The Inaugural StyleSeat Awards recently honored top beauty and wellness professionals across the United States. 12 of the 42 winners are from Georgia, making Georgia the state with the second highest number of winners, behind only Texas.

Honoring trendsetters, cosmetologists and all-round hairstylists, StyleSeat is a popular destination for beauty professionals to showcase their talent, connect with new and existing clients and grow their business. In return, customers can discover new services, book appointments online and discover the latest hair and beauty trends.

StyleSeat winners were recognized in six categories: Booked & Busy, Client Choice, Best In, Brand Ambassador, Trendsetter and Wisdom. Atlanta-based barber Gregory Tahir Woods has been selected as the recipient of the “Trendsetter” award.

“It’s amazing,” Woods said. I feel like I’m being recognized for my 20 years of hard work and I’m glad StyleSeat is doing it.

Woods is known for the distinct skills he exhibits at Grooming Quarters in Atlanta. He specializes in services such as haircuts, coloring, wash treatments and facial cleansing for both men and women.

“I’m actually the third generation [of my family to serve] in the industry,” Woods said. “My mother had a beauty supply store, a hair salon and a salon. I’ve done that all my life.”

After Woods got his license to cut hair, he went to college in Miami for fashion design and merchandising. Soon after, he got a job as a barber at a high-end store.

“I started dropping out of classes when I was building my clientele and [started making] silver. That’s what I wanted to do,” Woods said. “This award proves I’m as good as people think I am.”

StyleSeat also honored another Atlanta native with the “Best in Braid” award. Natasha Tuitt got the award based on the number of dates she took and successfully completed, as well as the versatility she showed with her braiding styles.

“I was surprised, because I didn’t even know [StyleSeat] was one thing,” Tuitt said. “It feels really good, because I’m in a field where I follow a lot of people who also do good work.”

Tuitt’s admiration for the hair industry began when she was little. “Ever since I was 8, I knew I wanted to do hair,” Tutt said. When she moved from New York to Atlanta, Tuitt went from working in a call center to hairdressing in a beauty salon. To date, she has been practicing hairdressing for over 10 years. Tuitt specializes in braided hair styles for men and women. She mentioned that some of her professional challenges include complex customer needs and efforts to continually grow her brand.

From helping beauty professionals expand their business to providing customers with favorable styles and creativity, StyleSeat has helped generate over $10.6 billion in revenue and generated more than 155 million appointments for small businesses. StyleSeat is passionate about its mission to reward the best beauty professionals around the world.