Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Miller.
Julie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I didn’t necessarily grow up always knowing that I wanted to do hair. Once I reached my late teens and early twenties, I was the friend that always “fixed” my friends before we went places. Styling hair came easily and naturally to me. I began to think about turning my talent into a career, and at age 23 I decided it was time to make that happen. I enrolled in Cosmetology school and made that my main focus and priority. I went to school full time and waited tables in the evenings, and 15 months later I was a licensed hairstylist. I worked so hard during that time, but as it turns out, that was the easy part! Now it was time to find a job and become the successful hairstylist I had always wanted to be.
I interviewed at a few salons in Fort Worth before I found what would be my new salon home, Neely O’Hair (now Dean Allyn Salon). The owners took a chance on a girl fresh out of cosmetology school with no clientele, and I am forever grateful that they did. The day I interviewed one of them said to me, “you will be as busy as you want to be in this industry, it’s all up to you” and he was so right. I spent a lot of time folding towels, sweeping up hair, shampooing, and blow-drying for other stylists. Slowly but surely, my clientele began to grow, and I decided it was time to lease my own station. I worked with some of the most talented, hard-working, fun and motivated stylists I’ve ever met during my time there. We had fun, we worked hard, and we were constantly learning and growing.
Now my salon home is at Novak Hair Studios. I share a suite with my friend Trisha, who started out as a commission stylist in the same salon I did, almost nine years ago. We have come a long way in all those years! Novak is truly a luxury, one of a kind salon experience, and offers the most incredible amenities for my clients and myself.
Throughout all of the changes in my career, the one constant thing has always been my husband Trey, who has been by my side from the beginning. He has been my guinea pig, my sounding board, my shoulder to cry on, my biggest cheerleader, and he probably knows more about hair than he will ever admit! We have a two-year-old son named Maddox, and I love the life we have built together.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say the road has been smooth, but I definitely made some connections early on that made all the difference in my career. I knew it would take work to be successful, and I was prepared for that. I had to continue to wait tables for several months while working in the salon. Building up a steady clientele takes time, patience, and practice. I really lucked out working with other stylists who were willing and able to help me whenever I had questions about formulations, hair cuts, and everything in between. Over time my confidence grew stronger, and that’s when my business really began to take off.
Hair by Julie Miller – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I do any and everything from color to bridal styles! I love to cut and color and do day in and day out services in the salon, but if I had to choose a specialty, I would say it would be wedding hair. I love to style hair and make it a work of art. It is such an honor when someone chooses me to style their hair on such a memorable day of their life.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have a sense of accomplishment in the fact that I have set goals, reached them, and moved on to the next goal, and I feel like that’s something to be proud of. Every time a client falls in love with the hair that I create for them is a proud moment for me. I never realized all of the amazing people this industry would put in my life, and that is really the best part about it!
Contact Info:
- Address: Novak Hair Studios
250 W Lancaster Suite 210
Fort Worth, TX 76102 - Phone: 817-592-4247
- Instagram: @mrs_juliemiller
Image Credit:
Leslie VanDyke
Taylor Salerno
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