When I was 16 and in the 10th grade, my mom found out I was ditching school. In a rare & amazing occurrence, she sat down and asked me about what I wanted to do when I graduated. I knew I didn’t want to go to college and I also had no idea what I would even go for. As we talked she asked me about doing hair. I always loved doing my own hair, curling it, styling it, and I wanted to get it colored as soon as I was allowed to! I emphatically said I’d love to do hair!!! She looked into the details for me to go to cosmetology school and soon enough she switched me from high school to beauty school. I was licensed shortly after my 17th birthday.
My first official hairstylist job was located in a salon in Montecito, CA…
After around a year in Montecito, I decided to move to San Luis Obispo. This moved change my whole outlook on hair. I was led to a man I refer to as my hair mentor, Jason. My interview was 2 hours long and included showing me the hundreds of scissors he had along with the 10 full-color lines he used. He was looking for an assistant and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work for him. We worked on 10-15 clients a day like a well-oiled machine. I was shown the behind-the-scenes world of scissor sharpening & distribution, as well as a vast knowledge of the world of hair color and cutting.
He taught me how to look at the hair to tell me what it needs, how to think outside of the box, and most importantly, how to remain educated and passionate about my craft!
I worked with Jason for a year before deciding to move back to SB. Once back in SB, I ended up working in one of the most amazing towns, Isla Vista, California, right next to the University of California Santa Barbara. My mom had opened up the locally famous party store, Sweet Jane, and two doors down was a salon. I met John of John Edwards Salon in 2009 and immediately knew it was the right fit. John is an extremely kind and knowledgeable guy who opened the salon in 1979. John loved IV and quickly my love of the town also began
Little did I know that this would be the start of an amazing career path filled with lots of fun and growth
5 years into my time with John, he decided to retire and I decided to buy the salon. October 1, 2014, is when Isla Vista Hair Company, IV Hair Co for short, came to be. I updated the look and added features like online booking and local students as receptionists. My time in IV, where I became a first-time business owner and employer, holds a special place in my heart.
I learned so much about myself, business, & especially hair. The student clientele would end up being one of the defining factors in my vast hair knowledge. Having met and worked with people from all around the world, some who barely spoke English, most who had no idea what they wanted or how to take care of their hair & of course the super picky ones who had to have their hair perfect for that very social time in their lives. I had it all and it was better than any other salon I could have been at for those reasons. I couldn’t have done any of this without my amazing Papou (grandpa in Greek)
Education is very important to me!
Since 2005 I’ve spent over 3,000 hours at hair shows and classes. the list of all the classes and amazing educators I’ve learned from is long so instead I’ll share a few of my favorite photos:
