Meet Kara Elaine of Rooted Organic Beauty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Elaine.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been a hairstylist for over half my life (I started at 16), and I absolutely LOVE what I get to do every day.

I was introduced to the world of “organic haircare” in 2018 after I took a short sabbatical to become a mom.

As they say, once you know better, you must do better. It’s funny what having little eyes staring up at you does to make you want to do and be better. After switching to organic/clean products, I discovered I was having fewer migraines and could work longer and more comfortably behind the chair due to not being around the irritating fumes I had been used to in past salon settings.

I also began to learn how our hair and scalp are 60%(!) more absorbent than the skin and hair on our arms and legs — and every single day I was spreading potentially harmful chemicals all over my precious client’s head, and breathing it in myself. These chemicals are absorbed into our bodies and endocrine system, and then disposed of and released into our environment. It is a global problem in our industry. Someone once asked me, “if you could use fewer chemicals to achieve the same results at a similar price, why would you not?”

I was hooked, and thus my career as an Organic Hair Stylist began, along with the mission to bring along more stylists on this journey to meet an ever-growing need for cleaner haircare in Nashville. I began Rooted Organic Beauty in order to educate and create a collective of holistic stylists interested and passionate about non-toxic beauty and who held a deep passion for their craft.

The values that I was introduced to at the beginning of my clean haircare journey were reaffirmed after losing my dad, Rob, to cancer in 2020. Rooted Organic Beauty (“ROB”) is named in his memory — he was an accountant and small-business owner and loved watching me grow in my career as a hairstylist and business owner.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anyone who’s ever been a business owner knows it’s never a smooth road! I try to remember that the adventure begins when it all starts to go wrong. It has taken so much hard work and dedication, lots of late nights, and sacrifice from my kids and family, but being able to see something you’ve dreamed of come to life is all so worth it.

I’m currently finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and absolutely love it. There is so much I’ve learned that I’ve been able to apply to Rooted — from designing our logo and packaging myself to leading my team of amazing stylists to thrive and be multipliers in their field. It’s a lot like having 5 or 6 full-time jobs, I am never bored and I truly wouldn’t have it any other way.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We care about the craft of hairdressing but also about making better choices for ourselves, our clients, and the environment.

We are SO proud of our new line of Rooted-exclusive products we have thoughtfully curated with our client’s needs in mind– namely hair loss, dryness, and a need for clean, well-performing styling aids to help with frizz and heat damage. Having the opportunity to answer these problems in our industry is an honor we don’t take lightly.

We feel so lucky to serve all of the incredible people we get to meet in Nashville, TN! Our guests are truly the hero of our story and they are why we love coming to work every single day.

We are a color-focused salon with specialties in blonding, balayage, and lived-in looks. We value continuing education and are constantly looking for ways to achieve “more with less”.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Our core values include:

– Do more with less.
– Little steps lead to big steps & big change.
– Treat everyone like family.
– Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded.
– Pursue growth & learning.
– Kindness in everything.
– Embrace and drive change.

These values are the driving forces behind all that we do at Rooted Organic Beauty.

Pricing:

• Shampoos, Conditioners, and Styling Products from $28

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rootedorganicbeauty.com
• Instagram: @rootedorganictn
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootedorganicbeauty 

Image Credits
Kayla Miller, Kara Roush, and Natalie Walters