June 5, 2019

Meet of Rebecca Foster Hair in Downtown Fort Worth

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to .

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story? I don’t know that I really have much of one. Where to begin…
I feel like a lot of stylists do. I excelled in arts, music and anything that challenged my creativity. I was the ultimate band nerd and loved every second of it. Struggled some with math and sciences but was a pretty decent student overall. My plan was to go to college and become a director. I love music so much and it was definitely the layout of my high school career. My plan to become a director fell in with the fact that I love to teach and share what I know with people around me. It inspires me to see people growing from the things I know and have learned.
My senior year in high school I got into a relationship that ended up not only being toxic and mentally abusive, but physical. Even though the relationship ended, my interaction with the person lasted way longer than necessary. This lead to me dropping out of college (more than once) and into a deep downward spiral.
I moved from Arkansas to Texas the summer after I turned 19. I was born and raised there and lived in the same house my entire life. Moving was definitely a transition.
My parents were nearing retirement age (they’re a little older for how young I am). I have siblings significantly older than myself who have children and my parents wanted to be near them. Texas just so happened to be where they all lived with Fort Worth being central to all of them. I tend to use that as the reason my parents uprooted our entire life but I know that they knew what I was going through (even though I never outwardly admitted it) and needed to be physically removed from the situation because I was not doing so myself.
I was in and out of college, still allowing myself to see and stay in contact with someone who made me mentally unhealthy. I had always had an interest in hair but my dad was concerned that it would not be a lucrative career. He wanted me to have the college experience he did but my mind was somewhere else so I did not make the most out of it.
Finally after what felt like my 10th time re enrolling, I did my research and found that I could actually make a decent living as a hairstylist.
In the meantime, I met the love of my life. We both worked at Buckle. When I first saw him I thought he was the sexiest human I’d ever seen! I still think so. To this day we are happily married and he balances out my high energy with being so laid back.
I excelled in cosmetology school. I loved every bit of it. A lot of stylists hate cosmetology school but it was so refreshing for me to have something fun to do everyday!
When I finished I started at Drybar, not really sure where to go from there. It got very repetitive and boring after a while. I knew I was meant for more in the industry. Thats when I reached out to a former instructor, Joelle Sullivan, and she referred me to Panther City Salon.
I was fortunate enough to land under the hands of Heather Lankford-Young and Jacky Reyna for an apprenticeship program. I bounced between the two of them for a while until I eventually landed full time under Heather.
A year later she’s pushing me out of my comfort zone and I’ve “graduated” from her mentorship. Since then I have been working behind the chair full time at Panther City and enjoying every second of it. I plan to create my own apprenticeship program much like the one Heather provided for me. I feel like it was the most beneficial step I have taken in my career and I think more up and coming stylists should do it.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Honestly, I’ve been spoiled. I’m still spoiled. Since my parents were more established by the time I came around, life had been pretty simple. The most traumatizing and challenging part would be the relationship I chose to remain in for way too many years. It definitely sculpted me as a human. I see women in abusive relationships or even just acquaintances who complain about their partner being crappy. They complain about the same things over and over and eventually I have a hard time being sympathetic because at some point it become self inflicted. At some point you’re aware of whats happening and still allowing it to take place by putting yourself in the situation.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rebecca Foster Hair story. Tell us more about the business.
I work at Panther City Salon and feel like I could not have made a better career move for myself. I specialize in blonding and handtied extensions. I find that both of them are therapeutic.
I’m most proud of how far my career has evolved in the last year. It is a strange feeling evolving into full blown adulthood. Having those realizations is kind of surreal.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have told my husband this a few times. I felt like I was lucky in the sense that I fell into the perfect apprenticeship program. Then, right around the time I completed it, Panther City chose to expand their business and relocate to a bigger and better location. This provided me the opportunity to expand my career independently with PCS.
Not to mention my parents created the best atmosphere to grow up in. They provided me with everything a child could possibly imagine

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