2020 Future 10: Samantha Youmell
Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce and South Brunswick Magazine recognize Brunswick County’s young professionals and future leaders.
SAMANTHA YOUMELL | OWNER, BUZZED & CLIPPED MOBILE HAIRCUTS | AGE: 23
“Being nominated for the Future 10 this year means a lot to me, especially as a brand-new business owner and just ahead of the pandemic,” says Samantha Youmell, owner of Buzzed & Clipped Mobile Haircuts.
But her business model couldn’t be any better positioned right now during the current health crisis. Based in Calabash, Youmell, a licensed cosmetologist and barber, brings her mobile services directly to the disabled and the homebound. And right now, homebound has a new meaning for many who have compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions that put them at risk of catching the coronavirus if they venture out to a public hair salon.
Since she was in middle school, Youmell has been doing hair. It’s all she’s ever wanted to do. “My aunt does hair and nails too,” she says. “This is just what I was put on this earth to do.” The idea for her mobile business came after years of doing hair in a shop and seeing how difficult and stressful a task it is for the caregivers of her homebound or disabled clients to get them to the salon. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I go to them?’ In fact, I’m surprised this business isn’t already out there,” she says. Youmell books every hour, with six to eight appointments each day, depending on the clients. Some have more mobility issues than others, so she makes sure she dedicates extra time. The comfort of her clients is her main priority, and they routinely let her know how important she is to them.
“When people say, ‘You have no idea how much your service has changed our lives,’ it changes you in a way that you just don’t get from working in a shop,” Youmell says. “It’s genuine.” The sense of community is one of the reasons that Youmell has fallen in love with Brunswick County. She moved here two years ago from Ohio and is inspired by everyone’s willingness to work together and “be there for each other through good and bad. Working together makes this a beautiful place.”
When she isn’t out and about giving haircuts to her clients, she provides free haircuts to people in need. On her website, people can nominate someone who has fallen on hard times and is in need of a haircut.
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