Jeremy Nascimento, 39
Business owner
Business: Headline Hair Designers, Yankee Pie Apizza
Lives in: St. Marys
Professional responsibilities: At Headline Hair Designers, I service my clients of 15 years and manage an incredible team of hairstylists and estheticians.
I also own Yankee Pie Apizza and occasionally pop in to work a shift on the ovens and crank out delicious New Haven-style pizza.
Accomplishments/Honors:
In the hair industry, I have competed in three world championships, reaching a top ranking of fifth in the world. I also won first in the U.S nationals and first in South America and was featured in a PBS documentary “Hairworld: The Pursuit of Excellence.” I worked as a platform artist for eight years for Schwarzkopf professional doing runway models and color eductions for the top hair shows and hair salons in the world. My uncle who started the original Headline Hair Designers in Hartford, Conn., was the 1984 world champion and coached me throughout my earlier career until I started my own Headine in Kingsland.
I have always had a passion for pizza, so about eight years ago I learned to make pizza in New Haven, Conn., and was determined to one day open my own pizzeria. I purchased the former Tribune & Georgian building and decided to subdivide it with Yankee Pie Apizza on one side and the new Headline Salon and Spa.
Community Involvement:
Both Yankee Pie Pizza and Headline combined currently employee more than 30 employees. We have donated and done fundraisers for countless charities, sports teams and local events. Once in the restaurant we are organizing a “slice out hunger” program to provide free pizza to the hungry in our community. The pizzeria has a free pavilion for the whole county to enjoy with their families and will host concerts, free family movies every night, cornhole, firepits and s’more making, as well as being home to third party family fun like mini golf, bounce houses, snow cones, etc… We want to be the premiere spot for pizza and family fun in Camden County.
Why did you go into your particular field?
I was going to join the Marines when my uncle talked me out of it and into the hair business. I loved the creativity and ever-changing industry, but most of all I enjoy the conversations with all my clients.
The pizza business was a dream of mine and I started to spearhead bringing New England-style pizza to the south and hope to franchise everywhere below the Mason-Dixon Line.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a Marine and hopefully a Green Beret or Navy Seal.
What was your first job? Stop and shop grocery store in Bristol, Conn.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received? “Don’t be lazy.” — my father, Rui Nascimento
He and my immigrated here from Portugal when he was a boy. My grandfather worked three jobs without ever missing a day of work his entire career. My father was a hard worker as well and instilled that work ethic in us from our youth.
What’s your favorite thing about your job? Whether I’m cutting hair or making a pizza, I love to see the smiles after they say “this is the best I’ve ever had.” I want to make people happy. Life is short and I want to leave a lasting impression.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started your career? I wish I started my pizza career earlier. I had no idea how well it would take off.
Who do you consider to be your greatest mentor and why? My uncle. He taught me everything I know about hair and how to run a salon.
When you’re not at work, what do you do to relax? Portugal. My parents own a beach house there, and that is my home away from home.
What is something about you that most people don’t know? I throw axes and I recently won first in the 2023 spring axe league at Unleashed Camden.
How do you hope to grow in your career? By the time I’m 45, I want to have started 100 Yankee Pie stores all over the south.
If you couldn’t do what you’re doing now, what would you be doing?
I’m doing what I love, but I would have probably been a chiropractor because I love hearing the cracking sound. So satisfying.