We had the good fortune of connecting with Bailey Sawyer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bailey, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Fort Worth but moved around the DFW metroplex growing up. Growing up, I always showed an interest in creative hobbies. I was fond of those child makeup pallets, writing, drawing, and making clothes for my dolls. As I grew up, I started leaning heavily into makeup artistry and considered making it a full-time career. My high school offered a cosmetology program to juniors and seniors. It was a full-time commitment, over three hours a day for two years straight. I was worried about the workload being I was in school and working, and I knew it was going to take some serious work to ensure I didn’t fall behind.

Initially, I saw it as an alternative to college. School was harder for me and college really intimidated me. My dad really pushed me to apply for the cosmetology courses. He saw it as a way for me to support myself using my creative skill set and a solid way to support myself if I ever went back to school. As time passed and my education advanced, I found that doing hair was something I loved. I found joy in making people feel more confident. To this day, it’s my favorite part of the job.

Fast forward two years and at 17 years old I’d completed my hours, passed my written exam and upon opening the paperwork that determined if I had passed my practical test, I cried when I saw I had. I was now a fully licensed cosmetologist. Not too long after, I started working full time at a high end salon in Southlake and worked my way up. In the almost three years I was there, I completed my apprenticeship, took classes, became certified in Keratin Treatments, and built a steady clientele. Covid threw a wrench in some of my plans but once my salon reopened I was eager to get my education back on track.

In September 2021 I decided, along with my best friend/ coworker, that I wanted to open up my own space. It started out as a joke between us, opening your own space is the end goal for most hairdressers, but it quickly became a full-fledged plan. Before I knew it, Creations by Bai was born! While it’s been a major learning curve, I’ve never been happier. I love what I do. I love the people that sit in my chair and I love the personal touch having my own business gives me. I love being able to connect with people and having people share parts of their lives with me. It’s a beautiful thing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel that my personable persona sets me apart from others. I really try to make every client that sits in my chair feel like a friend and feel like they’ve entered a safe space. I want everyone who comes into my salon to feel comfortable and leave feeling beautiful and happy!

Starting in a high end salon and ending up as a business owner wasn’t easy, though I’m very thankful for the experience. Salons are known to be cutthroat, and that environment was something I really didn’t like when I worked in a corporate salon. I felt like I was being rushed through services, and I didn’t like how I felt I was making clients feel. I felt I wasn’t connecting with clients because of other issues I was facing at work. I learned to focus all of my attention on the client and leave my issues in the break room. Things started getting easier. Having someone sit in your chair and have a good conversation with you or just sitting in comfortable silence made me feel really connected to my job. I never knew who would be coming in for a service and it’s always been fun to get to know a new client, to learn of their lives, families and jobs!

I want people to know that while being a business owner is hard, it’s worth it! I’m able to spend time with family and loved ones, I’m able to take time with the people in my chair, and overall I’m much happier than when I was working at a corporate salon. My clients appreciate the individual space much more than the salon I started at and their happiness brings me happiness!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think stopping by the Fort Worth Stockyards and seeing the cattle drive is a must anytime someone is new to Texas. Fort Worth is a fun area to hang out in, great food, nice places to sit and hang out, and it gives off an old country atmosphere, in my opinion. It’s completely different from Dallas, but the Perot museum is a must see as well. It’s worth drive into Dallas and definitely well worth the time you’ll spend there.

I live closer to the Grapevine area, so if I ever have family in town or friends that want to go out, I always recommend Landon Winery. You’re able to taste test different wines and it’s a very relaxing environment. Just down the street from Landon Winery is Painting With A Twist! My dad, fiancée, and I have made it a tradition to go every few months, as well as my friends and I, for our birthdays. Grapevine Main Street is fun to walk, I enjoy going into different stores and just looking around.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My dad! He’s been my biggest supporter since forever and I don’t know where I’d be without him. He’s been my rock my whole life, always going above and beyond, no matter what. My dad’s a police officer. He’s been a cop my whole life, and he can be very intimidating. In my first year of cosmetology school, he came in straight off work, still in his uniform, and let me give him a manicure. Everyone assumed he was there to teach the law enforcement class down the hall but was thoroughly surprised when he sat down to get his nails done. My principal decided that was a once in a lifetime photo op and to this day it’s one of my favorite pictures of us. He’s single-handedly pushed me to become the best person and business owner I can be, and he’s truly my best friend. He’s helped me so much with navigating the behind the scenes of owning a business. He’s also helped my suite mate and I build and design our first salon suite and even our second when we moved into a bigger space. I’m so thankful to have a dad like him.

All my wonderful clients deserve appreciation as well. I appreciate the loyalty and support they’ve shown me over the years. Their trust in my skills, kind words, and referrals genuinely means the world to me and I’m honored to have each and everyone of them as a client. It’s been a privilege getting to know and befriending the wonderful people that chose me to be their hair stylist. I treasure all the amazing things they’ve let me create with their hair and all the parts of their lives they share with me. I’m so endlessly grateful!

Website: http://www.vagaro.com/creationsbybai

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creations.by.bai/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creations.by.bai136/

Other: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Creations.by.Bai

Image Credits
Devin Armstrong

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