UP CLOSE

Pulse

UP CLOSE / BEAT / HIS STYLE / HER STYLE

BY KAYLOR JONES / PHOTOS BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE

A BREATH OF FRESH AIIR

Jenny Strebe is pioneering holistic hair care with the use of pulverized crystals and natural botanicals

Jenny Strebe, founder and CEO of the first crystal-infused hair care line, never takes “no” for an answer. A lifelong lover of all things hairstyling, Strebe’s passion began in childhood, when her mom would get her glammed up before tap dance performances. “In high school, I was that kid who was always doing her friends’ hair for prom,” Strebe says. “I just enjoyed making people feel empowered and beautiful.” A native of Walla Walla, Washington, Strebe knew that many people didn’t consider hairstyling a serious career choice, but it only pushed her forge ahead in search of success.

Shortly after turning 18, Strebe moved to Portland, Oregon, to enroll in cosmetology school, working part time at a grocery store to pay her tuition and entering every competition she could. Her talent soon attracted the attention of a recruiter who encouraged her to come work at a notable salon chain. After graduation, Strebe went knocking on her then-dream salon’s door – but they didn’t hire her. “It was always a big goal of mine to work for them, so I was really bummed out,” she says. “But there were six of these chains in Arizona at the time, and I knew I’d have a better chance of getting hired if I lived there. I was getting tired of the rain and cold anyway, so I decided to just go for it.” Strebe’s gut instinct was right – thanks to her tenacity, she ended up working for the salon for seven years, being promoted to educational director before taking her skills to Europe. “It really showed me that the sky is the limit. It wasn’t easy getting into these salons, but I took the leap and hoped for the best. The whole experience taught me that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.”

Blog or Bust

After years abroad, Strebe returned to the Valley on the hunt for more ways to share everything she’d learned. She pitched some ideas while working at a different salon, but no one was interested – so she decided to go for it on her own. In 2012, Strebe launched Confessions of a Hairstylist (www. theconfessionsofahairstylist.com) to share with her clients and fellow professionals all the tips and tricks she’s picked up throughout her career. What started as a blog has since snowballed into a national platform – Strebe has almost half a million followers on Instagram alone (@theconfessionsofahairstylist). “I was hustling all the time, creating blog posts and content for YouTube and Instagram, going to hair shows and doing interviews,” says Strebe, who also welcomed her second child in 2013. “There wasn’t a lot of balance in my life, so I started doing hot yoga and implementing more self-care. I needed that more than I ever knew. I’m a go-getter, so it took me a lot of time to learn how to be in a relaxed state – it took me seven years to even be able to close my eyes in yoga!” Strebe also received support from her mother-in-law, a jeweler and gemologist. “She’d give me a piece of amethyst to put in my pocket before a big hair show. If I was feeling anxious, I’d put my hand on my pocket, take a deep breath and know that it was there.”

Beautifully Balanced

Ever the educator, Strebe knew if she needed to learn how to practice self-care, others likely felt the same. Inspired by the benefits of crystals, she embarked on a quest to develop products that encourage people to think beyond outer beauty. After five years of rigorous product testing, Strebe debuted AIIR Professional (www.aiirprofessional.com), an innovative line of hair care products that incorporate pulverized crystals and natural botanicals to promote a centered life and healthy hair. Though the multimillion-dollar company is now in over 900 stores, not everyone had faith in its success from day one. Before launching in late 2019, Strebe pitched her idea to investors, and all of them turned her down. It was a humbling experience, but one that pushed Strebe to remember her maxim – that she can do anything she sets her mind to. “I kind of had a pity party for a bit, and then woke up one day and told my husband, ‘I’m going to do something crazy!’” Five days before Christmas, Strebe decided to fully invest in herself, paying the last of the bills before draining their savings to get AIIR off the ground. “We had $68 left in our account, and I never looked back. It was my calling, and I knew in my heart that it was going to work out, I was just unsure about how. But if you don’t take the risk, you lose the chance.” Today, Strebe is often asked about her tips for balancing a busy life, but she believes people already have the answer inside of them. “If you feel you aren’t spending enough time with your children or husband, you’re not, so step away from work and focus on that. Don’t feel guilty – work’s always going to be there. Life is never going to be perfectly balanced, but you’ve got to listen to your gut.”