We were lucky to catch up with Katlyn Garcia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Katlyn, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
Of course I am happy! I absolutely love what I do and love the clients I work for. I truly believe when you are doing something that you love and enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work and it reflects in my work as well. I don’t think I would push myself as hard or care so much about continuing my education if I wasn’t happy in my career. I am immensely grateful for the Salon family I have found. The girls that I work with are the most supportive and loving human beings I have ever met. I had a “regular” full-time job prior to becoming a hairdresser and knowing what it was like prior to becoming a hairdresser to now, no, I would never go back and that’s a very easy choice.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Katlyn Garcia, a 23-year-old hairstylist based in Southlake, Texas. Graduating as the Salutatorian of my class at Paul Mitchell, I’ve been actively practicing in the field for two years. I’ve always had sort of a industrious drive that eventually lead me to take a different path before fully transitioning to a chair. I started on a one-year apprenticeship with Lindsey Han Salon, now known as Texas Blonde Society, where I’ve continued to grow and thrive. So when I felt like I was ready, I could start taking clients with confidence in my own work. Today, I am not only behind the chair as a stylist but also as the Salon Manager.
My incredible clientele, who I love like family, has been with me from the beginning. Many of them trusted me to experiment and refine my techniques in the beginning as I learned and that can take some serious trust. These clients are truly are the heartbeat of why I do what i do and I will forever be grateful for them.
I have always been committed to continuing education because I firmly believe that there is limitless potential for growth always, especially in this field. The girls I work with push ourselves to attend 1-2 education classes a month wether that be color theory, blonding placement, or even product knowledge. I thrive on the fact that I can continually push my boundaries and still not be the best of the best and to some that may seem scary, but I love it.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect as a hairdresser to me, hands-down has to be the ability to spark happiness in others. The reactions when I turn the chair around, you can’t put a price on that. When someone thinks of getting their hair done some people think of it as a chore or a day away from the kids but to other people it can be life-changing. Hear me out here, behind the chair you get to witness so many things first hand, from foster children getting their first haircut, people with alopecia receiving their first wig, or even someone who just started chemo therapy coming in to get their head shaved because they can’t do it by themselves. Some are definitely happier than others, but if you could only imagine the feeling I get when someone decides to make these decisions with me. You really get to know your clients on a much deeper level than you would think. So even though every once in a while I get to play a small key role in someone’s big decision, it is by far the most rewarding aspect of this job. Day in and day out I get to make people feel good about themselves and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My creative journey and why I chose this profession is definitely correlated to some factors. As a hands-on learner I knew I wanted to pick a field that I could use that to my benefit. The thing about being a hairdresser is that this field is so versatile wether that be your speciality, schedule, money, or even choosing if you want to be an independent or work for a salon. You can literally control your career, like many trades you get out what you put in. My personal drive and reason at the end of the day comes down to creating a stable livelihood that supports my family and i’m blessed that I have the option to control that outcome. Moreover, I also have this desire to share my knowledge and educate other hairdressers. I love to create this feeling of community in our profession. Hairdressers are constantly continuing education because our craft changes so often as new trends come in, so to be able to be directly involved in that way would be a really cool thing to get to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Texasblondesociety.com
- Instagram: @katlynghair
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktschair
Image Credits
Amber Tice