We recently connected with Chynna Longo and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Chynna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I started my creative journey and career at around 23. After attempting to go to college for a few years I realized that academia was not the path that was meant for me. I really struggled to find any passion or meaning in the classes I took and to be honest I only went because I had been told my entire life that higher education was the only way to be successful. My college experience was definitely not glamorous and I fell into a pretty deep depression. I struggled academically and mentally to a point where even my professors expressed concern. I soon dropped out and moved back home. I worked retail for a year or two trying to get my footing financially in hopes that I would eventually be able to go to cosmetology school. This was really what I really wanted to do after high school but I hadn’t pursued it because I let societal expectations sway my decision. Eventually I enrolled at Douglas J. Aveda Institute here in Knoxville and the rest is history. I found a career and a creative outlet that lit a fire and passion I had never experienced. I’ve always felt fortunate that I had the privilege to have a college experience and even though it was not what I hoped for it gave me the clarity I needed to pursue cosmetology head on. I look back and have no regrets. I’m thankful I don’t have to wonder what my life would have been like if I had “just gone to college” and for that I am very grateful. I think that my journey happened the way it did exactly when it needed to.
Chynna, 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’m a Hair Color specialist at The Wild Side in The Old City. I have been doing hair for almost 7 years. I love hair blonding, big transformations, custom reds, and creative colors. I also offer sew-in extensions and my goal is to help my clients look and feel like the best version of themselves. I dabble in the world of photography and creative shoots but more recently have been in front of the camera some.This year I also started participating in local markets as a vintage reseller and maker. I’m looking to expand that business which began as a hobby and a way to decorate my home into a secondary career in the very near future. The last project I currently have my hands on is renovating the basement of my partner and I’s home into a short term rental space that will offer a retreat for visitors that transforms them back to the 60s and 70s. The space is inspired by vintage motels of that time period and even features a heart shaped jacuzzi tub! We are hoping to complete that project sometime next year.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I am very fortunate that my social media audience was built very naturally. I grew up obsessed with the creative outlet and connections to like minded people that apps like Facebook and Instagram gave me. I also learned the importance of social media very early in my career. I’d often create presentations for jobs or school on websites like tumblr and it always seemed to impress the right people. I think knowing your audience, or in my case the clients you want to attract, helps immensely. I also think that being authentic and staying true to yourself keeps people engaged. I chose pretty early on in my career not to separate my personal and business accounts because I wanted social media to still be fun even if it was an integral part of my job. I feel like that’s not something that is typically encouraged in the creative business world but it works for me. To me, it offers a sense of my humility to my clients. I want everyone to feel safe and welcome in my chair. And I think allowing people into your life in that way offers them that security and connection.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Until recently I didn’t really feel like I had a particular goal in mind when it came to my creative journey. I just kind of did things to survive. In the past year through travel, reading, and the help of my best friend and partner I’ve realized my goal is to be financially free. I want to be able to work because I want to and not because I have to. I also really hope to share that journey and process with as many people as possible and inspire other creatives. There’s so little representation for women, the lgbtq+ community, and other minorities in the business world when it comes to learning how to be financially free. It’s extremely disheartening and a huge deterrent in why I never sought to learn a different way of life. Until recently I felt like living paycheck to paycheck (or in some cases project to project ) was the only option that creatives like myself had. I want to help change that narrative.
Contact Info:
- Website: WildsideKnox.com
- Instagram: @chynnaindia
Image Credits
Photos by @chynnaindia @alyssakooc @honey.lens.photography1