Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chas Chapman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chas, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Something I’ve strived to do with my space from the beginning is to always try and bring something unique and different. My theory is to be an eclectic and evolving creative space. I will never be afraid to shift gears if something isn’t working or if the area I’m in is over saturated with something I’m doing. I want to bring something different to the community I’m in. Something unique, creative, and sustainable that isn’t possible in the corporate world. Hopefully some of my ideas and theories will someday change the industry standard. Small business should have a soul and provide the community it’s in support…
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.
My background is an art school dropout that found his way from the construction industry to cosmetology in my mid twenties. I found an outlet to express some creativity with the ability to work with my hands that I seem to always crave.. after about 16 years in the industry I moved into my own private 1800 square foot studio which is slowly becoming my artelier and nostalgia dream space where I run a craft salon with a multitude of other offerings in my space.. from vintage clothing and mid century modern furniture and home goods, to art shows, to live music, skateboard nostalgia, fundraisering events, and more to come. My mission is to have a creative and eclectic space that is community driven and always evolving… We will have lots of upcoming opportunities for education out of the space, for hairstylists, as I host some top level education in my space in this next year.. I also have some of the top vendors in the state sourcing vintage T-shirts @beingtraviecoffin.. and vintage clothing and goods from @resouled_vintage and @laura_turns … creatives are always welcome in this space..
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
We can start with the opening of my space CREATE in January of 2020…. What a time to be opening a “salon” , as I had to completely stop working from March to June and then completely restructure my business scheduling and overhead to be able to work safely and in a “sterile” environment. My profession is one of few where you are physically touching someone else and working in very close proximity. With my income decreased severely and as a solo parent I scrambled by starting to sell mid century modern furnishings that I’d collected over the years and started sourcing more to resell to help supplement my income. Finding more sources of active and passive income was key in my business surviving, after I had invested all my savings into getting it open…
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I will always try to be fair in my pricing, lots of times my goods are way below market value and prices in larger areas for my vintage selection… I try to collaborate and invest in younger creatives that might not have opportunities elsewhere and just need a shot and some exposure.. the things I wish I would have had when I was younger, just someone who believed and or helped support my vision.. I would also like to provide a mentorship/apprenticeship for new hairstylists in the future…
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @create.studio.nc @hairkutz
- Other: Create Studio 105 West South Street Aberdeen, NC. 28315