We’re looking forward to introducing you to AYLA METCALF. Check out our conversation below.
AYLA, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
All 3. I know that I am a professional and very knowledgeable in my field, however I am also humble enough to know that I absolutely do not know everything and no matter how many years of experience myself or anyone else has, there is always room for improvement and new developing education in place.
Intelligence – the continuous learning and mastery of technique
Energy – the passion and drive you bring to lifting others up
Integrity – doing right by your clients and fellow stylists
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ayla. I’ve been a stylist since 2011, and I’ve built my career on three unshakeable pillars: Intelligence, Energy, and Integrity.
But this isn’t just about me. This is about every stylist who has ever felt lost in this industry. Every artist who started with fire in their heart only to watch it dim. Every creative soul who struggles in silence, wondering if they have what it takes.
I see you. I’ve been you.
I am building a brand with a purpose: to find the stylists who are struggling and show them the way back to their power.
This industry can break you down. It can make you question your talent, your worth, your future. Clients who don’t understand. Techniques that feel impossible. A business side that no one prepared you for. Days when you wonder if you chose the wrong path.
But you didn’t choose wrong. You just need the right guide.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
For too long, our industry has thrived on competition instead of collaboration. Stylists hoarding techniques like secrets. Artists afraid to share their knowledge. But I believe in a different vision.
Every hairstylist deserves to grow. Every artist deserves to unlock their potential. Every creative soul in our industry deserves access to knowledge, support, and the tools to transform not just hair, but lives.
I’ve watched myself evolve from a beginner to an experienced stylist. I’ve seen others struggle where they could have soared. I’ve witnessed the magic that happens when knowledge flows freely and when one stylist’s success becomes fuel for another’s growth.
This is not just about hair. This is about dignity. This is about artistry. This is about building an industry that lifts people up instead of burning them out.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I gave up once. Completely. I became so discouraged that I thought it was over for me. I walked away from the chair and tried to build a different life, convinced I wasn’t cut out for this industry.
But here’s what I discovered: Every path I tried led me back to one truth—my heart belonged in the hair industry. Not just as a stylist, but as someone meant to help other stylists heal mentally and emotionally. My detour wasn’t a failure; it was preparation.
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find your real purpose.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
No matter skin color, ethnic background, or disability—we are all people and deserve equal opportunity to look and feel beautiful. This is the cultural value I protect at all costs. Every client who sits in my chair, every stylist I educate, every person who enters our industry deserves to be seen, respected, and celebrated.
I deeply value the principle that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or circumstances. It’s something I try to uphold in every interaction.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
And here’s what drives me every single day: I don’t need praise or acknowledgment to be a decent human being and to make someone else feel good about themselves. The work is the reward. The transformation I witness is the payment. The light I help restore in someone’s eyes is worth more than any recognition.
Contact Info:
- Website: Check out my personal website https://aylametcalf.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aheadoftimes_official?igsh=MTJlaXY4cndkbGRrOA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Fk1d5iC2U/
