Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhiannon Smiddy.
Rhiannon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Right after high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I attended two different community colleges and even went to bartending school. I considered studying psychology. I really wanted to be a therapist, specifically to help people get through traumatic injuries like the one I had suffered as a 14-year old. I was in a car accident and ended up having my left foot amputated. The years following the accident were a very dark and confusing time in my life. Luckily, I was surrounded by people who loved and supported me, and I eventually realized that while things might not be great, they would turn out OK.
When I was in the hospital, my hairstylist at the time came to wash and style my hair. Having my hair done made such a difference in my mood that day that the feeling has always stuck with me. Feeling beautiful again at that moment, took my mind off of the fact that I was lying in a bed in excruciating pain, and with only one foot. That’s when my heart told me I should try to make people feel beautiful no matter what was going on in their life. While my heart knew I wanted to be a hairstylist, however, my mind told me that standing all day on a prosthetic foot was just not a viable way to make a living, so I went back to the idea of psychology. But that didn’t work out. I was never a person who liked the studying side of a school. Instead, I enrolled in cosmetology school when I was 20 and never looked back!
After I received my license, I started out at a salon where I had to assist before I could get my own chair. I worked at that salon for about a year. But I wanted more. I got offered an opportunity to take over my hairstylist’s business when she emigrated. I took a leap of faith and dove right in! I had my own salon suite and my own business when I was 23. I was beyond lucky to get offered that opportunity and have worked very hard to maintain and build my clientele. I couldn’t be more happy with my career choice and how far I have grown as a business owner and stylist. My clients are my biggest fans and knowing they feel beautiful when they leave my chair is the most fulfilling part of my job.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been smooth due to the fact that I absolutely love what I do and not many people can say that they go into work happy every single day. I do face obstacles with my leg day-to-day, but it’s nothing that holds me back from doing what I love. I am a mom of two awesome little boys, and it is definitely a struggle leaving them in the morning. That’s the “guilt tax” that every working mother must pay. Luckily, I am my own boss and make my own hours, so I get the best of both worlds. I am not missing out on raising them, and I am not missing out on chasing my dream.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business is Hair By Rhi. I have a suite inside Legacy Salons in Flower Mound and I love it! I do women’s cut and color and Hand-tied Extensions. I specialize in Balayage and extensions. Balayage is by far my favorite thing to do! Something about painting hair just has a calming effect on me and the outcome is so satisfying every single time. I have to say that I am most proud of taking the time and initiative learn on my own. I invest in learning new techniques and never want to stop learning. I am constantly trying new techniques and products to make sure that I am up with trends that I can share with my clients. Everyone who sits in my chair is a huge part of my life. As I mentioned, I wanted to be a therapist and I feel like I have accomplished that in becoming a hairstylist. My clients really do become friends and family to me. I am a person in their life who will just sit and listen. We laugh, we cry, we share and learn from one another. They are not just another paycheck in my chair. I care deeply about each and every one of them. If I feel like a client will not be a good match with me, I will tell them that maybe this isn’t a good fit. There’s no point in either of us suffering through two hours feeling like neither of us wants to be there. As a business owner that may be a flaw, but it is who I am and if I am not connecting with a client on a personal level I do not want to just take their money. I like to build trust and loyalty while I create the hair of their dreams.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I absolutely think that Dallas and surrounding cities are an outstanding place to build a business. The city is so big and there is a huge demand for a hairstylist. We are all our own artist. There is so much opportunity for growth here.
Contact Info:
- Address: Hair by Rhi
Legacy Salons and Day Spa
6100 Chinn Chapel Rd Suite A
Flower Mound, TX 75028 - Phone: 469 323 9124
- Email: rhiannonbeynon@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairxrhi/
Image Credit:
Photography by Nikole Michelle
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