Meet Trailblazer April Hanley

Today we’d like to introduce you to April Hanley.

April, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have known I wanted to be a hairstylist since I was 11 years old. When I told my parents, they attempted to dissuade me. I attempted a few other careers. Hotel Management was one. Then I went into the financial sector for a while but I was so creatively stifled and I knew what I wanted to do.

It was on a 2003 solo, backpacking trip to India that I decided I was going to go home, quit my job, and go to beauty school. It was a hard decision, but one I’m so glad I made.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This road was anything but smooth. Quitting a comfortable job to pursue my passion was horrifying to me.

After I finished school, I worked at 2 corporate salons. I attempted to open a salon on South Broadway and I failed miserably. The reason for my failure was the lack of knowledge and mentorship. I went back to a corporate salon to regroup and find my path again. I spent three years getting my footing back.

I’ve since re-opened a solo salon suite and I’m growing! I attribute that growth to seeking out business coaching and all the classes (technique, business, marketing) that I could get ahold of. I’ve since joined Thrivers Society, a business coaching course directed at Hairstylists and reshaped my business and its direction.

My advice for new stylists is to never, ever stop learning. Take every post-school course you can and practice it. This industry evolves at a breakneck pace. It can seem daunting and overwhelming but get past those first three years of licensure and it will all become second nature.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
As a stylist, I specialize in fashion colors and creating something special that was tailor-made for the person in my chair.

I believe what sets me apart from others would be my ability to really intuitively listen to what the person in front of me is saying, and creating what they want even if they don’t actually know what they want. Treating every consultation as if it were the first time in my chair. Whether they’ve been coming to me for 10 years or they just found me. Everyone needs to know they are important to me.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
The biggest barrier in my industry, in my opinion, is the stereotype that we’re all party-hard people who are not professional. That we are flaky, and are terribly broke and will never be able to retire. This industry however, has seen a shift in the past 25 years or so, and the above is simply not true anymore.

As for female leadership in general, it’s that we haven’t learned to trust other women. We are one another’s greatest resource and knowledge bank and we need to learn to draw each other in and create a tribe of women leaders to lean on. At the same time we need to be mentoring the upcoming generation of strong, women leaders.

Pricing:

• Haircuts $55
• Colors $75 (and up)
• Extensions (by consultation)

Contact Info:

• Address: Inside Phenix Salon Suites
  14500 West Colfax Ave, Suite 121
  Lakewood, CO 80401
• Website: http://www.thevelveteenhair.com
• Phone: 303-522-9655
• Email: aprilhan076@gmail.com
• Instagram: @thevelveteenhair
• Facebook: @aprilhanley-hairstylist

Image Credit:
Cierra Covington

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