Hey There
We spend a lot of time together at these appointments. It's important that we both enjoy that time with each other! I truly believe that good hair is only a part of your experience. I am going to share a bit of my life with you on this page, and look forward to getting to know you when you are in my chair!
My Story
I'm often asked how I got into doing hair. I knew from a VERY young age that it was what I wanted to do with my life. When I was 7, my parents moved from Rockford, IL (where they had been their whole life and where our entire family was) to Macomb, IL to take over the role of "house parents" at the Illinois Christian Children Home where they would be foster parents to several teens. Two of the girls who lived with us ended up going through the cosmetology program. I was of course the guinea pig, but I LOVED it. I found it all fascinating and counted down the days for the next 10 years until I myself was able to enroll.
I started cosmetology school my Sr. year of high school and I was graduated and working full time by the time I was 18! Crazy! Since then my career has been every bit as fulfilling as I had hoped it would be when I was little. It's a good thing I enjoyed it because I didn't really have a backup plan!
I am a lifelong student. I am always eager to learn. In 2014 I went back to college to earn an Applied Science degree in cosmetology from Carl Sandburg (while working full time and raising my 5 yr old). People wonder why I would continue my education in such a way if it wouldn't really change my status in my career. It's because I wasn't looking for a different title or a pay raise, I was truly just wanting to learn all that was available to me.
In 2015 I applied to be an educator for Redken 5th Avenue and began training with them. It was the most in-depth training I had had. Even more transformative than my college classes. Once I went through the 3-month training, I was able to facilitate classes all over the nation for fellow professionals. I would jet off to NYC, Vegas, LA, Miami, you name it. It was a blast! My color and bridal work were even featured in several industry magazines as well as bridal magazines and I was named one of the "Top 30 Under Thirty" by Beauty Launchpad Magazine. Not bad for a small-town girl!
In 2018 everything came to a halt when we decided it was time for another baby. We got pregnant right away. I was extremely sick. A normal average Hcg level is 60,000. Mine was over half a million. Unfortunately, the reason for the high level was a tumor in my uterus. Malignant and life-threatening. The baby did not survive into the second trimester and we were thrown into a pit of grief and had no idea of the hard road ahead of us with my health. I share that because if you are struggling, I relate to your agony. I know the salon is usually full of conversations about relationships and babies, but I have learned to be sensitive to these topics.
Fast forward to today and I have 4 healthy Children. Jackson (15) Preston (5) Millie (4) and Christian (1)! My husband and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in August and we feel like God has truly shown favor to us.
Derek and I love SciFi movies and The Office. I love Jesus and conspiracy theories, but true crime is not for me. I'm weak. I'm a mix of super fancy and super crunchy. (I'm talking chickens, sourdough, homeschooling, cloth diapers, the whole 9.) Like Little House on the Prairie, but make it cool? Remember "The Simple Life" with Paris Hilton? Like that. At home I love a glass of dry wine, but when we're out I can't pass up a good dirty martini! Do we have some things in common? I'm excited to see what we talk about :)
