Just as the K18REPAIR™ service repairs and helps transform hair in the salon chair, a fresh look can inspire new confidence and open doors to new opportunities.

That’s why we invited career coaches Jade Walters and Elvi Caperonis to experience their own K18REPAIR™ transformations and share it all with you. Jade helps Gen Z enter the workforce and intentionally design their dream careers with her business, The Ninth Semester. Elvi is a leadership coach specializing in personal brand building with her business, Reinvent Yourself. 

From figuring out what you want to do to nailing the interview and landing your dream job—discover how confidence can lead to success, no matter where you are in your career journey. 

getting into the business of career building

Elvi: In 2020, I saw a lot of people losing their jobs and felt I needed to do something to help them get back on their feet. I had experience preparing for and nailing job interviews with amazing businesses like Harvard University and Amazon, so I knew what preparation was required to land those types of jobs.

I put my thoughts on LinkedIn, and people reached out for advice, so I started doing virtual coffee chats to see how I could help them. Over time, I started coaching people for interviews and saw them get offers from top tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Sonos.

Now, people come to me because they want to build their personal brand or create a LinkedIn profile that can help them stand out and be noticed for opportunities like speaking events or opportunities to share their gifts with the world.

Jade: I graduated in 2021, a year after the pandemic. Things were slowly starting to open up and I realized there weren't a lot of resources specifically for recent graduates.

I started my LinkedIn platform to help students like me get the resources they need, so they wouldn't have to struggle in the same ways I had when starting their careers right out of college. I've realized that as an individual, especially when it comes to networking, I'm a connector. I'm always connecting people with other people or with opportunities. My business, the Ninth Semester, has been a way for me to help folks beyond just sending them a link to how to write a resume.

Sometimes students will try looking up internships or entry-level roles, but it's harder for them to find ones that are interesting and pay well. That's a common theme in my content, sharing all the different places, whether it's job boards or LinkedIn groups,  to find opportunities. I send them programs and resources that I know they will benefit from or ones I wish I had when I was navigating my early career. 

the secret to success? believe in yourself first

Elvi: The biggest piece of career advice that I can give to anyone is that you must believe in yourself and what you have to share with the world. You are the first person who needs to say, “Yes, I can do this.” 

Be confident in yourself and your capabilities. To be able to communicate that confidently, you need to believe in yourself. That's the first step.

Nobody else can do things the exact same way you do. Everybody approaches tasks in different and unique ways because it depends on your background, where you are, your life experiences, your heritage.

rejection is redirection

Jade: Holding on to this idea has helped me not take rejections to heart. It reminds me that I'm where I’m supposed to be and that things will align for me professionally the way they should. 

When you're a new grad and applying for stuff, you keep getting told no, even though it says it's for students like you or recent grads like you, it can make you go crazy. It’s good to keep in mind that there are things behind the scenes that you don't know, like that company that just rejected you could be getting ready to do layoffs, or they may have just filled the role that you applied for, but they didn't close the listing.

Sometimes there may just be a better applicant and understanding that if you got rejected for something to not take it to heart, because you're going to find something that was meant for you at the right time.

You’ve got to roll with the punches and then when it becomes too much, take a break. Touch some grass and remember that you are more than this rejection email. it doesn't define who you are as an individual.

hair confidence fuels career confidence 

Jade: I'm more creative when my hair is done. All the videos that I want to record, I make sure to do when I'm fresh off the salon. I pop up my phone, create some TikToks. It helps a lot with confidence knowing that my hair looks good.

Having my hair done makes me feel more ready to just be out visibly in the world. I've invested time and money into my hair color which takes extra time to maintain, but it makes me feel good and perform better, so it’s a worthwhile investment. 

Elvi: This is something that I’ve experienced first-hand. I’ve gone through so many things with my hair, because I grew up in the Dominican Republic thinking that curly hair was not beautiful. That lowered my confidence so much to the point that I was always straightening my hair.

When I met my husband, he told me that my curly hair is better, that I looked better. So I started embracing my naturally curly hair. Embracing who I am has given me so much confidence to go into job interviews being authentically myself. That helped me so much to become the person I am today, building my voice and personal brand on LinkedIn. I think it's all connected. 

Once I embraced my curly hair, I felt so beautiful, so empowered, like I could do anything. I  want to extend that to people. 

When we don't feel like we are at our best, we don't perform as well at work. To be able to build that confidence, we need to feel good with our own selves and in our own skin. Once we embrace who we are, we can actually build the confidence that we can accomplish anything in life. 

experiencing K18REPAIR™ transformations

Jade: I noticed when I did the K18REPAIR™ service, my hair was super shiny for weeks. I love it. My stylist, Demitria, was so great. I feel so confident when my hair's done and looks healthy.

Because I'm Black, there's a lot of versatility with my hair. I can wear it naturally curly. I can wear it straight. Right now, I have this new style called micro links, which is kind of similar to a sew-in.  

The fact that I can experiment with my hair in different ways (including braids) adds to my confidence to know that I can change up my look anytime, but I'm still me. There are so many different ways I can show myself through different styles, all with healthy hair.

Elvi: I went through so many emotions when I had my K18REPAIR™service, because my stylist Kourtnee started asking questions about my and what I wanted. I started sharing with her that my hair completely changed after three pregnancies. It was very emotional because she told me, “I understand what you mean.”

Kourtnee paraphrased everything that I said, understood what I was coming from, and came up with a solution that works. She explained to me how molecular repair was going to help me go back to having my hair again strong, curly, and beautiful the way I wanted. It was great.

I loved the experience from the beginning to the end because, you know, she was very understanding and thorough in explaining to me what K18 was going to do in my hair every step of the way. 

self-care is key to avoiding burnout

Elvi: Prioritization is important, especially when you have kids and a job: you need to organize yourself, your tasks, and your to-dos in order by priority.

You need to add yourself to that priority list. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to manage it all. Once you start taking care of yourself, you can take care of everybody else in your family.

It is very, very important to allocate some time a week to take care of our hair, to take care of our nails, to take care of ourselves. Even if it’s just one hour a week that you can take for yourself.  As a mom of three, I highly recommend that you take that time every single week because otherwise, we reach a roadblock and it is hard to manage it all. 

It’s hard being a mom full-time and having a job. I love to communicate that and tell other women leaders that it is possible to take care of ourselves, take care of our families, and succeed in the workplace.