We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abigail Theroux. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abigail below.

Hi Abigail, thanks for joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

In the winter of 2021 I made the decision to officially quit my Job at the salon I was working for and open my own business. At that time in my life I had been struggling off and on working through the pandemic. I was weighing the pros and cons of working for myself and wondering what that would look like in today’s current economic climate. Ultimately the decision was easy as I wasn’t happy with the salon I was working for and knew, that no matter what the outcome, I would be much happier on my own. As a long time professional hairdresser it has always been difficult for me to determine when would be the right time to branch out independently. It has always been a goal of mine. I had hoped to do it sooner but the task seemed daunting and the prospect of possible failure terrified me. Now that I have been working on my own for a little under a year I realize that taking the leap sooner would have been possible. I am happy with the career choices I have made but often wonder how much further along on the road to success I could be if I would have began this process earlier. Knowing that building a successful business takes time, I don’t think I would have regretted starting sooner. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I think ultimately I am happy where I am at.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started cosmetology school in 2009 when I was 20 years old. I attended the Professional Salon Academy in Bemidji, MN. While in school I receptioned at the local Cost Cutters and when I graduated that became my first job as a Cosmetologist. In my early days I did hair and spa services but soon moved into hair and facial waxing only. I wanted to specialize in hair cutting and coloring. My dream has always been to own my own business in Minneapolis. In December of 2021 I, and 2 other colleagues decided to rent our own suite at Salons By JC and own our own businesses. Thus Conjure Hair Collective was born. We are all independent stylists working under one business name. We are a queer owned salon and want to cater to everyone. I work hard to be skilled in a wide variety of all hair types. As a hairstylist that has worked In all kinds of salons, specializing in everything from clippercuts, to kids cuts, to color I have always been drawn to color the most. I specialize in corrective coloring and low maintenance lived in styles. I love the contrast between high fashion fantasy colors and effortless looking sun-kissed highlights. My favorite is when a client comes in with a “vibe” that they want to convey with their hair and we can collaborate on what that will look like for them. Every color is a collaborative effort with the person sitting in my chair. Forming a relationship between client and stylist is one of the most important parts of my job. They want their outside to reflect their inside and to do that you need to form a connection with that person. That is what I am here for. I also specialize in gender affirming hair styles. Again, it is important for your outside to match your inside no matter who that may be. At Conjure Hair Collective we do not gender our haircuts as we believe hair has no gender. I want our salon to be a safe and comfortable place for everyone that enters. A place they can be vulnerable and creative and feel like they are a part of the process as much as I am.
I believe that hair styling is a career built on risk taking. If you aren’t willing to take risks you won’t get what you really want out of your career. When I first started doing hair there weren’t as many free educational resources as there are now so every new technique I learned was trial and error. I have always had a drive for learning and hard work. I have used that drive to hone my creative skills and am constantly challenging myself when it comes to creative cuts and color.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Growing a clientele is one of the most important facets of owning your own business. It can get difficult when trying to juggle maintaing relationships with current clients and building a brand. I have found that the most effective strategy for growing my own clientele has been a mix of word of mouth and having an online presence. Keeping up with social media when possible, building a visual portfolio of my work, and treating every person that sits in my chair with respect and kindness while also delivering the best possible service that I can.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met the co-founders of Conjure Hair Collective through the last commission salon that I worked for. The three of us worked together for about 2 years. It was important to me that the people I share a salon with hold the same goals and values that I find necessary to succeed. We already worked exceptionally well with each other and had similar visions when it came to our future path to success. One night after work over dinner and drinks we came to the realization that we were all ready to take the next step in our careers and decided to take the plunge together.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.vagaro.com/conjurehaircollective
• Instagram: @abigaildoesyourhair
• Other: @conjurehaircollective