Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Casey Ward. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Casey, thanks for joining us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?
Despite the trauma of the pandemic, I firmly believe the way I run my business wouldn’t be possible without the way COVID shifted corporate America into remote work. Because clients are able to work from their laptops in my private studio, I am able to accommodate working women on weekdays and unlike many more traditional salons, I no longer open on weekends. Now clients can get their work done and their hair done simultaneously and not have to spend their valuable weekend hours in my chair, and I’m able to take weekends off to spend quality time with the people in my life and prioritize my wellbeing in a way I couldn’t when I was working through the weekend.
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 got into the beauty industry as a way to escape the expectations on me to complete a college degree. Along with my mental health struggles, I’ve always been creative and have taken the less traveled path, so when I moved in to college I knew it wasn’t going to be a good fit. I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t inspired, and I didn’t want to do any of it. When I eventually dropped out, my family was hesitant to agree to support me going into cosmetology. Everyone in my family has a college education, so I was the first to pursue a trade. I had a chip on my shoulder to make this next venture successful, as I felt at the time that it was my last chance to figure things out.
After completing cosmetology school and becoming licensed, I spent years apprenticing under a variety of different kinds of stylists and fell in love with highlighting hair. To me, there is something meditative about the foiling and painting. I found that when I had my hands in hair, my brain was finally… quiet. It’s only been natural for me to become a blonding and color specialist.
Last year I opened my own private salon studio, where I work alone and book only one client at a time so I can devote my full attention to each customer. It’s given me the opportunity to connect on a deep level with my clientele in an intimate setting, fostering friendships and relationships and also minimized distractions and chaos traditional salons tend to come with. I am doing my best work in a space I have designed to be a getaway for myself and my clients, with cozy touches and restorative energy that’s palpable from the minute you walk in.
Working for myself has given me the opportunity to customize my hours and schedule to accommodate my mental health and in turn I’m able to show up as my best self for my clients.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was fired from my first salon job for my personality. Frankly, it broke me. I was in such a fragile place as a barely twenty one year old girl, struggling with substance abuse and an undiagnosed mental health disorder. I thought I had found a hair home and community at this salon, but in hindsight it was never the place for me. At the time, I was so beaten down by life that this felt like it would ruin the rest of my career but in reality it propelled me into the next chapter. I cried, I felt bad for myself, and I moved on. It forced me to look inward and reckon with the parts of me that got me to that place, and I made the decision to correct course. I’ll always be grateful for the growth that came from getting fired, and I look at termination so differently now. I think it’s an important step for a lot of people’s career; to be humbled and deterred can, for some, breed an entrepreneurial streak and teach invaluable lessons.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’ve always tried to look at my social media following as potential clientele versus a follower count. Rather than creating content to go viral or get a ton of random followers from all over the world, I want to showcase my space, skills, and personality to women I want in my chair. My content is authentic, leans into humor and honesty, and is intended to show viewers why they should let me be their hairstylist. I’ve always had a way with words and a knack for graphic design, so that’s definitely given me an advantage, but my biggest advice to other stylists trying to use social media to build their books is to show up as the person new clients can expect to meet when they book, and the rest will come naturally.
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Image Credits
Brie Devlin