We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caitlin Tyczka. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caitlin below.
Hi Caitlin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
One thing about me is, there’s never a clear idea. Only a feeling that things can look different and/ or perhaps be better than what I have experienced.
5 years ago when I started Homegrown, I was 28 years old, was licensed for 7 years as a hairdresser and had worked in hair salons for 12 years. Although very young I had acquired experience and worked in many different environments and watched my superiors and the amazing ways they navigated business, as well as ways I feel they fell short. I knew I wanted to experience a different salon environment. One that reflected more of who I am and the clientele I served. When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it.
It started as a feeling and I couldn’t deny my intuition of trying.. I wrote out all the positive things of what I had learned that I wanted to implement, and researched how to correct things I wanted to change about my experience as a hairdresser. I found a location, arranged a budget figure, did what I could with very little money, and simply dove right in. I truly had no idea if it would work, but I took the chance. Best bet I ever made.
When designing Homegrown Hair Co. I was primarily inspired by the clients I serve, the city of St. Louis, places I have traveled to, and I mean, I suppose art and things I am generally attracted to as an artist myself.
When it came to design, the first salon I created I had to work with the layout of the current spot I had secured. I didn’t have the budget to work with an architect, nor the investment for any serious renovations. I wasn’t able to purchase the finest stations, chairs, or shampoo bowls but made it all work. So I placed those things where I felt they could function in such small quarters. 6 stations, 2 shampoo bowls, 900 square feet. Goodness, that just sounds insane now!
After 7-8 months we had to close down due to the COVID 19 pandemic and I was far from secure that we would survive. We were down to the last few hundred dollars when our doors opened back up to the public, and all I could do was hope that it would all work out.
And by some miracle, it worked! Homegrown Hair Co. surged in its interest to the city. A big part of it was the talent we housed, but also our diligence to keep our salon safe during the pandemic. We took extreme measures to make sure we could operate safely and while only a few customers didn’t resonate with our precautions, far more customers did resonate with our plan of action and it drove our customer base higher because of doing the most to keep people safe.
Additionally that year we raised supplies for BLM protesters to keep people demonstrating equipped, got involved in community work heavily, won best hair salon in the RFT, and registered with Strands For Trans, demonstrating our allegiance to our trans community to always be a safe space for them.
As our clientele and team continued to rapidly grow, I knew it would eventually be time for our space to grow. I secured a development in January of 2022 and the planning begun.
This development took 2 years and lots of patience, hope, guts and mindfulness to put together. I knew if I was going to expand, I was going to create this from the ground up. The first salon was a place to test myself, learn and grow as a business owner. The second salon, I took all that I had learned, and decided it would need to be a full send.
Myself, the property owners, the architects, and the project managers, worked endlessly through so many meetings and so many unexpected obstacles. As hard up as I am about business, this project was an emotionally difficult one to continue to push through and believe in. To share some vulnerability, this project weighed heavily on me through so many delays. But through trusting my intuition, everyone putting all hands on deck, and the team supporting, believing and being patient by my side, March of 2024, we opened our doors as the new and improved Homegrown Hair Co. Over doubling our space, upgrading every piece of equipment, and designing it from the ground up improving its functionality, intention, and purpose. It became the salon I had always dreamed of opening.
Although new Homegrown has evolved, you will still see the same familiar faces servicing you as well as some new ones. You’ll see some new decor and improvements, as well was many nods to our previous space through out the building.
Caitlin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started in the hair industry when I was 16 years old by chance. I was a geek about all things hair related and would go into my favorite local salon to have my stylist Amber, who would eventually become a mentor, execute my ideas the way no one else could. She was so fun and accepting of all things I would throw at her as well as educating me on not being such a nuisance on my own hair. It felt so incredibly good to finally not be told how I should look, but be embraced for the way I wanted to portray myself. Amber made me feel safe in her chair always.
One day as my hair was processing in that very shop, I was asked if I would be interested in working there. Surrounded by such beautiful, talented and cool people, my only answer to working with them was simply, “When do I start?”.
I became a receptionist at that shop and little did I know it would change the trajectory for my life and career forever. Not only was I always so blown away by what the artists at the shop could do, but I simply loved witnessing how clients would walk in in comparison to how they would walk out. A transformation would happen not only to their physical appearance, but to the air in their manner of existing. I watched transformations of body and soul happen with that team, and I longed to be a rockstar one day just like each and every single one of them.
Although I was only a receptionist at that time, I volunteered to attend classes at the shop and I started to assist the stylists with their clients which was my first interaction touching people the way hairdressers do. It’s a truly sacred and trusted thing I learned early on. Additionally, I started to do hair on my friends for school dances and punky, outrageous kitchen cuts on my buddies.
When I graduated high school I decided I wanted to live in Germany for awhile to experience something completely out of my world and realm. Leaving behind my first job and all of my mentors with so much love. I will never forget growing in that salon and the everlasting impression those people left on me. I am not sure they are aware they changed my life forever. Fun fact, I am still acquainted with many of them to this very day.
In Germany while experiencing a brand new life abroad, one thing did remain constant, I still managed to get my hands on hair during my time there. Always offering haircuts and styles to my friends, these acts of love never left me after I left America.
A year and a half later when I moved home I enrolled in cosmetology school in my small hometown in the tiniest school you’d ever lay eyes on. We had 10 people start in our class and only 2 of us made it to graduation. It was a crazy time, but I wouldn’t change that experience of it all. For it taught me that if I wanted to learn more outside of that small school and town, I needed to do my own research and be self sufficient in my own learning process. It taught me I could take the reins more than I ever realized I could. A feature that also sticks with me to this day.
I graduated cosmetology school and immediately started behind the chair.
Alas the journey only began there. I moved to St. Louis shortly after graduating from my small town school in Illinois. I began working in music clubs by night and as a hairdresser by day for the next 5 years. Gathering knowledge, a social media presence, becoming noticed amongst my community, and experiences of all sorts in my early 20s. After 5 years of constant day and night hustle, I decided it was time to make a shift.
I stopped working in the night clubs and decided to dedicate myself entirely to hair to see the full potential it could offer me. After a series of events I went independent, and then after working for less than a year in a salon suite, I missed the energy and joy of working with a team. Therefore the idea of Homegrown Hair Co. was brought into play.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The world and its consumers will always continue to change, it’s how you evolve with it that continues to write your story as a business owner.
I think a few instances that stand out for me was navigating the pandemic. Obviously every business has rules to follow and discretion as to how they wanted to handle the situation. After research, client accounts and experience I decided on the procedures I felt could allow us to perform services and keep people safe. It wasn’t the popular opinion or way of doing things, but it suited us, and generated more traction as a result. I think a lot of businesses thought being relaxed would help them, but I decided to take a different approach and it worked well for us.
Another pivot moment, perhaps not a moment, but understanding over time, is realizing saying sorry and accountability doesn’t make you weak. Letting your team know that you see where you yourself can improve means a lot. We are all human and need to respect that we are all growing and learning. As a business owner, you are never going to handle every situation perfectly. Don’t try and mask it. Own it, hold yourself accountable to your team, and continue to lead with love and do better. Anyone in ownership/ management positions that ignore this principle, tend to not yield positive results and outcomes. If you continue to be accountable as a leader, and include the establishments team on things happening, your team will trust you and respect you more.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think one word that can summarize that is passion. An incredibly huge, undeniable passion. To continue to do better, make people feel well, build relationships and learn. It doesn’t come without failures and moments where I know I could have done better, but I always continue to move forward and give it my all.
As early as cosmetology school I would post pictures of haircuts and colors I wanted to do and do them at cost for people interested so I could build a portfolio. I organized photoshoots and collaborations with people locally to showcase what I could do. I would often times spend my last couple bucks on these projects, because I wanted my community to quickly understand what I am capable of.
Additionally, my curiosity doesn’t slow down and in fact. My thirst to learn is unwavering. So much so it can it can be hard for my body to keep up with my eager energy. I have a hard time sitting still. I, like many business owners, are still seeking that balance.
I invest thousands of dollars every year on education which my clients, community and team can count on. Just this year I have attended 7 classes, seminars, and certifications in 7 different cities across the United States as well as trained every other Monday since January to become an educator for a brand I love, Schwarzkopf Professional. I don’t blame people for wanting to chill out and have more personal time, but it’s just never been my pace of doing things.
Lastly, I have ridden the line of expressing very forwardly, my beliefs on topics that are near and dear to my heart. A lot of those topics, most business owners won’t touch. But I decided if I am going to do this the way I want, I am going to candidly bring forward the change I want to see in our community, and the world. That has created the environment, team and clientele that we call Homegrown Hair Co.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://homegrownhairco.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: @homegrownhairco @hairbycaitlintyczka
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