Meet Cheyenne Martz of Hair By Cheyenne in Arlington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheyenne Martz.

Cheyenne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been artist with pottery, art, creating things. Etc. My grandmother always told me I’d be a hairstylist some day. When I graduated high school, my parents made me go to a community college so I thought I’d love to be a speech-language pathologist but school just wasn’t for me. I needed more hands-on and with helping people and being creative.

My friends in high school and college years always called me asking “I’m about to go get my hair colored, what should I tell them to do?” And I always styled their hair for prom, parties, events, dates and more. Starting in the 8th grade, I always had a professional do funky things to my hair but the Catholic high school I went to ALWAYS made me go back to have it as ONE color which really upset me and felt held back with creativity. I was in a on and off relationship with this boy from the age of 15-19. He was into motor cross and of course, they get hurt a lot so he got into drugs. I have not done drugs and at that age I was very naïve, not understanding why he would act the way he did sometimes so we would break up and get back together all the time. He overdosed and the day after my 20th birthday, he passed. A month before he passed, I had an ectopic pregnancy with him and almost died. Lost 2/3rds of my blood. Had to have emergency surgery. Blood transfusions and a week stay in the hospital. I was very numb during this time in my life for about a year. I had no passion, no joy, just aimlessly going through life. One day, my roommate said, “Cheyenne, why don’t you just go to cosmetology school already?” And I said, “I’ve asked my parents but they want me to go to college which I do not enjoy.” She then told me that now that I’m over 18, I can get a loan on my own and sign up for school myself without my parent’s permission.

So I started my research and I found Paul Mitchell the school Arlington and told my mom “I’m going on this tour with or without you.” She immediately said okay I will go see the school with you. We toured the school and she probably saw that sparkle in my eye and all of my excitement. She looked at me and said “go for it. If you REALLY want too. So I did. I signed up that day. I had to wait until August 10th to start. The beginning was alright but again. It was more school work, less hands on. I’m going to be completely honest. I was still drinking almost every night. My instructors would pull me aside and say “we see potential in you. But you need to focus”. One day, I woke up, something sparked in me and I gave it my all. I leveled up to phase 2 where I was more hands-on, taking clients. Learning everything about hair. My instructor Joelle even wanted to make an award just for me at graduation the “360 award.” I started interviewing salons and wasn’t turned down by any so rather it was my choice where I wanted to learn the most. I chose the hair salon, I ever had gotten my hair professionally done when I was in the 8th grade. I worked there for about a year but very early on, four months in, I became the educator. Anyone had any questions? I’d be more than happy to help. I taught classes on my days off.

At about a year, I was very happy with the salon staff but not the owner. I felt very controlled and any “success” or “spotlight” I got for myself, he tried to say I wouldn’t be where I was without him. So I made a plan. I called a cosmetology girlfriend of mine and she told me about where she works. It would be booth rent. I barely had any money but this is where I wanted to be to grow and connect more with my clients. And also be more centrally located for anything west, east, south or north- Arlington, Texas. A friend of mine gifted me classes at the Wella Studios in LA and I went for a week and took my mom with me. I’ve been at Darrahs salon in my own room for 3-4 years now and I love it. Time is flying by. I take classes online. I’m involved in hair forums. I study and follow what other hairstylists that inspire me to do. I drove to Oklahoma to take a hand-tied extension class. My family is so proud of me and share my things on their social media’s and send me their friends. Hair saved my life. I truly believe that. It made me feel alive again. I can connect with people and make them feel beautiful inside and out but more importantly, they make me want to be better- a better person, a better hairstylist.

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I shared a bit about my struggles and trials and tribulations in my last question. But I’d say ectopic pregnancy, death of a loved one, trying to save close friends/family from drugs, being in then leaving a very toxic relationship. Everyday life things that make me connect with people who sit in my chair. I’m not embarrassed about my story because if it touches or inspires just ONE person, then that’s all that matter. Hey, a lot of crap has happened to me, but I’m not gonna sit back and coast through life… I’m going to overcome and hopefully help or hold someone’s hand through something they might be going through as well.

Please tell us about Hair By Cheyenne.
I do hair 🙂 children, men’s, women’s. Everyone! I specialize in blondes, color correcting, and extensions! I am most proud of my business is the room and environment for my clients to come and relax, vent, whatever they need. I just hope they walk out of that salon feeling better than they walk in. I love my clients and they have become very close to my heart and I look forward coming to work to see them.

What it means to me to license to create is going to be hard for me to even describe into words. Not only do I get to be creative and think outside the box to make someone on the outside feel beautiful but getting to know people and to help them feel beautiful on the inside by being a positive influence. Social media has made it easier for people to not interact face to face and when someone sits in my chair, we’re rarely on our phones. Real life human connections. These clients of mine mean So much more to me than just putting color or lightner and foils on their heads. Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they see their hair all done up means the world to me, esp when I know, they’re going through troubles. I want every single one of my clients to look forward to coming in to see me and get their hair done and to hopefully leave all their worries behind at the door. Doing Hair has honestly changed my life for the positive and I hope to give a little piece of that to every person to Sit in my chair.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is being able to financially support myself. And hopefully, one day can support a family of my own and an even bigger goal would be to support my parents when they get older.

Success is getting text messages or tags of people’s selfies or getting great happy feedback from my clients.

Of course in the future, I’d like to own my own salon, with it’s own clean, peaceful, a little piece of me I can share with my clients. An environment can really affect someone’s mood so I want everything to be excited, relaxing, something people get excited to come to and want to share with others.

Pricing:

• Full highlight / balayage ($120+)
• Partial highlight / balayage ($95)
• All over color $70
• Root touch up/ shadow root/ grey coverage ($60$)
• Toner $25-50
• Womens haircut $60
• Men haircut $35
• Children haircut $35
• Keratin smoothing treatment $200
• Hand tied extensions $800-1500
• Color correction $300+

Contact Info:

• Address: Darrahs Salon
  515 E. Abram St., Arlington, TX 76010
• Phone: 817-915-1660
• Email: cheyennebrookemartz@icloud.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/hairbycheyenne
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/hairbycheyennemartz

Image Credit:
Lauren Cragin www.laurencraginphotography.com

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