
Jaemin was a standout high school basketball player with aspirations of playing in college.
Then a wet spot on the court led to a torn muscle in his hip near the end of his sophomore year.
The injury was devastating. “Basketball was my whole world”, Jaemin told me. For years he’d been putting every spare moment into developing his game.
A week after the incident, he was still in shock, wondering if he would ever play competitively again. He started the long road of rehab and recovery.
But then something shifted.
Jaemin had been cutting his own hair for a long time, but now he started to cut his friends’ hair. At first he did it for free, then as demand grew he started charging a fee. He learned new techniques and hairstyles. His confidence grew. And so did the requests from his clients.
He didn’t stop there:
- He started cutting hair in teachers’ classrooms.
- His junior year he launched a cosmetology club at school where he could cut hair and teach other students the craft.
- He brought in a master barber and senior cosmetologist, creating a new elective class. Now the club has over 35 members.
Then he bought a camera to capture it all. Soon he was shooting still photography and video of the cosmetology events. Before long he’d branched out, creating college mix tapes for high school athletes in the area.
Now a senior, he has
- two thriving businesses
- a bundle of expertise
- and the confidence that he can learn new skills and build a business from scratch
And it might never have happened without the injury.
Jaemin’s story was headed down one path. But he was able to change it, because he was willing to let go of his original story.
Our attachment to old stories is one of the most important things to overcome when we’re making a change.
Is there a narrative you’ve become attached to?
- about who you’re meant to be
- how much money you’re supposed to make
- what successful looks like
- who you’re supposed to marry
- how many kids you’re supposed to have
- what you have to do to be liked
What story are you holding onto? Reply to this email, I’d love to hear it.
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You can find Jaemin Chenoweth on Instagram at @visualsby.jaemin and @jaemin.cuts