My Journey
How I got here -- and why every person who sits in my chair matters.
The Arts Were Where My Passions Lived
Growing up, I was a singer and a dancer from a really young age. Every year we'd have recitals, concerts, performances, or competitions -- all of which required hair and makeup.
At a pretty young age, I caught on to how to do my own hair and makeup, and by the time I was a teen, I was helping others with theirs for performances. That led to doing hair and makeup for friends and family for their special events.
But back then, my biggest passion was actually makeup. I loved the creativity it gave me. I loved being able to turn someone into a different creature or person. My youngest sister was my muse. She would let me do anything to her. I could go to her room at 2 a.m. and say, “I have an idea -- I want to turn you into a fairy, place you in the trees, and take pictures of you for my portfolio.”
When My Muse Left
At twenty-seven, the worst thing in my life happened. I lost my youngest sister -- my muse -- to a car accident. She was only eighteen and had just graduated high school four months prior.
When my muse died, so did my passion for all the arts. I had no desire to sing or dance or do makeup or hair. Life felt pretty dark for a few years.
Finding My Way Back
During that time, I met my husband online. Just as he's gotten me interested in AI recently, back then he introduced me to Photoshop. And I started to see a spark of creativity come back.
I focused on getting my Associate's degree in Arts and Visual Communications. I learned everything I could about graphic design. It fed me in the same way hair and makeup did -- it was something that allowed me to be fully creative.
But my body was failing me in ways I still knew nothing about. Before I was ever diagnosed with hEDS/vEDS, I just thought something was wrong with me. Pregnancy was incredibly hard on my undiagnosed body. And after having my daughter, I struggled with really bad postpartum depression.
I was having terrible flare-ups and nonstop, scary anxiety attacks. I became agoraphobic and barely left my house for over a year.
Choosing Myself
In finding myself and my purpose again, I was reminded of how happy and peaceful the arts had always been for me. I thought back to those times when I felt truly like myself.
I was reminded of the happiness my gifts had brought others -- how the simplest makeup, when done right, could make someone smile from ear to ear. The way someone looked at themselves when they saw their hair for the first time after a big color change.
“I knew I had to go back to school. This time, I was doing it for me -- not for someone else, but for me.”
I could barely leave my house and had no idea how I was going to manage going to school full-time. I decided to take the long route. It was going to take me two years to get my license part-time, but I took it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, until I pulled myself out of a very dark hole.
What It Means When You Sit in My Chair
As much as I love being the person who helps change people's lives, I can never be more grateful than the day I chose myself. Doing hair has changed my life in more ways than I could ever put into words.
And every day, when people sit in my chair, I try to give them even a piece of what that means to me.
What I love most isn't “nailing it” -- it's the connection. It's when a client says, “I came in here not even really knowing exactly what I wanted, or how to even explain it to you -- but somehow, you nailed it.” That means we connected on a level that allowed communication to break through barriers.
What I Wish Every Client Knew
I wish people knew how much I'm in their corner.
I'm neurodivergent, and I don't let that hold me back. In fact, it's my superpower -- I feel like it allows me to see patterns that others might not.
I want people to know that I'm an honest hairstylist. I don't have a problem having the hard conversations. I love educating my clients and helping them make the best choices for them and their lifestyle.
“Whether it's clients or other stylists, when I'm working with them, I just want them to know that I'm honest, trustworthy, intentional, and purposeful.”
I also absolutely love when clients come back and their hair still looks amazing. They laugh and say, “I know! I actually just got a compliment today and I didn't have the nerve to tell them I haven't had it done in six months.”
That's priceless to me.
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