We were lucky to catch up with Talyna Stone recently and have shared our conversation below.

Talyna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

In 2016-2017 I was 24 and BROKE! Working as sales consultant at a local Verizon Store, I was making a $20,000 a year gross income, working 40 hours a week and sometimes 10 days in a row! I was working my life away.. and I kept thinking.. there is no way I am going to be a sales consultant for the rest of my life. Although this job supported my half of rent and going out on the weekends with friends.. it wasn’t fulfilling (even though I was good at it) and sure as hell was not my passion! Back up to 2008, I had known from a very young age that I had a love for makeup and hair. I loved feeling pretty. At 15 I wore makeup and was doing my friends for fun! I was great at it. But of course you’re told “You cant make money as a hair stylist!” So when graduation hit I didn’t sign up for cosmetology class, but instead took my generals. Naturally as a 19 year old in 2011, I was more worried about a social life then college. Got on academic probation and I could not sign up for my second year of college until I paid back a $2,000 overage check! So I took a 6 year break..
Forward to 2017, I finally cared enough about my future, so I saved money, took my tax return, sold my car for $600 (got a loan for $3200 car) & I enrolled into the Cosmetology Program at Gogebic Community College!
FIRST RISK – Leaving my “safe” job to become a Hairstylist
Left my “safe” Sales Job and I found a job online so I could go through the cosmetology program. Cosmetology is 8-4 Monday through Friday. LIKE a job but no pay. I LOVED IT! The instructors were incredible,(shout out to Nicole and Laura!!) This program has a high burn out rate. Its not nearly as easy as one may think. You have to learn, biology, anatomy, chemistry, bacteriology, electricity, business and social skills on top of the act of hair cutting and coloring! I was interested in everything though. I thrived! I knew in my heart I was going to make it in the beauty industry. It was going to work out for me.
In December 2018 I graduated! I Also got let go from my online job (didn’t have the time to put in what they needed from me.. but I didn’t let that get me down. It was my time to be done and move on)
SECOND RISK – Moving out of town
In March of 2019 AT 27, I moved from my small town of Hurley WI to Central WI to work at a Regis Salon! I remember getting the job offer and literally jumping up and down! This was my time to break free of a small town full of nothing to really do but drink and I was SO happy. My life could start!! But that didn’t happen exactly as I pictured. I was a huge extrovert and boy, was I in for a wake up call! Moving to a town where I knew nobody and not have a partner with similar interests was isolating. My Regis job was not at all what it had promised to be, Little pay for a lot of time (about $400 a month for 38 hours a week). I also missed the sense of “sisterhood” from college and after 3 months of working there, I was job searching! I knew that was not the right fit
THIRD RISK – Leaving hourly to be a Sole Proprietor
I got a call from Salon Envy in Stevens Point WI about renting a chair! If you’re not sure the difference: Regis has employees. I got an hourly wage, they supplied color and everything you needed to do the services. At Salon Envy, you pay for your chair and get all the money for you services and you supply your color, foils, and tools needed. But I had a feeling… and it was right!! My first week I made $1000!! Even having to supply everything for my business, I still made more in a week, then a month at my old job!
It was the BEST move. Worked 10am-8pm. I could leave when I didn’t have a client but I worked long days building my clientele. I knew I had to put in hard work to be successful. I saw the Secret on Netflix years back – about the Law of Attraction, so I implemented it in my life since about 20. and with that, I kept thinking .. I need to have more financial freedom, be happier. I knew it would happen. But that’s where people can get confused with manifesting and the law of attraction. They think they can get what they want out of thin air… And that’s not what happens. I wanted that life so bad that opportunities came up and I took them! That’s how you create the life you want. You put the action in law of attraction. After a year of putting in 10 hour days, I was 8 months pregnant and decided to go down to 6 hour days. And never went back up to 10 or even 8! After putting in all of that work, I had gained an amazing clientele, and no longer needed to work long days. My clientele would come to me during my hours!! That risk paid off.
In 2020, after the pandemic, weddings started to take off for me! I love formal styles and makeup. It is an amazing thing to be a part of!
FOURTH RISK – Adding permanent makeup to my craft
2021 in July, at 29 years old, I took my first Eyebrow Tattoo Course. I loved the up-and-coming trend, and I was so drawn to it. I knew that this was the next thing I wanted to add to my career. I practiced for 10 months and got confident enough to start offering permanent make up! In November 2022 I added lip Tattoos. I kept finding things I was drawn to.. and instead of ignoring them or writing it off as “not being good enough” or “I’m too old to start something new” I went for it! I knew if i believed in myself I could! Now don’t get me wrong, I have had moments of self doubt when it has come to my career, but I push through!
RISK FIVE
April OF 2023, after 4 years of working at Salon Envy and loving it, I knew I need to move to expand. I was nervous, would my clientele follow me, will I still be successful somewhere else? But I outgrew my smaller eyebrow room and needed more space. Serenity Salon & Spa had an amazing room available for me, and a bunch of different people and services offered to talk about mine! I have gotten even busier with hair, weddings and Permanent Makeup!

I followed my intuition, didn’t care what others had to say and I created a life that will continue to grow for me and my family! As you read, I had ups and downs, but I persevered through them. I always saw the silver lining! You have to! I wish the same for everyone out there. To have the courage to stay true to your passions, to not give up and hopefully make them what you do everyday!

Talyna, 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?

I am a mom of 2 with a step son and a yorkie! I am an extrovert (mostly) and I have always loved natural ways of healing our body and have recently picked up making things from scratch like Bread, cookies etc. I would way rather learn something and watch a documentary then a tv show, but I do enjoy those when I need to just turn off my mind. I got into the beauty industry because I had a natural talent for it. I always really liked it. But its not just the outcome of how it looks, I really get to make people FEEL better. I had one client tell me “you lower blood pressure” because of my personality and how I make her feel. haha That was one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten!
I wasn’t always a go-getter type worker like I am now, but if I ever put my mind to something, I always made it happen. Once I hit my mid-20’s, I applied that to my career and now I can’t turn that off! It has made me a successful entrepreneur for sure!
I started with Makeup, then hair coloring, hair styling for weddings and my last add on to my career was permanent makeup in the form of eyebrows and lips! Now I am dabbling in clothing and made me own brand ball caps!

I can really see the confidence change my clients have when they leave me! They feel as good on the outside as they are on the inside. We have awesome conversations and really build relationships with each other. It’s my favorite thing about my career!
I am most proud of how much I care about my work. I am providing a service and so many people trust me. I literally tattoo faces! Its bada$$ haha

Tals Beauty Bar is your one stop beauty shop! My Brand is all about enhancing YOUR Natural Beauty!! I want you to leave looking like yourself. Just the best version of you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As I started working behind the chair, I figured out ways I liked to do different things. The trend now, is to have the front around the face brighter/lighter! (LOVE this trend!) So I began adding highlights to the front of the hair vs starting in the back. That is so the front could process the right amount of time and I would just pull the foils and wash the lightener off when it was done. Well at that point I have to admit .. I got lazy in the back. I spent the time in the front at the beginning of my appointment. Then when I got to the back (underneath the top layers of hair) would take bigger sections and not give my all because you don’t really see that area.

But I knew if I wanted to be great my work had to look good everywhere! So I changed my approach. I start in the back and gave all the detail it deserved. Then as I get to the front I know I HAVE to give it my all because they see that.

The lesson is to be a successful business owner you have to acknowledge your weaknesses and figure out how to change it.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The first and best way to gain clientele is word-of-mouth. If someone tells you about a great experience they had, your more inclined to go! So I try to give everyone a great experience. I feel out what they want. Do they want a talking appointment? More quiet? And I ALWAYS do a consultation. I really listen to make sure we are on the same page. That goes a long way with people!

Second would be my social media! I watched videos on how to make great content and I post my work. My target audience right now is potential/returning clients! So I like to post informational content and before and afters. My clients love to see before and afters because it shows what I’m capable of and it gives me creditability and trust. (No filters! You want this to be natural)
Also behind the scene work is fun for people to watch as well!

Contact Info:

• Website: Talsbeautybar.square.site
• Instagram: TalsBeautyBar
• Facebook: Tals Beauty Bar

Image Credits
Julie Betro