We recently connected with Mallory Madeya and have shared our conversation below.

Mallory , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Yes I’m happy I’ve had a career as a hairdresser going on 18 years now. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to have a Monday-Friday 9-5 job mainly for the steady paycheck and all the benefits that come with it. I often wonder if I would be happier , richer and be able to provide more than I am now. As a hairdresser the more you work the more money you can make. This means my nights weekends mornings afternoons all the above can be consumed by work and I can miss out on a lot of life events . I think us as hairdressers are some of the most hardworking people out there . We dedicate so much time to providing to our clients because we love to see them happy. I don’t think I could do anything else other than being a hairdresser . It lets me be creative and I love to see the smile on my clients face after I’m done with their service!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been in the hair industry for almost 18 years. I started right out of high school because I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do career wise. I have been working with my now bosses / friends ever since I graduated hair school. Give or take a few years when I went off on my own to be my own boss in a suite. Being in a single room suite may work for others but it was one of the loneliest times not to mention the cost is outrageous. I went back to a commission salon to be part of a team , open concept salon and to work with Aveda’s products again. There’s nothing better than being able to interact not only with your own clients but other stylists and their clients as well. A family atmosphere. I’m proud of all my accomplishments I’ve had thus far. I was featured as Cleveland’s best stylist , a few local Ohio magazine articles and my salon has repeatedly been nominated as best salon East of Cleveland every year! I specialize in color because that is my true passion in this industry. I’m always keeping up with the latest trends and I really listen to what my clients want . I think I have good advice as well when they ask what I think would work best for them. I love teaching newer stylists all about color as well. Blondes and coppers are my favorite colors to do!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Post post post!! Set aside time after each client and take pictures . Post them no matter what. Take videos of yourself working on clients so potential clients can get to know you. Show some of your personal life as well. I’ve gained a few new clients just from having similar interests with others personally! Make sure you show your audience how much you enjoy and have a passion for this job. There’s nothing better than a stylist who is confident and loves what they do. Post your work and have questions to interact with potential clients through the comments . I built 100% of my clientele from social media and a little word of mouth from those who have trusted me over 15+ years.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of my job is the smile on my clients face & when they prebook their appointments. I also love referrals! Theres a list of reasons why this job can be so rewarding. There is nothing better than getting those text messages of thank you so much I love my hair! Another rewarding part is helping newer stylists . It makes me feel really great when someone asks me to help them and I can teach my ways!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @hairbymallorycatherine
• Other: TikTok : MAL|2025BRIDE

Image Credits

5th additional photo is credit to : gracehannah photography