Today we’d like to introduce you to Holley Waughtel.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Holley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been doing hair now for eight years. My story doesn’t start like most other hairdressers where I say, “I always knew I wanted to be a hairdresser.”
My journey took some wandering around. I wanted to do something drastically unique and gratifying with my life but I didn’t know how to support my interests. For instance, people often told me I was like a fish, (i.e., always swimming upstream against the current). A few years after high school, I spent a lucrative time in the corporate world. I liked the beefy paycheck, but I was unmotivated and bored. Then, someone asked me, “If you could do anything you wanted, that training or money wasn’t a barrier, what would you want to do?” and I said, “Hair!”
So, at age 26, I enrolled in the Aveda Institute to become a hairdresser.
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?
At first, the journey was challenging. I’m the kind of person who likes to build a personal connection with others and found myself in a class with “girly-girls” six to eight years younger. (I was a fish out of water!) But the ability to use my creativity was exciting and fun so, I set clear goals and powered on.
After graduation from Aveda, I knew that an apprentice program was the next step in my success. School taught me I could I do hair in a way no one else was doing it but I needed to learn more about the industry before I could be independent. An apprenticeship is hard work, physically and emotionally. I began an apprenticeship at a salon in East Dallas. I met more girls who were younger but also more successful than me (ugh!) and that drove home my desire to further my business skills toward the goal of being a salon owner.
In this industry, like most, failure is the best way to learn, so I made and learned from my mistakes early on and eventually found my rhythm and knew it was time to leave.
Upon giving notice, the boss told me working in a salon suite was a “death sentence” for my career and yet, I was sure a salon suite was the natural next step to my dream job. I considered giving up several times, but the ‘fighter instinct’ in me just wouldn’t let go and I was right. It only took me two out of the five predicted years to develop my skills to successfully run my own shop.
Hair by Holley – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I specialize in balayage and corrective color. Whatever is trending, I’m on it! I am mostly known for my seamless blending and dimensional colors. The hair industry has been the same for years and now everything is changing. The trending color techniques today are more lived in and organic. The beauty is, once you get to your overall goal tone and brightness, the maintenance is low. What makes me successful is I create custom colors to fit my client’s lifestyle and personality. My clients come in after 8-10 weeks for their hair appointment just to refine their current look. Overall, their hair still looks pretty great and thats how I know that I’m doing it right!
I’m not knocking traditional highlights: But with traditional highlights, your color has a timeline. If you want that platinum blonde ‘to the root’ look, there’s nothing wrong with that. But, make it easy on yourself. Being a toddler mom with another one on the way, as well as a business owner. I try to relate to the woman on the go and offer better solutions to fit their lifestyle so they don’t have to live several weeks in between appointments with those visible “roots”.
Hair school teaches you the basics and requires you to learn the rules to be able to break them. I break the rules all the time and do things that the traditional hairstylist may be very confused about. No two heads (of hair) are the same and I am constantly educating myself with new color techniques for my clients. Once I developed my own unique style, my business grew dramatically.
One of the biggest and most stressful obstacles I’ve faced throughout my career has been the scarring effects of drama and negativity. I’ve been talked down to and publicly belittled, even had my personal property stolen and destroyed. But, I’ve had to realize these experiences are not unique to me. Instead, they have inspired me with a desire to provide a peaceful and low-stress environment for myself, my co-workers and those who sit in my chair. I’m very proud to say that I am a salon suite owner and have an amazing clientele that supports me and my work.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far is when a reputable company reposts my work and features me. I have been featured by Olaplex, many Sola Salon pages, Armstrong McCall, RDA ProMart, VERB & Framar. It’s an honor to be noticed among so many talented people in this industry.
Pricing:
- Women’s Haircut/Blowdry/Style $60+
- Men’s Cut $35
- Full Head Blonding Package $215+
- Half Head Blonding Package $185+
- Balayage $150+
- Face Framing Foils/Color Melting Glaze/Blowdry/Style $90+
- Color Melting Glaze/Blowdry/Style $45+
- Stand Alone Olaplex Treatment $35
Contact Info:
- Address: Sola Salons
11909 Preston Road
#1436 Suite 34
Dallas, Tx 75230 - Website: Vagaro.com/hairbyholley
- Phone: 214.250.4061
- Email: Hairbyholleyw@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Hairbyholley
- Facebook: facebook.com/hairbyholley
- Other: https://www.solasalonstudios.com/salon-professional/holley-waughtel
Image Credit:
Ashleigh Orchid Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
