Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Skylah Ballard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Skylah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

Sometimes things work and sometimes, they just don’t.

After 6.5 years as a commission stylist and 5 years as a booth renter, I decided to partner up with a friend and open my own salon in 2021.
We opened the doors when I had a newborn baby and was working VERY part-time.

Without going too far into all the details, I will just say that I learned very quickly that partnering up with someone to own our own business, was not the right thing to do.

I ended up selling my half of the business and leaving before the stress showed in my work.
Fortunately, most people in this industry know each other so I had a lot of options on where to go next. Someone I had previously worked with and had always saw as a mentor, Brooke Smith, had opened her own salon in the Waldo area a few years prior. I am very thankful to be working in her salon, Moonshot Hair Co., as an independent booth renter again.

Skylah, 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?

My passion for the beauty industry started when I was younger. My grandma had a salon in her basement where I watched so many perms and roller sets being done. Not only did I love the art behind doing hair, but I also loved that you got to connect with the people in your chair.

Right after graduating high school, Paul Mitchell The School came to Overland Park. I was lucky enough to be one of the first to graduate from that location and immediately get a job at a place I loved.

I worked my way up from an assistant to a master stylist. I went from commission pay to booth rent to business owner.
I have always specialized in mens grooming but after so many years of that, I have expanded my interest with other services. I continuously take classes, go to hair shows and learn the newest trends and techniques in our always changing industry. Since being at my current salon, my clientele has grown so much. I will always have a love for my clipper cuts, but I have loved getting so many new kid clients, fun colors and bridal parties in my chairs again too. I have worked hard to get to where I am today and I’m very proud of that. I’m also very thankful for every single person that has ever sat in my chair.

“The comeback is always stronger than the setback”

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

Honestly, there are so many! I love making people look good. You truly are in a better mood when you’re put together. It doesn’t matter if it’s one of my guys just getting his monthly trim or if it’s someone’s wedding day.

My kid clientele has grown a lot lately from referrals. Kids can be brutally honest, so knowing that they like sitting in my chair enough to make their parents refer me to others.. that’s pretty rewarding too.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I definitely have a lot of goals within my career that I would love to accomplish.

Right now after the few career set backs that I have had, I think my only true goal is to just keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skylah-ballard.square.site/
• Instagram: @skylah.hair.kc