Celebrity Hairstylist Jen Atkin Shares the One Thing She Thinks Female Founders Need to Do More (Exclusive)
Jen Atkin spoke to PEOPLE about her best advice for female founders
The hairstylist and founder has partnered with TJ Maxx's new You Sponsor initiative, which was created to uplift women
Atkin also shared an update about relocating to Seattle after losing her home in the L.A. wildfiresTwenty years into her career, Jen Atkin feels like she is in the "best stage" yet.
The hairstylist and brand founder, 45, says she feels like now's the perfect time to give back in a big way.
"My whole career has been because of sponsorship and because of mentorship, and I know that support really gave me safety," she tells PEOPLE. "It really is the foundation of what I've done in the beauty industry from day one."
Atkin got her start as a celebrity hairstylist for A-list clients like Hailey Bieber and the Kardashians, and in 2016, launched her haircare line OUAI. In 2014, she created a digital magazine for hair professionals, ManeAddicts.com, which has since expanded into Mane University, a global education resource.
Now, Atkin is partnering with TJ Maxx for its new You Sponsored program, which "brings dynamic sponsorships to everyday women for being exactly who they already are," per a press release.
According to the brand, fewer than 10% of women are backed by sponsors, and the You Sponsored initiative was created to award 10 women custom deals to amplify their dreams across three pillars: opportunity (the recipients will receive $20,000 in funding), connections and visibility.
"TJ Maxx has been a part of my life from when I was an assistant in the salon," Atkin says of the retailer. "When I wanted to feel good about myself, I'd be able to go and get something cute. And now, as a founder and a businesswoman, I get so excited [visiting Los Angeles] because there's a TJ Maxx Runway store here."
Through the You Sponsored program, Atkin will have the opportunity to connect one on one with two sponsorship recipients. Her biggest piece of advice for female entrepreneurs? Take a moment to appreciate how far you've come.
"I am really going to push the idea of patting yourself on the back and really looking at your progress and tracking your progress," she says. "I don't think we do that enough."
Atkin also says she believes strongly in "having it all."
"I do think you can have it all. I show up for my family, my relationship, for friends, and it can be a lot, but the whole thing is so fulfilling for me," she explains. "And I really, really am going to push the concept of having a personal life that's fulfilling."
Atkin's co-sponsors include Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, pianist Chloe Flower, Broadway star and singer Renée Elise Goldsberry and designer Carly Cushnie. The group will work with the winners — or True Originals, as the brand calls them — throughout You Sponsored, which was celebrated with all five co-sponsors at an event hosted in New York City on June 5.
Atkin says that before their N.Y.C. meeting, she had never met her co-sponsors in person, but found an "instant sisterhood."
"They're all such forces in their different industries," she says. "We were there for the same purpose and there was such a warmth and such a connection, and that is the power of women. We all were just like, 'Tell me, I want to know more about you. Who do we have in common? What's your goals? Tell me about your story.' And I don't know if that would've happened in a room full of men, to be honest."!
The power of community proved itself in a major way for Atkin early this year. The businesswoman lost her home in the devastating L.A. wildfires, sharing her journey on social media.
"This is weird to post but our house is gone," she wrote on Instagram Stories on Jan. 8. "We just got confirmation. Our whole area demolished. So many are displaced and feeling scared right now it's almost too much to comprehend."
Atkin continued that her neighbors are "taking care of one another and checking in and that's the theme for 2025."
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She and her family have since relocated to Seattle. In the midst of a chaotic and disorienting transition, Atkin says that a community of women showed up for her.
"I got DMs from Seattle moms and a group of moms put together this list on Google Docs that they sent out, and it had preschools, parks, activities, classes, all perfectly organized and laid out," she recalls. "I'm so moved by that. I don't know these people. They showed up and made my life in that moment so much easier because I didn't have to think and do the research myself."
She continues, "And that again is women showing up to help support other women. And I didn't ask for it. They just showed up. And that is something that I will take forever with me."
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