We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Arnke recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, appreciate you joining 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.
From the moment I started at the Aveda Institute in 2007, I was inspired by a strong sense of purpose. I love being a part of the service community, and hair has allowed me both structure and a creative outlet while still working closely with people. While I have been in many work environments that had wonderful coworkers, education, and opportunities, somehow, I was always left me wanting to create something more; more community, more education, more personal growth, more grounded and more intentional. Sometimes, that has meant taking a risk and having the courage to move on from a space, not knowing the outcome. The latest risk I took was opening my studio. It was definitely more expensive, time consuming, and demanding than I had anticipated. I also have moved through a lot of personal growth and transitions in the last year of my business, and there is so much left to learn about balancing work and home. While I don’t yet know how this part of the journey has “turned out”, I can say I have a lot of excitement, hope and intention for what is to come. I have a wonderful community of local stylists to connect with a an learn from, and a passion to push for whatever comes next. I am holding the vision for opening and leading a training salon in the future.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I began doing hair in Denver in 2007 at the newly opened Aveda Institute downtown. What a fun and special time to be young in Denver! I was immediately inspired by not only working with hair and makeup, but also working with people, both as clients and peers. My mentors were absolutely the best at their craft, and the training phase was so integral to who I am as a person and my journey to mastery would not be the same without that shared knowledge and experience. And while the hair industry can be a really amazing place for combining work and play, over time, the lack of boundaries starts to impact the dynamic of the team, and I truly believe once that happens, it really takes the focus off of clients, the level of service, and the energy in the space.
I think the most important thing I want people to associate with my brand is to feel safe and open asking questions. Hair is a really intimate part of how we see and share ourselves in the world. I used to think “it’s just hair”, but as I’ve gotten to a certain age and stage of my life and career, I realize how much more than that it means to people. I find that when you’re working with folks who like and trust you, the creative process is so much more successful on both ends. These days, my focus is on women over 35 since we seem to have a similar level of experience and perspective. Also, I like when my clients are particular about their hair and experience. For me, it’s really important that I’m the right stylist for you. I definitely identify as a haircut specialist who offers easy color solutions for lower maintenance. Grey blending and healthy blondes that grow out seamlessly are my favorite. Since I’m so specific about who I work with, I feel that gives me the ability to position myself as an expert for when the time comes to open a salon and train the next generation of talent. I love to collaborate with other hair experts so I don’t have to “fake it til I make it” when it comes to a particular skillset. I know my cup is most full when I am facilitating mentoring or learning. Whether it’s guiding clients through a new part of their hair journey, or teaching small classes, sharing what I know is something I believe all good stylists should be doing. The mission is to learn and grow in a safe space that creates community and hair you love.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
A love of people and learning patience with self and others is absolutely key. I really take the responsibility of caring for the people in my space seriously. One of the ways I know I can shift to being a little better at each step of my journey is to take care of myself on every level. While this is much harder than it sounds (and I’m certainly not doing it perfectly), I am very dedicated to personal growth. I think all professionals who work closely with clients, business partners, or employees should be on a path of mental and physical health. No one can pour from an empty cup. Specifically as a working Mama, I have had to sacrifice my mental or physical health for stability at certain points in my career. Being stretched too thin is not sustainable. Creating routine, practicing yoga, going to therapy, and working to connect with solution focused people really helps me set the foundation for healthy relationships and powerful leadership opportunities.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The first salon I worked at has a fairly rigorous apprenticeship process. For the first year, all I focused on was technical training and was often overwhelmed by the amount of talent everyone else seemed to have compared to me. But honestly, I was so focused on perfection that I forgot to fall in love with the process until later in my career. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lifelong process to unlearn the myth of perfection, but now I know that in order to get great at something, you have to be new at it first. Staying open instead of pushing myself to the point of breaking has been a huge shift for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highpriestesshairco.com
- Instagram: @high.priestess.of:hair
- Facebook: @high.priestess.of.hair
- Linkedin: Lauren Arnke
- Yelp: High Priestess Hair Co.
Image Credits
mckenziebigliazzi photography for business headshots