Today we’d like to introduce you to Steph Powell.
Hi Steph, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From a young age, I’ve had a fascination with self-expression. Without going into too much detail, I grew up in an environment where I did not feel safe to be my authentic self whether that meant that I had to suppress the way I wanted to dress, do my hair, how I acted, etc.
Although I have always had a love for hair specifically, I pushed away cosmetology as a career for a long while because I’d been told from many outside sources that I was too smart to do hair and there was no future there for me. It took years of me working 9-5 jobs, years of being “responsible” yet wondering why I was miserable and unfulfilled to circle back around to cosmetology again.
Once I started school, I realized this was my path. Everything about doing hair clicked and I connected so easily with other hairdressers- they’re all a little bit out of the box as well. I found my primary passion in color. Creative, unique hair color and rainbow hair creations have become my specialty. There’s something special to me about colorful, out-of-the-box hair. You’re pulling out a little whisper of who you are on the inside and displaying it on the outside. There’s a type of bravery that comes with having unusually colored hair- a small rebellion that gives me and so many of my client’s confidence in themselves- a confidence that spreads to other parts of their lives as well.
Permission is granted to be yourself despite what anyone else might think. Within my 3 years of being a hairstylist so many opportunities presented themselves to me. I’ve been nominated for 3 industry awards. I won the opportunity to participate year-long mentorship sponsored by Matrix, a haircare company. I got to travel to multiple industry expos and assist and learn from many seasoned stylists in the industry. I also built my business from zero to fully booked in about 2 years.
June 2021 my husband and I decided that we were going to move from Utah to St. Augustine to be closer to his family which meant I had to leave my clients and business behind. It meant starting over from scratch in a new town where I knew virtually no one. Moving to St. Augustine was the first time I’ve lived outside my home state of Utah and I truly underestimated how difficult the transition would be for me. I was feeling burned out plus the daunting task of rebuilding made me consider quitting hair entirely despite my previous success and countless supporters. I ended up going as far as finding a part-time barista position, just to give myself a routine and something to do. Something that would distract me from the crushing post move and depression that had blanketed me.
It took only 2 days of training for me to realize I was making the wrong decision. Hair is what I’m meant to do. I knew I needed to do it in my own way though. Most advice in the beauty industry would tell you to find an hourly job or commission salon to work at when you are first building your business. If you don’t have clients, you don’t have money to pay for rent for a booth or a suite. I knew in my heart that even if it was not the “responsible” choice that having my own space would be the best for me.
Against all logic and with the help of my very supportive husband, Dave, I signed a lease on a salon suite. It felt so right. Now, I have my own space to make my own and make personal connections with all my new clients. I’ve jumped and am ready to let the universe provide (backed up by me working my ass off of course). During these first few months of building my rainbow clientele, I plan to use my suite as a working space to create educational content. I’ve realized that I love helping other hairdressers as much as I love helping my clients- and I’ve got a knack for it.
What I’ve learned through the past 5 years or so is that sometimes you have to jump and the net will appear. And sometimes trying to do the “right” thing is actually wrong for you. The right thing can be whatever you make it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not. The first 2 years in the beauty industry are notoriously the hardest. I believe the statistic is that around 80% of cosmetologists stop doing hair by their 2nd year in the industry.
There is so much to learn about doing hair that most people don’t realize. There’s chemistry, biology, art, business management, and social skills that all blend together to make a successful hairstylist. School only teaches you a fraction of these skills, basically enough to get you by. An overwhelming amount of knowledge is learned by experience. During those first 2 years, the majority of the time you feel like a toddler trying to take their first steps, falling down over and over and learning to get back up.
There is constant pressure to execute what your client wants vs what is realistic for their hair. Constantly learning how to accept criticism and not take it personally. Many, many times I have either miscommunicated expectations with a client or miscalculated a color formula. I have to be humble, apologize, suck it up and fix it. It sucks every time because I only want to make my clients happy and feel good about themselves. Sometimes it can be near impossible not to take things personally.
For me, there was also the challenge of my clientele growing faster than my skills. I am really fortunate that hair has come so naturally to me and that I’m also good at marketing myself. I struggled with heavy imposter syndrome for the first 2 years I did hair. I felt like expectations of what I could do were sky-high, yet, I was still working off of educated guesses and sweating bullets every time I did hair hoping that everything would work out the way I was anticipating.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a hairstylist and specialize in creative hair color. Creative hair color can encompass anything from ultra-vibrant rainbow hair to soft pastel colors, to unconventional color placements like big pops of color hidden in the hair (often called a peekaboo color) or around the face (often called a money piece).
I’m most proud of the fact that I have achieved so much in my career even though I’ve only been in the industry for just over 3 years. I’ve had work I’ve done nominated in several industry competitions, gotten to participate in a year-long mentorship, worked with several award-winning stylists in the industry, and have been selected in a well-known beauty publication Beauty Launchpad as one of their 30 under 30 Stylists for 2021.
I think what sets me apart from others is my relentless drive to learn and improve. Along with that drive, I am ultra-detailed and I love hair that looks luxurious and expensive, even when it’s something unique like rainbow hair.
I also really enjoy teaching others about hair and how it works, especially my clients. If you were a fly on the wall during my appointments you would often hear me breaking down the way chemicals work, the structure of the hair, and color theory.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m always striving to learn new things. Ologies by Alie Ward is one of my favorite podcasts. It encompasses such a wide scope of subjects but I love getting to learn new things from other people who are experts in their field.
For direction in life and my creative side, I’ve been working through the book The Artist’s Way by Juila Cameron. Although the book is very creativity-focused, it helps you get back in touch with your inner child. Your artist self. It continues to help guide me through breaking through the mental blocks I put on myself.
Another honorable mention is Start With Why by Simon Sinek. I personally have always struggled with knowing my “why”, knowing the driving force behind my life or my business. This book really helped me hone in and rediscover my why when it inevitably slips away with time.
Contact Info:
- Email: stephpowellhair@gmail.com
- Website: https://stephpowellhair.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steph.p.hair
