friendly and outgoing personality; I love to talk to and get to know everyone who comes to my chair! Over the years, I have worked with many other barbers who have taught me how to master certain skill sets with the clippers and combs. It has taken a lot of practice. It’s not as easy as it looks! Although I am very comfortable behind the chair, I will always have a lot more to learn, and I like to treat every day as a new opportunity for improvement.

What do you think about happiness?
It makes me very happy to help people feel good and look good. I also love it when people open up to me, and I can be a listening ear for them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kdrake_barber