Twelve12 Salon & Retail does not offer chemical services or hair extensions. For co-founder Jazzmin Harris, that choice helped define the business she wanted to build: a salon dedicated to natural hair care, where clients could understand their hair and learn how to maintain it beyond an appointment.
“I’ve always believed that you don’t have to offer everything to create something valuable,” she says. “Sometimes having a clear focus is what allows you to stand out.”
That focus has grown into a salon, a plant-based hair care line, and a professional education platform. Jazzmin co-founded Twelve12 alongside her husband, Anthony Harris, whose work in logistics has supported its expansion.
For National Women’s Small Business Month, Keller International is celebrating Jazzmin’s journey from salon assistant to business owner, educator, and team leader. Her story shows how a woman’s expertise can shape a business and create opportunities for others.
About Twelve12
- Featured co-founder: Jazzmin Harris
- Co-founder: Anthony Harris
- Business: Twelve12 Salon & Retail
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Charlotte salon established: 2023, following their relocation from Philadelphia
- Website: Twelve12 Salon & Retail
- Instagram: @jazz.twelve12
- Keller equipment: Amaré Shampoo Bowl & Chair and Gemma Salon Chair
Choosing a Clear Direction
Jazzmin’s approach began with her experience as a hairstylist. She wanted clients to leave with quality hair care and a better understanding of what their hair needed at home.
Building Twelve12 as a concept salon focused on natural hair gave that purpose a practical structure. Services center on understanding the hair’s condition and using techniques that support long-term hair health.
The decision also shaped how the business operates, from product development and team training to the overall client experience.
“Everything we’ve built connects back to the same vision: making natural hair care more practical, educational, and accessible while continuing to raise the standard of professionalism within our industry.”
By choosing a specialty, Jazzmin and Anthony gave Twelve12 a recognizable identity and a foundation for its next stages of growth.
From Working at Home to Developing a Team
Jazzmin started in the industry as an assistant and eventually began doing hair from her home. Today, the business she and Anthony have built reaches beyond the services she personally provides.
That progression is one of her greatest sources of pride. So is watching Twelve12’s stylists develop their skills, establish client relationships, and become confident professionals.
“What makes me especially proud is seeing the opportunities we’ve been able to create for others,” she says.
For someone who spent years working directly with clients, building a business that can grow beyond her own appointment schedule has been a meaningful transition.
“I’m also proud that we’ve built a business that can continue to grow beyond me being behind the chair.”
Her expertise remains central to Twelve12, but sharing it has opened more ways for the business and its team to develop.
Taking Education Beyond the Appointment
Education runs through each part of Twelve12.
In the salon, it helps clients understand their natural hair and maintain it between visits. The couple’s plant-based hair care line extends their approach into clients’ home routines.
Through professional education, Jazzmin also teaches other stylists the techniques, methods, and systems developed through years of experience.
These offerings grew from the same questions that shaped the salon: How can natural hair care become more practical? How can clients feel better informed? How can professionals strengthen the way they deliver it?
With Anthony supporting logistics, Jazzmin has been able to develop that expertise into a broader, collaborative business.
A Salon Environment That Supports the Work
When designing their Charlotte location, Jazzmin and Anthony chose Keller shampoo units and styling chairs to help create a space that felt elevated, comfortable, and functional for clients and stylists.
Their equipment choices needed to support the services at the heart of Twelve12.
Keller’s Amaré Shampoo Bowl & Chair plays an important role because so much of the appointment centers on hair and scalp care. Jazzmin says comfortably reclining during shampoo, detox, and conditioning treatments helps make that time a relaxing part of the experience.
The Gemma Salon Chair complements the salon’s aesthetic while keeping clients comfortable throughout styling.
“For us, salon design is about more than appearance,” Jazzmin explains. “It’s about creating an environment where our equipment supports the services we provide, allows our stylists to work efficiently, and helps clients feel comfortable and taken care of from beginning to end.”
The space supports the same thoughtful approach clients encounter in Twelve12’s services, products, and education.
“Don’t Be Afraid to Build Something That Looks Different”
Jazzmin’s advice to another woman building a business comes directly from her own experience.
“Don’t be afraid to build something that looks different from what everyone else is doing.”
She recognizes how easily watching other businesses can lead an owner to question her own direction. Staying connected to what she wants to create has helped Jazzmin move forward, while leaving room to learn and adjust.
She encourages women to surround themselves with people who believe in their work and to allow their ideas to evolve. Building a business, she says, also requires growth as a person and a leader.
“Most importantly, don’t limit your vision to what you can see right now. Sometimes what you’re building can become much bigger than what you originally imagined.”
For Jazzmin, that growth has meant moving from personally providing services to developing products, teaching professionals, and helping a team build its future.
As a women-owned company, Keller International is proud to celebrate her contribution during National Women’s Small Business Month and share the story of the business she and Anthony are building together.
Learn more about Twelve12 Salon & Retail, or explore Keller’s shampoo equipment and salon styling chairs.
