Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Yates.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Julie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started doing hair as a teenager, not well, but I would style, color, cut anyone’s hair that was brave enough to let me! Being the oldest of five kids, I had lots of practice on my brothers and sisters. The first time my mom asked me to apply her box color, I was hooked. So thanks, mom! I moved to Texas, from South Dakota, where I grew up, right after high school in 2010 with full intentions of becoming a cosmetologist. Life happened and there was no space in my life to allow for school with how much I had to work to get bills paid. I kept putting off school while doing friends’ hair on the side.
It took ten years for me to finally be in a good position to balance school and bills. I went to Ogle school of hair skin and nails in Hurst, Texas, full time and waited tables every night. I finished school in ten months, in April of 2019. I struggled to find my place right out of school. I bounced around to a few different salons, kept waiting tables and finally found my home and family with Sugar Shack the week before Christmas of 2019. Once I found my people, they lifted me up in ways I didn’t realize I needed, these girls are more than coworkers to me they are now family. If I had not found Amber and the Sugar Shack, I am not sure if I could have made it as a stylist, let alone already be the salon floor manager. I love coming to work everyday, making people feel beautiful and The Sugar Shack as definitely made waiting ten years to do hair worth it.
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?
Absolutely a very bumpy road! Many nights were spent crying, wishing I could just afford to even get my license. I did not have help from any family to pay for school or to pay my bills. Once I finally was in school, my amazing boyfriend of 12 years, Elijah, made sure I was fed, made sure my car had gas, and there is no way I would have been able to do this without him. The school was not so bad for me, of course with that many women in one building you can imagine it gets catty and drama-filled sometimes though.
After I graduated, I was an apprentice at an upscale salon and I did not fit in there at all. I did my best but it was not the right place for me with the culture they had. I did a small stint daily renting a suite from one of my cosmetology instructors’ friends but I did not have the clientele to be successful with it. I even tried working in a blow dry bar (not drybar)… that only lasted a few weeks due to the shady work ethic of the owner that I wouldn’t stand for. This whole time I still was waiting tables to pay my bills. I started giving up on doing hair entirely. I took a leap and messaged a salon (The Sugar Shack) that I had been following on social media and asked if they were looking for an apprentice or stylist. Lucky for me, after being hired, my struggle ended.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Amber has recently made me salon floor manager at Sugar Shack! Amber runs an amazing salon with a laid back vibe that is welcoming to anyone that walks in the door. We have custom spray-painted murals on almost every wall, pop art and bright colors everywhere. We specialize mostly in blondes, natural color, bright, vivid fashion color, and extensions. We also have Erika doing eyelash extensions and microblading eyebrow services! Personally, I take pride in the fact that we all work as a team together in the salon. If one of us is struggling with something or stuck on formulating a color, we will help each other out and make sure that our clients all receive the best service. We play our music loud and spend the whole day laughing, singing along to spice girls and enjoying time with our clients.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I don’t have a specific moment but many nights spent up with my grandmother (who went by Nanny). She was a night owl like me. We would stay up watching TV, playing Spyro, box coloring our hair red or just chatting all night. I am sad she did not live long enough to see where I am now and how much of an influence she had on my life. My hair will always stay some shade of red for her.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2927 S Cooper Street Suite B
Arlington, Texas 76015 - Website: www.sugarshacksalonandspa.com
- Phone: 8172006216
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