Meet Klaudia Tabor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Klaudia Tabor.

Hi Klaudia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Some people are just lost when it comes to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I fell into that category. I grew up in Chicago and was a first-generation Polish-American. Everyone always talked about going to college and getting a degree after high school; it was the right thing to do. So, I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. In the meantime, I fell into the veterinary medicine field and worked as a veterinary nurse for years. I knew that to succeed in my career, I needed to further my education past a bachelor’s degree. I failed after applying to veterinary school and a physician’s assistant program multiple times. Looking over the list of things I genuinely enjoy doing, I found hair extensions to be next on the list. After moving to Jacksonville in 2022, I enrolled in the cosmetology program at Paul Mitchell in the Town Center. For 15 months straight, I worked my full-time day job and attended school during the week from 5–10 pm, all in hopes to become a future business owner here in Jacksonville. After passing my state boards, I became a part-time stylist and extension specialist at KT Hair Co. in Ponte Vedra Beach. Since then, I have been loving every minute of it. Hair extensions can drastically change someone’s appearance and even give many women their confidence back. In the next 2 years, the goal is to open a specialty salon in Jacksonville, in the San Marco or Ortega area, specific to hair extensions and hair loss solutions. Being a hair extension-specific salon, I want to create small business relationships with other salons where we work together and refer each other clients based on their needs.

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my biggest challenges was returning to school at the age of 30 while balancing a full-time job and social life. There were many nights when I didn’t get much sleep. I would return from school at 10:30 pm, try to unwind, and unpack my bags while prepping for the next day that started at 7 am.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in all hair extensions, including keratin tips, individual tips, tapes, and wefts. Hair extensions do not damage your natural hair and can enhance it. For example, it is possible to change your hair color by adding colored extensions without chemically altering your hair. Hair extensions also minimize heat exposure to your natural hair as they tend to hold different styles longer than your natural hair will do alone. I am most proud of my ability to transform someone’s hair into extreme measures while making it look natural. I can take a blunt-cut bob and turn it into 20″ long layered curls. Many clients will say „no one believes me when I say I wear hair extensions.” What sets me apart from others is my passion for making people feel good while keeping the integrity of their natural hair. I provide honest and professional opinions when deciding what hair extension method to use and realistic goals and expectations for the process.

What makes you happy?
What makes me the happiest is how rewarding this career can be. I’ve done a complete hair extension transformation and had the client break down in tears of happiness. She hugged me and said, “You gave me my hair back.” It is so crazy to think about how much our hair impacts our confidence and the way we carry ourselves.

Image Credits
Clare Sanborn Photography