When I became a hairstylist, I had no intentions of becoming a salon owner –– better yet, an educator.
After being in the industry for six years as a small-town booth renter, I was starting to burn out. I was craving education (before the days of Instagram) and a salon culture I couldn’t find. So finally, I created my own.
In 2017, I opened BoHa Studio in historic downtown Washington NC. My goal was and is to house a collective of hair artists and help them find their niche in the hair industry.
To me, that’s what it’s all about. Finding what you’re really passionate about and perfecting that skill.
Dimensional blonding and textured cuts are my thing. And after working with a friend/co-worker Katie Paul, I was lucky to be pushed out of my comfort zone. We’ve independently curated BoHa education courses, teaching our “Carolina Blonde” techniques.
We began teaching because Katie and I are both from and work in a small town. Our educational focus is to visit salons in underserved areas where stylists have limited to no continuing education options.
Essentially, the “Carolina Blonde” is a versatile, lived-in look we’ve created to fit that easygoing, Carolina-living lifestyle. Our salon is located on the waterfront in Washington, North Carolina so our blondes spend their time on the river boating or at the beach which is how we came up with the name.
We focus on lived-in blonding methods that are low-maintenance, but bright and dimensional. In our classes, we’re delivering not only practical methods to use in the salon, but a message of community, self worth and growth.
Looking back on my career in 2007, I’m just amazed at how far the beauty industry has grown. Social media has had the biggest influence on my career and helped me grow as a stylist. While I am extremely proud of how far I’ve come, I plan to continue to educate myself and hopefully inspire others along the way.
