We are so proud of our alumni educator, salon owner,
beauty show producer, wife & mother of 5 children. A
superstar to watch… Here are her comments:
Hello, I am Chaka Cotton. Better known in the beauty industry as ‘Mrs. Chaka’.
My journey in the beauty industry began at the age of
19 when I enrolled to become a licensed Cosmetologist.
Since the tender age of 12, beauty has been a passion for
me- considering my love for making people look good.
My fascination grew with seeing different hair textures,
facial shapes, density, length, and the manipulation of
all aspects put together. I dove head first into the ‘pro
world’, allowing my passion to speak for itself.
By the age of 23, my knowledge had increased by working
with different salon teams and owners in the industry. At
this moment, I felt I had what it takes to run a successful
business. I began to build a team who reflected the same
passion and persistence as myself. Upon team building
and encouraging one another, I came to find a more
satisfying sense of reward.The reward was seeing goals
and desires achieved with the proper ‘push’.
Year 5 into being a salon owner, my husband and I, (a
professional barber), created a trade show called the
‘Runway Legacy’ which showcases educational
presentations, beauty, fashion, platform artistry, and
the upcoming professionals. Each student is allowed to
showcase what they have learned thus far, as well as gain
a preview of ‘what’s to come’. We have been graced by the
pleasure of featuring amazing knowledge and talent from
the student body at the John Amico School of Hair Design
for 3 consecutive years.
Year 7 into being a salon owner, my desire to see the
betterment of the salon professionals grew. The
information that helped my team grow was also beneficial
to other colleagues in the industry. I could give help on a
widespread scale at a foundational level. This is when I
made the choice to come to John Amico School of Hair
Design to become an educator. After being referred by a
fellow educator, I was able to experience for myself the
amazing experience of learning ‘why’ we as a people-
think, learn and react as we do. Learning a person’s
character and how it relates to the way they obtain
information is key. John Amico’s Educator Program really
helped make this concept reality.
Since becoming an educator three years ago, I have also
become a CE Sponsor,and info source to my salon team of
10 years, as well as others. My main goal is to engage and
empower. I am thankful for John Amico’s School of Hair
Design for bettering me to motivate and cultivate our
current & future professionals for the salon, editorial,
runway, platform, filming and more!