Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Ramsey.
Erin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
This is a second career for me. I initially went to college and got a four-year degree, and was primarily working in Finance and Accounting. I did this for 10 years before deciding to stay home when I had my daughter, Olivia in 2009.
That’s really when the bug hit me. I had this tiny voice in my head that kept telling me that I should pursue hairdressing. My daughter was in preschool and I met another mom who was in hair school. That’s really going it clicked – I CAN pursue this! It is possible to be a mom AND go back to school to do something I really love. I had my second child, Levi in 2013 and when he was one, I enrolled in the same program the mom I had met at preschool did, Arts & Education Hairdressing Academy in Superior, Colorado ran by Mary Cahill and Holly Tignor. Being a 38-year-old mother of two children in school with other students who are much younger than me was intimidating at first. But, I clicked with the other students and really loved my time there. It was an apprentice program, where I went to school on Mondays and then worked at a salon in Evergreen for the rest of the week. As I passed certain blocks (i.e., men’s haircutting, women’s haircutting, color…) I was able to see clients at the salon and charge student prices. Being a mother, this program was perfect for me. I was able to work part-time at the salon, get the education I needed and still be a mom! Sadly, the school is no longer around, but I am so grateful it was when I needed it. It took me two years of accruing my hours and working part-time in a salon to get enough hours to be eligible to take the state boards to receive my Hairstylist License. It was such a feeling of accomplishment to receive my license with all the responsibilities I have as a mother and wife.
I worked at Alpine Ridge in Evergreen for a year and a half before deciding to break out on my own and become my own boss in May of 2019. I share a two-chair salon with another hairstylist, Sunshine O’Brien, in Evergreen, CO. Our space is beautiful, fun and relaxed. It’s a wonderful feeling to come to work and really do what I love. I am so fortunate and very grateful that I had the opportunity to take the leap. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing husband, Ryan.
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?
I don’t think any passion worth pursuing as a career is smooth. It definitely was a struggle to balance being a mother and going back to school. Being in a creative industry can be hard. There are days when an appointment doesn’t go as you thought it would, or you have a client who is a little more difficult and makes you question if you should be doing this. I think that is all a part of the journey of being human! We will make mistakes. We will struggle. You have to give yourself grace. Grace to learn and grace to make those mistakes. That is where you really learn and grow. There are still color corrections that I take that I am scared to do. The only way you grow is by doing things that are outside your comfort zone.
My other piece of advice is to brand yourself. Even if you work in a salon, or if you are just a student in hair school. There are website templates that make it easy to create a really creative, professional-looking website. Create a website and also have professional Facebook and Instagram pages. Get a logo. And know who your target market is! What age, income-level, style, etc. is the person you want in your chair? Know this and create your brand around it.
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?
I specialize in lived-in looks. The balayage look achieved either with traditional hand painting or through foils. I love adding in “more dark” if someone comes to me as a one-dimensional blonde. My cuts are the same. I enjoy doing cuts with more textured ends and layering that you can’t really see – what I call invisible layers – that only pop out when you curl your hair.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
I find that this industry has historically been viewed as competitive. Working in a small town I see all hairstylists in Evergreen as part of my “hair tribe”. I started a facebook group just for hairstylists in Evergreen, so we can lean on each other for support. I don’t compete with anyone other than myself. I think if you view your career that way, you will go far.
Contact Info:
- Address: 30922 Hilltop Drive
Evergreen, CO 80439 - Website: www.erinramseyhair.com
- Phone: (720) 460-1533
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinramseyhair/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinramseyhair/
Image Credit:
Erin Ramsey, Tamara Dawn Photography
Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
