Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kathryn Gilbert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kathryn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I finally felt at home behind the chair when I made the move to Charlotte. I had worked in the Lake Norman area for the majority of my career. I got wind of some friends opening a local goods shop in the Midtown neighborhood, and they were looking for a stylist. There was a need for someone to help out a fellow stylist as she was going on maternity leave in June of that year. I weighed my options and decided in February of 2021 to work at two locations. I wasn’t ready to leave the lake because of the large clientele I had built, but those who were meant to be in my chair, found a way to continue seeing me. For three months, I slowly built more clientele in Charlotte while commuting to and from Lake Norman three days a week. May of 2021 I made the decision to be full time in Midtown and said goodbye to a lot of my long time clients. Bittersweet feelings washed over. As I continued to help out the stylist on maternity leave, she decided that she wanted to continue being a hairstylist, and I was no longer needed to help out. Many emotions came over the next few weeks, but I found a way to continue to grow. I started doing more marketing and worked harder on my social media presence.
Kathryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My sophomore year at UNCC, I was enrolled in Zoology. This was my first year at a university; my freshman year I was enrolled in a community college to knock out the introductory and freshman courses. While studying at RCCC, I fell in love with biology and decided to declare a major in Secondary Education with a minor in Biology. I came from a family of teachers, so I thought that that would be my choice for career. I was unaware that withdrawing from a course would be better for my gpa and instead was placed on academic probation due to failing Zoology. There was my wake up call. After a hard and emotional conversation with my mom, I pitched the idea of going to Cosmetology School. When I was younger, I really enjoyed styling mine and my sisters hair for special events, and cutting my own with a BIC razor (because using mom’s Singer scissors was definitely out of the question).
Since I was already enrolled at UNCC, I switched majors and finished with a degree in Business Management in 2012. I took a year off from school before enrolling back into RCCC to complete their Cosmetology Program. Nearing the end of the program, I was offered an internship in Davidson, NC where I worked as an apprentice until the salon owners went separate ways, and the shop closed its doors. I was given a two week notice to find another job while only being out of school for a couple of years. luckily, I found a salon close by and worked as a commission stylist for two years before making the decision to work for myself. April of 2019, I signed up for my LLC and became Blown Away Salon.
Eleven months later, our industry was shut down due to Covid 19. For two-ish months, I was unable to work and questioned if I was in the right career path. The end of May 2020, we were back to work with new protocols and even though I couldn’t see the smiles behind the masks of my clients, I was reminded why I wanted to work behind the chair.
I started specializing in “lived in color” so I could help my clients get longevity out of their color / style, because not everyone can be in the chair every four weeks for a touch up. Same goes with styling when it comes to hair cuts. Full consultations with my clients let me know what I need to provide for them, whether they are low maintenance or if they don’t mind a little extra time to style, Social media is a blessing and a curse in this industry because of the unrealistic expectations due to a photo that has been edited.
One of my new favorite additions to my time behind the chair, is the opportunity to have a “quiet appointment”. I usually will ask around three questions throughout the beginning of a service. For example, answers that are not explanatory, or just a yes or no and nothing else follows, after three of those I will typically let the client enjoy a silent appointment. Reading my clients by their body language helps here with this as well. I want my clients to feel as comfortable as possible in my chair, whether it’s with silence, or a glass of wine in their hand while venting.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Emotional discounting my services / setting boundaries It was very hard to me to learn that I needed to charge my worth when it came to my services. friends and family are the hardest to set the boundaries with. However, I’ve learned that people are willing to pay full price for a service if they find value in it. This discovery led to me realizing not everyone that came to sit in my chair, was meant to be my client. This industry has a lot of ebbs and flows and when you realize that what’s meant for you will come your way, it makes the lows not feel as low because a high is right around the corner.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As cheesy as it sounds, the smile on my clients face when I finish styling, A haircut can go a long way with how you feel about yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kathryngilberthair.wixsite.com/blown-away-salon
- Instagram: instagram.com/kathryngilberthair