Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Martin.
Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Dolly Parton’s lyrics from her song “Wildflowers” have always resonated with me as I also journeyed from a rural area to the big city to experience growth. I’m from Commerce, a small town in northeast Texas. There I grew up on a sixth-generational farm where I learned the basics of hard work and the rewards that come along with it. Finding beauty in the natural world would lay the foundation for how I wanted to help create and guide others to their aesthetics.
Growing up I was always interested in doing hair—I even had my own little business in high school where my friend and I would team up as I would do prom hair while she’d do the makeup. Through those experiences, I learned at a young age that being behind the chair was a huge responsibility because people have a very unique amount of trust in their stylist. Whether it be faith in the outcome of their hair or the trust to open up and confide in you about their personal lives. Of course, sharing that special moment with your client as they look in the mirror and see themselves positively with confidence and beauty is what ultimately made me take the leap into my career. I became intrigued by the stories that made these individuals who they are, but what I realized was that most of the time the conversations would lead to topics that were very personal/sensitive and that it usually pertained to confidence or major life issues that needed reassurances that healing would take place. Being a part of that healing both internally and physically completed a need in my soul.
The urge to begin this journey was extremely big for me, so big actually that I was determined to receive the best education I could get. So, I attended a couple of small cosmetology schools in my area, but I just didn’t feel as if I was receiving the education I wanted so badly. Finally, I found Toni & Guy in Plano where not only did I fall in love with the art of doing hair but also the city of Plano and the people who came with it. Three cosmetology schools, two apprenticeships, hundreds of hours in the car driving back and forth, and a move to the “big” city later, I decided to brand myself as Blooming Allure Beauty, where every individual is accepted for who they are.
We all know the beauty industry can be cruel, and I wanted to break the stigma behind it all and create a place where all individuals are heard and feel beautiful inside and out. I always strive to push the fact that there is no actual image of beauty other than the one staring back at you. This is a life lesson for me as well since struggling with body image has been part of my journey too.
My mantra for my brand is “Bloom into your own version of Beauty, grow into your own version of Happiness” which comes from my grandmother who was a very strong female figure for me growing up. One of the last conversations I had with her before her passing was about what I wanted to stand for in life. At the time, this was a very stressful topic for me, I was a year and a half out from graduating high school, and the pressure was there to figure out what it was that I wanted next. My grandmother also told me. “It takes time to bloom. You don’t water a seed and wake up the next morning to see a flower appear.” It takes hard work, passion, purpose, and a whole lot of love. And, I believe that’s exactly what my little business is, a flower that is in bloom hoping to plant more seeds along the way as well as showing others they are capable of achieving and overcoming every obstacle there while learning to love themselves for who they truly are. Wildflowers cannot only survive, they can thrive.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, most definitely not; this has been one of the wildest roller coaster rides of my life. There have been a lot of ups but also a lot of downs. I was not only trying to follow my dreams but find my place in the world all at the some time, which was pretty stressful. Not to mention COVID, which literally shut down the entire hair industry, happened when I was in the middle of trying to finish my education and prepare for my state exam. At one point, it felt that every step forward I made, I would get knocked back five.
In this industry, you have to find a place that not only fits your personality but also what you represent as an individual. I feel like I may have learned that the hard way but at the end of the day I’m still so very thankful for those places and the people I’ve met along the way. I’ve learned SO much from the bad and good times in this industry. It really is an amazing community to be a part of because despite all of the differences we may have at the end of the day we all come together over having the same passion of doing hair.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a hairstylist and manager at the Kevin Charles Salon at Shops at Legacy in Plano where I specialize in color and blonding services. I believe that I’m most proud of how much I have accomplished in the industry at my age and how I’ve truly put everything I have on the line just to follow my dreams here. I believe what sets me apart is how client-oriented I am; I truly enjoy talking to and getting to know my clients personally. I almost like to think of myself as a therapist in disguise as a hairstylist.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe that what has brought me to my success is having the mindset of not giving up because in all honesty, the odds have not been in my favor since I started this journey. But believing in myself and staying true to who I am has definitely carried me to exactly where I’m supposed to be. learning to trust the process and refusing to climb an “invisible” ladder has also served me well when it came to making decisions on what is next for me on my journey.
Pricing:
- Full Highlight starting at $145.00
- Partial Highlight Starting at $115.00
- Balayage Starting at $150.00
- Root re-touch $65.00
- Brazilian Blowout $400.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bloomingallurebeauty.com
- Instagram: bloomingallurebeauty
- Facebook: bloomingallurebeauty
