Meet Kelly Coleman | Hairstylist

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

Hi Kelly, what inspires you?
My greatest inspiration in my career as a hairstylist is my Grandma or “Nama” as I call her. She is a woman of strength and kindness whose dream was to be a hairstylist. She sacrificed everything to raise her family and never did pursue a career as a stylist. That being said, her sense of fashion and beauty is top notch, and I’m certain that she would have been the best in the business, given the chance! I can only hope to be half the woman she is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
To all my fellow stylists, I believe we share the sentiment that becoming a successful hairdresser is not easy. Aside from the late hours and weekends, most of us have heard at one point that becoming a hairdresser is the “lazy way out”, or the “career for those who can’t get through college”. I’ve even been told “there’s no way you’ll make any money in the long run as a hairdresser”.

Fortunately I had a passion for this industry that made it easy to block out the discouraging words early on in my career. I spent the first 5-7 years hungry for education and wanting to learn everything I could regarding hair. The thing about being a hairstylist is that I have the opportunity to brighten someone’s day- every day. Being a hairstylist is so much more than doing hair. We build relationships with our clients where we truly get to experience the ups and downs of these people’s lives- marriage or divorce, pregnancy announcements and miscarriages, job promotions and job losses. My “job” may be to make beautiful hair, but my purpose is to make my clients know that they are being heard and that they have someone to talk to through the good and the bad.

All that being said- my passion in the hair industry is creating lived in styles and making my clients “everyday” a bit easier without creating a high maintenance style for them. I can’t do magic, but I can take the time to discuss with each and every client what their desired look is, and then approach each head of hair as a piece of art work to customize to the beautiful people that I serve.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The greatest part of New England is our experience of the four seasons, specifically Autumn. I’d love for anyone and everyone to experience Autumn in New England, at least once. A perfect day here would involve breakfast at Rice fruit farm before going off on a drive through the Berkshires, a little bit of shopping at The Yankee Candle store and a trip down the road to Treehouse Brewing Company for the greatest beers and delicious pizza! I’d also highly recommend exploring Boston, but grab a coffee at Sawdust coffee on the way! Cape cod is another great place to see while visiting, having your favorite seafood for lunch (of course!) and definitely grab an icecream from Sundae School.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I always knew I wanted to be a hairstylist. Even when I was pushing my way through a college career because that was expected of a recent highschool graduate, I always knew I’d end up behind the chair. Coming from a family of ten siblings, I had the opportunity to experience with cutting hair at a very young age- believe it or not my siblings were willing to give me a chance on their heads! Around the age of 13, I asked a dear family friend and hairstylist, Lynda, if she could give me some pointers. She happily showed me all she could in the time we had. I’m forever grateful to her for that because I wholeheartedly believe she was a part my journey in becoming a stylist.

Years later, once I had been through cosmetology school and had landed a job at a cute little salon, I quickly found myself admiring the work of my coworker- Heather. I began my career as an apprentice and knew it would take time to grow but Heather was only a few years older than I and she was amazing! I found myself watching her work and listening to her interactions with her clients. All I wanted was to be as successful as Heather. I’m thrilled to share that Heather’s success has continued as she is now a salon owner and although we no longer work under the same roof, we remain friends and she will forever be someone I respect, in and out of the salon.

Instagram: Hair.by.kellymarie

Facebook: Kelly @ Studio S Salon

Image Credits
Samantha Murray Photography