We were lucky to catch up with Steph Strode recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Steph thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I would say I am much happier as a business owner. Busier, yes, but so much happier. I have two small children and being able to create my own schedule to have more of a work/life balance is a must for me.

I have thought about what it would be like to have a regular job. What it must be like to be able to clock in or out and not be constantly thinking about hair, color formulations, about your clients, about constantly educating yourself on the newest techniques and trends. Honestly, some days it does seem nice, but I wouldn’t trade my career or business for the world. The last time I had the thought to give it all up and go back to a regular 9 to 5 was a very overwhelming day. Tasks were just piling on with clients, ordering salon supplies, scheduling appointments at work and then I had a ton of things happening in my personal life. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to just go into work and leave work there when you clock out? Just imagining someone else managing salon owner tasks was elating in that moment. It was a very brief fantasy, though. I literally cannot imagine going back to work for someone else; especially not as a stylist. I love the freedom I feel owning my own business. I have worked for salons in the past that require stylists to work certain hours or a certain number of weekends. It is so nice that all of the choices are mine.

In my salon suite, I am able to choose to have non gendered hair services and welcome everyone of all walks of life.

Steph, 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 name is Steph Strode. I am a barber, hair stylist, microblading technician, lash extension technician, makeup artist, etc. I am constantly looking for new skills to add. That’s one of my favorite things about the beauty industry; there are so many career paths to take and skills to learn.

I started barber school at the College of Hair Design in Waterloo, Iowa, in 2013. I had a job lined up before I even graduated in Waterloo, Iowa. I worked there for about four years. I was a commissioned stylist. I would still probably be there if I hadn’t had met the love of my life and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Moving from a smaller town in Iowa to a larger city in Minnesota was a little bit of an adjustment. I was leaving behind all of my colleagues, all of my beloved clients, and having to start completely over. I found a job right away in 2019. A small chain salon had opened up a Minneapolis location and hired me on the spot. I was an hourly stylist here; my thinking was that I was a new stylist in a new city in a new salon; commission was going to be a little more difficult and I needed a safety net for my family. That salon ended up closing and I became a commissioned stylist at another salon in Minneapolis, again, hired on the spot. This salon was not a right fit for me morally, so a couple coworkers and I decided to pursue opening our own business.

To say I was terrified is an understatement. In my head, I would have worked in the cities a little bit longer before opening up my own business. I didn’t have that option though, and took a HUGE leap of faith with my wonderful colleagues. We each have our own little business inside of our salon suite, but with a cohesive look and feel. We pride ourselves on being queer owned and gender affirming to our guests.

I love what I do. I love doing hair with every fiber of my being. I do all hair; hair for literally everyone. I am constantly learning and practicing my skills. I love doing permanent texture services, vivid color, shag haircuts carefully tailored to the individual. Being able to give someone that extra boost of confidence and giving them the ability to outwardly project how they feel on the inside is what I am in this career to do. Being able to provide an inclusive environment where you can be yourself is also of the utmost importance to me.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

You need to build trust with people. People want to feel safe and heard and cared for. Make every single person in your chair feel the most important. Everyone that leaves that chair is a walking billboard for your art and your craft. Word of mouth is huge; people tell their loved ones where they get their hair done. I’ve had people referred to me from seeing one of my clients out at the grocery store. Remembering things they told you at their last appointment is huge. I sometimes will follow up with clients just to check in and see how their hair is doing outside of the salon if we made a bigger change.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think being real with people, being affable, being honest has really helped build my reputation. Kindness is key and a little goes a long way. I am focused on the client; being able to help people is my driving force.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.vagaro.com/conjurehaircollective
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/steph.strode