A Great Work - Jazmine "Razor Chic" Collins

by Denise Griffin

He that has begun a great work in you is faithful to perform it. God is faithful to perform it.

I’ve been told these words in church since I was a child. Of all the people I’ve encountered who grew up in church or wereforced to go with their family, I haven’t yet had a person tell me they understood all the Scriptures and sermons beingpreached. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that the Word and the words that went forth weren’t impressed upon theirheart. This is surely the case for Jasmine Collins, also known as the Razor Chic within the beauty industry.

Those who know Jasmine, or know of her, would all say the same thing … “That girl can do some hair.” She began buildingher business before she knew there was a business inside her. How familiar is that sentiment? All of us are gifted from birth,but very few of us tap into those gifts early. Others are operating in their gifts and don’t even know it ... while others have alight that shines within them that not even they can see. It’s so obvious to those who’ve been blessed to be in her presencethat Jasmine has that light. She is an individual full of light, but it took years before she actually harnessed the God-given gifts

Hidden gems always lie in small towns. It was apparent during our conversation that, though this woman has accomplishedstellar success, she’s a small-town girl at heart … just lovin’ on folks wherever she goes. “I originally come from a town inGeorgia called Statesboro, but I moved to Atlanta almost 30 years ago,” Jasmine says. Isn’t that the case for everyone whofeels like they want more than what the small town has to offer them? But one thing the small town has that the big citywill never give you, at least not immediately, is a sense of community. In a community, everyone knows everyone. Moreimportantly, everyone looks out for everyone for the most part. Upon her relocation, Jasmine soon learned city folk ain’tcountry folk.

But before we get to the big city, you gotta understand how it all started. Jasmine recalled, “I’ve been an entrepreneur all mylife. I was working at McDonald’s in high school and hair just called me. I didn’t necessarily have an interest in doing hair. Itkind of just happened.” After working at McDonald’s for two months, Jasmine decided to try a popular style, at that time, onher aunt. Just like most celebrated hairstylists, her skills were perfected on family and friends. “I remember my auntie relaxingher hair. She had some gel and she asked me to gel her hair down. So I said, ‘Let me just see if I can wave it around.’ I got thecomb and the gel and I started maneuvering it.” She did it! Jasmine created her first set of finger waves. “Of course, it didn’tlook like my waves I do today, but it had potential, and it intrigued me to want to learn more, do it more, and get better. SoI kept doing it. I kept practicing on her, on my other family members, and even on my friends here and there. From there, Istarted doing hair, and I remember my clientele growing so big,” Jasmine says. She was making more money doing hair in hergrandmother’s house than she was at McDonald’s. So, McDonald’sgot a pink slip and she continued to make her coins at home.After leaving McDonald’s, Jasmine turned her grandmother’s houseinto her salon. “I remember her getting very frustrated because I hadpeople all over her house,” Jasmine giggled while reflecting on thattime. Jasmine’s clientele exploded in Statesboro. Everyone knew whoshe was. “I believe when you’re good at what you do, you’re alwaysgoing to be in high demand to serve people,” she shares. All the hardwork, giving cards out, and building an undeniable set of skills,Jasmine was serious about saving her money to get out of that smalltown, saying, “I just knew that God had a better plan for my life.”This is definitely not a dig on small towns. Clearly, that small townproduced this successful woman.

through that money. I remember losing my car. I lost everything,” she recalls.

through that money. I remember losing my car. I lost everything,” she recalls.

In Statesboro, everyone knew her. But in Atlanta, it was the exact opposite. The money she was used to making and the rate at making it just couldn’t keep up with her partying. She still had that hustle spirit, but it was taking more time than she anticipated. As if losing all her money and car weren’t enough, during her time in Atlanta and while making new acquaintances, she connected with some people who would lead her down the wrong path.

From couch to couch, Jasmine rested her head. Friends welcomed her to whatever they had while she was still building her clientele. “I remember telling people I would do their hair, darn near for free, just to show them what I could do. If they didn’t like it, I told them they didn’t have to pay. And of course, everyone’s hair I touched loved it,” Jasmine recalls. But those darn near free styles weren’t paying the bills. During her time couch surfing, she connected with some folks who were “doing illegal things,” she says. Her new friends were writing bad checks and committing credit card fraud. Because she wasn’t earning the money she needed, she got caught up.

On many occasions she remembers, “... even though I was doing what they were doing because I was talented and I had a gift, I was always different from them. But when I ran out of my money, I hit rock bottom.”

“I got caught up in their world. To make a long story short, I ended up getting in trouble and ended up sitting in jail for two weeks. I told God [she pauses and reflects on her time in jail] when I tell you sitting in that jail … [pauses again], I’ve never, I n never did jail time before. Just being in there … the way that they treated me those two weeks I was in there. I said, if I ever get out of here, I will never do what I did again.” God answered her prayer, and she was released. “So I ended up moving back home. I moved back to Statesboro. For almost three years I was home, and I got myself together. And when I came back to Atlanta, I had my mind made up that I wasn’t going to be running the streets.”

As Jasmine continued to share, there was a common theme I continued to hear. When she was a child, she mentioned that people would always tell her, “There’s something about you. You’re special.” The same was true when she went to Atlanta as a young adult. Though she was struggling to build her business and got caught up in the illegal activity, other stylists, friends, and folks she met along the way said the same thing to her … “there’s something about you.”

“I was trying to survive,” she says. But there was something that stood out about her that made her different from the rest.

As Jasmine continued to share how she transitioned back home to Statesboro and then prepared to return to Atlanta, we laughed when she remembered being the only grandchild her grandmother would take to church. Even if the house was filled with her cousins, she was the only one that had to go. “I used to be upset that I had to go to church all the time. I don’t know if she saw something in me or if God told her to drag me with her.” To this day, she doesn’t really know why … but God knew. It was that thing, the light inside her that everyone saw. The light inside her is what stood out when she was in places she seemed to not belong. The light inside her was the “special” people saw. His light is undeniable, even when people don’t know it’s Him they’re seeing. More importantly, when we don’t see it, we delay ourselves from all God has for us. When Jasmine returned to Atlanta, she did not go to play games. Right before she had left the big city the last time, when she was in jail, she pleaded with God saying,

“You ain’t gotta worry about me no more!” And now, she says, “He hasn’t had to worry about me going back to jail since then. And that was almost 30 years ago.” From that point forward, Jasmine focused on her business.

As we continued to talk and reflect, Jasmine shared that she had been prophesied to by three different people at random times in her life. They each provided the same confirmation about her life and her career, saying she would travel the world. She recalls, “I’ll never forget one day, standing in the shower. And I told God that I was gonna stop wrestling with Him. And I told Him that I was going to surrender to Him and let Him have His way with me. ‘I’m just going to surrender and stop fighting You.’ Ever since I said that in the shower, doors flew open everywhere.”

Divine connection after divine connection. She began to grow her clientele. She met a man named Terrance Davidson, and the two are still friends today. Terrance was a celebrity stylist who taught her the rules of the celebrity hair game. But, all celebrities are not created equal. Just like everyone else you meet in the world, some are nice and some are not. Though the appeal of being a celebrity stylist was nice, it came with lots of rejection, and rejection was something Jasmine didn’t do. Chasing celebrities, in a world where social media didn’t exist, was rough. However, when social media began to explode, Jasmine took the route of promoting herself and her work, and the celebrities came to her. “I told myself, take this social media and build your brand so big that you’re no longer looking for celebrities; they’re looking for you.” And they did! “Look at God,” she said. From there the “Razor Chic” gained momentum in the industry and became known not only to celebrities but also to a niche population of clients.

Jasmine believes in healthy hair, but she found that with the rise of weaves and extensions, so many Black women were chasing styles and neglecting their hair. This led to an increase in her clients primarily coming in with what’s known as traction alopecia: a condition where hair loss is caused by repeatedly pulling on the hair. Jasmine’s business exploded again, but this time because the light inside her collided with her talent. God gave her a ministry through her gift. “I would probably say 98% of the people that sit in my chair are hair loss patients. It’s heartbreaking. I really miss doing healthy hair, but it does something to my heart to be able to help someone who’s struggling with their own hair.” Women who had little hope of seeing their own hair cut, colored, and styled in a way that made them feel beautiful were given hope again after sitting in her chair. Jasmine recalls having a publicist who told her she should capitalize on this market and promote herself as an alopecia specialist. Though hesitant in the beginning, she agreed, and the second wave of her brand was born.

Next up, education. She began teaching classes and truly planting her feet in all the areas where her gifts were carving space for her in the world. Her talents and gifts have allowed her to travel the globe … prophecy fulfilled. What about that light inside her that everyone else saw for years? Now she sees it, too.

As our time together was coming to an end, I asked Jasmine, “What advice would you give to someone who can relate to hearing ‘there’s something about you, you’re special.’ Especially if it appears they don’t know it?”

She simply stated, “I would say, listen to what He’s calling you to do. Don’t share your vision with everybody … you can’t take everybody with you.” If that’s not a word, I don’t know what is. Not everyone is called to be with you throughout your whole journey.

Jasmine asked if I knew a song by Brian Courtney Wilson called “A Great Work.” I hadn’t heard of it, but I listened to it after we ended our call. She shared how much the song meant to her and how she felt it spoke to her journey. As I listened to the words of the first verse, it truly spoke to all she shared with me. And it also reminded me that, whether we know it early or if it takes us a while to discover, even after some bumps and bruises, God has purposed each one of us for great things. And in that you can take great comfort.

-BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON “A Great Work”

Sometimes there are obstacles in the road

That can leave you feeling low

And you don’t know how to move forward

And sometimes there are turns you wanna take

But the way gets hard to trace

Now you’re wondering how did you get here

But don’t you give up Until you see

How God is ordering your steps

So you can walk into your seas

He that has begun

A great work in youIs faithful to perform it

God is faithful to perform it

He that has begun

A great work in you

Is faithful to perform it

Oh God is faithful