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Meet Shannon Thaxton of The Hairless Hippie in Colorado Springs

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Thaxton.

Shannon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved the beauty world and started out in makeup, but your artwork can only be as good as your canvas. My canvas was less than ideal at the time and I initially went to esthetics school at Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver in 2017 with the goal to pursue skincare exclusively, with the hope to solve my own personal skin issues. While I loved skincare and all that it entailed, the world of waxing pulled me in. The instant gratification waxing offers superseded the results I was seeing with skincare, and I soon realized the skincare aspect was still highly prevalent when it came to waxing. Thus the passion was born.

My fiancé and I were doing long-distance during this time because he is in the Air Force, stationed in Nebraska, so I had the opportunity to hone my waxing skills at a high-end day spa in Denver, becoming a specialist in my craft. I then decided to transfer my license from Colorado to Nebraska, and became a Brazilian, brow, and lash lift trainer at a luxury day spa in Omaha. My fiancé then got orders back to Colorado, and when we moved back, I knew I wanted to set down roots for a future business in the state we both grew up in.

I spent the first year back working for a waxing chain and building the business blocks behind the scenes. I had been taking all of the skills and tools I’d picked up along the way from everyone I learned from and storing them for the time when I could decide how I wanted to utilize them. I knew I wanted a waxing boutique business, but the timing wasn’t right until suddenly one day it was. The rental room, the business name, the angels sent my way to help me, all had fallen into place perfectly, at the same time. I had decided to open up The Hairless Hippie because it’s catchy, represents me personally, and I knew in my heart the time was now.

Not only do I specialize in waxing itself, but also in connecting with people, and making my clients feel at home, even in the most vulnerable states. I pride myself on building long-lasting relationships with my clients so that waxing is just something that happens while I’m catching up on their lives. With The Hairless Hippie, I now have the freedom to do what I love and truly feel is my calling, and be able to do it on my terms.

Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, it’s been anything but smooth. That image of the iceberg and what it represents success as comes to mind – where people see the small tip of the iceberg above water and think it was such an easy road to conquer that tiny thing, but what they don’t see below the surface of the water, is the immensity of the rest of the iceberg that you had to slowly pick away at, little by little, to get to where you’re at.

Actually doing services, working one-on-one with my clients, giving them excellent results, that’s like second nature, right brain stuff for me. The business side of things though left-brain stuff that does not come naturally to me. So while I’d love to wax all day every day, I quickly realized I needed to learn the business side if I wanted The Hairless Hippie to be successful. That was a truly humbling experience.

While I was setting up my website, creating my business plan, securing the LLC, etc., I did nothing by cry, doubt myself constantly, and was always going back and forth on whether it was worth it or not to keep going and see this through. I’d then pick myself up, finish the task at hand, and just kept asking, “what’s next?” because I knew I was capable, even if it was difficult, and eventually, the tip of the iceberg started to slowly come to the surface.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Hairless Hippie is a one-woman-show. I specialize in full body waxing but primarily focus on brows and Brazilians. Those are my bread and butter services and could do them all day, everyday. Part of what sets me apart is how passionate I get about every service, no matter what it is.

When I get a good set of grown out brows, I can immediately see the shape within them, and when that shape finally starts to come out, I think I get more excited about it than my clients. It’s like artwork to me. Same with Brazilians, especially first-timers. I love educating clients about what to expect, before, during and after the service, and when I hear them say “that wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be” is like music to my ears – and getting every single hair to give them flawlessly smooth skin is just the cherry on top. Being able to provide quality services that excite me just as much, if not more than, my clients, is such an amazing feeling that I thrive off of.

Waxing will always be my true love, but I also love lashes. Offering lash lifts is an amazing alternative to lash extensions if clients can’t get that service for a plethora of reasons. A lash lift is a process of using a semi-permanent solution to curl the natural lashes, and it lasts for 6-8 weeks. There’s no harsh adhesives, no upkeep, and makes mornings less of a hassle. I really only offer services that I know like the back of my hand. That’s not to say The Hairless Hippie service menu won’t expand someday, but for now, keeping it to waxing and lashes, allows me to truly focus on the client’s privacy and comfort, as those are my top priority and a minimal service menu helps me achieve that.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I’m located just south of Denver in Colorado Springs, and I think it’s the perfect place to start out. We are growing and expanding so quickly, because we have the space and capacity to do so, making it so there’s enough business and clients for everyone. The housing market is booming here, which is a huge advantage, and there are also five military bases here, which means there’s a lot of room for word of mouth to spread quickly.

Pricing:

  • 50% off your first wax (or most expensive wax service if multiple are booked)
  • 15% off for military & first responders
  • 10% off your next service when you prebook
  • $5 off for every client you refer

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Photo of myself in the hat is by Jessica Christie Photography.

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