Ochbayar Jargalsaikhan said he worked at a high-end barbershop and hair salon in his home country of Mongolia. He said it was then he realized high prices prevented people from receiving affordable, high-quality haircuts.
To help those who could not afford expensive haircuts, Jargalsaikhan, a freshman majoring in business management, said he quit his job and opened his own business. His goal was to give people an amazing haircut and hair care without the high price tag, he said. “It doesn’t have to be expensive. I can do it easily, on a professional level and offer a good price for the people.”
He rented his own studio and has worked privately since 2019 giving people their desired haircut at a price that is, at most, 19 percent of the typical price at a hair salon, he stated. For example, instead of paying $80 for a hair treatment, Jargalsaikhan said he charges $15.
“Once you do [your job as a hairdresser] well, and it becomes easier for you, you start to charge more money,” Jargalsaikhan explained. He emphasized this was one of the reasons he quit his job at the expensive downtown hair salon in Mongolia.
Desire to become a hairdresser
“I want to make people feel beautiful inside and outside, and some people cannot express how they want to look,” Jargalsaikhan explained, stating he loves giving people confidence in their appearance by giving them the style that suits them.
He explained he can look at a person and immediately think what haircut or hair color would suit that person the best.
The urge to help people look better is one of the main reasons he wanted to become a hairdresser, Jargalsaikhan said. He added seeing people’s self-confidence increase due to their new hairstyle makes him feel successful and good about his work.
Early beginnings
“Ochbayar has a natural talent,” explained his wife, Dulguunzaya Mashbat, a freshman majoring in hospitality & tourism management from Mongolia. She said she has supported him and encouraged him to follow his dream ever since he decided to make his passion his profession.
Shortly after Jargalsaikhan decided to start his training to become certified, Mashbat said his talent became more obvious. “Ochbayar impressed all his teachers when he finished his certificate to become a hairdresser in only three months,” she stated. “Many couldn’t believe how fast he was [because he had] no previous experience.”
Jargalsaikhan said during his certification process, his wife supported him in his career by being his first female hair model. “He did my hair all the time. I had around 10 different hair colors in a little over a year. Orange, reddish, grey, lots of different colors,” Mashbat said with a laugh.
After being certified, she said Jargalsaikhan immediately got a job at an expensive hair salon in downtown Mongolia. After working there for several months, Jargalsaikhan stated he became more aware of how much they were charging for the salon experience, not the quality of the product.
Jargalsaikhan explained he soon realized the salon could still make a good income without charging too much, and for him, this opened the possibility of helping people who could not afford the high price. After quitting his job, opened his own studio and offered his services at an affordable price, he said he always had the desire to learn more.
“I always try to top myself and become faster and more professional,” Jargalsaikhan remarked. He and his wife, Mashbat, who also wants to expand her business in the tourism industry, said they decided to come to BYU–Hawaii to gain the necessary skill set.
“We’ve been working on ourselves just to make our future brighter, and we wanted to get a good education [before expanding our businesses],” said Mashbat. She added their journey to BYUH has been a trial of faith for them both.
Sacrifices along the way
When Jargalsaikhan and Mashbat got married in 2017, Mashbat said they set goals for their future. One of their goals was to be sealed in the temple, and the other one was to come to BYUH, she explained.
She shared after Jargalsaikhan was baptized in 2017, the couple wrote the two important goals with the intended date on the back cover of their Book of Mormon:
● June 2019: Temple Marriage
● 2020: Attend BYUH
“People didn’t understand us. They were saying we were wasting our time, and they would say we couldn’t know when we would end up [at BYUH],” she added.
Mashbat shared their dream was to be accepted to the IWORK program, but they were denied three times. “It was difficult,” Mashbat said. “It was a whole year of not knowing where we would end up.”
Mashbat explained she and Jargalsaikhan were constantly working— Jargalsaikhan in his private hair salon and Mashbat as a tour guide— to be able to raise the money to get sealed in the Hong Kong Temple and attend BYUH.
During those years of hard work and continuous rejection, they would keep going because they knew Heavenly Father had a plan for them, Mashbat said. “God has his own timing, and he knows what you’re going through.”
Their faith helped the couple to keep pushing forward, Mashbat explained. She said by putting their trust in God, they knew what they needed to do, and that was to continue following their dreams and working towards their goals.
Then, in June 2019, the couple had raised enough money to make it to the Hong Kong Temple, and they were sealed to each other and their daughter, Mashbat said.
“It was such a special experience. And then, right after the sealing, we came back to Mongolia and received the notification that we got accepted [to the BYUH IWORK program]. We started school in 2020, and now we are actually here in person in 2021.”
Mashbat said after years of planning and patience, the happiness she felt after finally arriving in Hawaii could not be dampened by anything. “I was so happy to be in quarantine, even if it was for 10 days,” Mashbat said, explaining just being in Hawaii was enough for her. “People would stop by, and I would greet them and wave to them from behind closed windows.”
Looking back to 2017, Mashbat said it is incredible to see how far they have come as a family. “The hard work pays off. We still have the Book of Mormon where we wrote down our goals on the back cover,” said Mashbat. She added how astonishing it is to her that the dates she and Jargalsaikhan set as goals came true in the end.
“I’m so grateful for my husband because he made my dream possible. I am so thankful for his hard work, patience and kindness he has shown me, his friends and family and his dedication to every single one of our goals throughout the years.”
Customer reviews
Jargalsaikhan said the longer he worked as a hairdresser, the more respect he gained for the job. Not only did he improve his communication skills and expand his network, but he said he also gained a higher appreciation for other people in the industry, since the physical aspect of the job can often be overlooked.
“Standing the whole day can be very exhausting,” stated Jargalsaikhan. He added getting to know customers, giving fitting advice and understanding the individual’s wishes make hairdressing a highly demanding job.
Ulziibayar Badamdorj, a senior from Mongolia majoring in information technology, stated how impressed he was by Jargalsaikhan’s professionalism. “I was amazed by his skill. He was super fast. After I got my haircut, I couldn’t recognize myself. I’d highly recommend him to others.”
Follow Jargalsaikhan on Facebook
@ochkobarber. •