We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon Bishop a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shannon , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear a story from back when you were an intern or apprentice. What’s a memorable story you can share with us?
Once I completed Cosmetology school in Michigan, I started working for a global wide Salon. Within the Salon, I had the most encouraging salon manager. She provided on going education, pushed me to become a hard-working professional and lived by the phrase, ‘the sky is the limit.’
I then happily moved to Chicago, where I was worked as an assistant beside two very successful Celebrity Hair Stylists. They were very demanding, never gave me breaks throughout the workday but taught me so much about how to perfect my craft. After six months of assisting them, they moved me up to a Stylist position and ironically, all at the same time, they limited my creativity behind the chair.
I was very torn between being treated awful most of the time but excelling in my skills and successes. They burnt me out through the years. I know that if you want to succeed in anything you’ve got to put the time and energy into it. But there was no balance. They had me give up every weekend all weekends for work, no vacations, they had zero respect for any of the other Stylists or assistants and I was bound to a contract with them (before I started there, eleven people walked out for the same reasons, I found out shortly after signing with them). I was miserable, I love what I do so I did it for as long as I could under their roof.
Almost two years with them, I ended up leaving Chicago and moved to California. The skill set I took there, was unique, perfected and I gained the right attitude and the motivation that opened doors I had always dreamed of. Without these experiences, I wouldn’t be Hair Stylist I am today!
I would say this educational experience had been the roots to my success as a Hair Stylist, but not the most positive experience overall. But I have been nothing but humbled by it. They say you don’t always remember what people say, but you remember how they made you feel❤️
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been a hair stylist for just over twenty years. I have on set experience from prior work in LA working on films, commercials, music videos and photoshoots. I think that’s what motivated my inspiration for the ‘editorial side’ of my craft. I’ve worked for a high-end bridal company in Orange County, along with maintaining a clientele btc. The studio there inspired me to have a place of my own someday. And not just a hair studio, but one that has the space, lighting setup, backdrops and props to do photoshoots and get creative in. Dreams do come true, believing in yourself, working for a goal and going for it. The people I’ve met along the way and the connections I’ve made, have led me right here. I wanted something and I chased it, I never quit or gave up.
I’ve currently opened a creative studio called, The Space Collective with a local makeup artist. We’ve had the space for just over a year now and it’s really been a great place to create! I do my haircuts/color/styling clients behind the chair there, teach educational hair classes and my business partner has a hair/makeup company she uses the space to do bridal trials in. We also offer our industrial studio out to rent to photographers, modeling agencies, production, event space rental or corporate events/parties.
I do still dabble in commercial work from time to time, here in Michigan. Styling/Bridal hair has taken up most of my time these last couple of years, which was a nice shift. But now I’m leaning back towards being behind the chair more frequently, focusing my energy on coloring and cutting. It’s always been such a blessing to be able to make people look and feel good about themselves. Or totally transform them, the satisfaction of changing someone’s life for the better ❤️
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My business partner is hilarious, I knew the second I met her. we could move mountains together.
She found me on Instagram and sent me a dm. Ironically, I was about to quit a Salon I had been working at. I moved and the drive just become too much for me with three young kids at home. I think she said something along the lines of ‘come work with me, I love your style of work, I need a hairstylist for my bridal hair/makeup company here in Detroit, are you available on weekends’ and she told me how much she paid and the benefits of her luxury wedding hair/makeup company. Everything sounded busy and fun with growth, so we met up and talked business. I helped her with some things she was too busy to herself, and she booked me like crazy with brides and Weddings. A year into doing Weddings together, we were both looking for something with a spin to it and that when we came up with The Space Collective, a place of our own to create and share!
How did you build your audience on social media?
The social media is just an extension of the businesses. We have a very large circle of creative friends in social communities, vendors, supporters, who have always been and remained supportive with our endeavors. So, with that presence, social media is about being social, posting around three times a week, capturing behind the scenes at events and sharing creative moments. Kind of like a day in the life. Sharing others work is always a great way of supporting another friend’s craft. Share local vendors work on your stories, tag the people you work with. Have fun,
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @lovebeautifulhair
Image Credits
Photography + graphic design by Kevin Barranco Photography by Emily Crombez