Inspiring Conversations with Chelsea James of Forma Collective Salon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea James.

Hi Chelsea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I had a very bumpy beginning. We didn’t have a lot of money and I got into drugs and alcohol very young. I was expelled from high school and went to an alternative school where my education was… not there. I joined the Army as a 14T Patriot Missile Launcher and was successful for about a year and half. I’m gay and back then, the policy was “don’t ask, don’t tell” and I started to get in trouble. I then went back to my old ways and went to prison for dealing/doing drugs. I was court marshalled out and the next 2 years were very blurry. I got very sick with alcoholic epilepsy and the state of MN paid for rehab. Recovery was a rough journey as I had made so many bad choices and a lot to learn. I came back to Denver to make amends and I lived in a man’s basement who was a fashion stylist (something I had never heard of) while working at Direct TV. He asked me to be a model for his show. I had never done that but he offered to take money off my rent, so I was in! Another model didn’t like the results from hair and makeup, and begged me to help. I did and that introduced me to hairdressing. My friends took me to nice salons, something I didn’t even know existed and I then went to Emily Griffith Opportunity School. I remember thinking, hair would probably get boring. How many ways can you cut and color hair?!The industry has proved to be the most creative, expansive, diverse and fulfilling choice, I never knew existed. I started taking advanced education right out of school. Advice from my mentors Dewey and Joyce , whom I assisted for a year and a half. I fell in love and started educating for Loreal Professionnel, the largest beauty brand in the world. I worked my way thru to become one of 13 hairdressers in the world to be on the international team. I have won many awards such as NAHA and I was the first woman to win a Hairbrained Video Award. I own Forma Collective Salon and get to work along side people I admire whom inspire. Forma is expanding, so I spend the majority of my time working on how to add value to our team and guests. I am currently building my independent education to launch soon and we are getting ready to show at Denver Fashion Week on May 19th.

Alright, 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?
LOL well, over time you realize smooth is overrated. If it’s smooth you’re not learning. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot and am currently learning more than I ever had. Building a personal brand and a salon business is no easy feat but I think smooth would make me crazy. I believe we as humans need contrast and you realize, whatever you think is right. Whatever that is, our brains have this amazing ability to confirm. I spend a lot of time playing with my perspective and I do think that has made the biggest impact.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m incredibly excited about expanding Forma Collective Salon to Denver and taking the leap to grow our team. We have incredible stylists who are so so inspiring and talented. Were able to change the beauty narrative because we don’t believe beauty is a particular aesthetic, we believe beauty is when a person feels connected and confident in their aesthetic and we’re here to help them curate it! We are a full service luxury hair salon who participates in every aspect of the industry. We have an incredible culture and believe that each stylist is a unique person with different ideas of a life worth living. We operate using agreements we call the code of honor and beyond that, everyone is able to achieve limitless growth, express themselves and create a career they deem as successful. This allows everyone to feel safe and seen while having the most fun. This translates to our guests experience and it’s really exciting to see it work! We’re extremely dedicated to advanced education and host many inspiring classes and events.

How do you define success?
My definition of success has changed over the years and probably will as I age and get wiser… today it looks like having clarity in purpose. Understanding that my goals are not overnight matters therefore I have been measuring my success much more daily rather than end result. I have goals I have never achieved before, so I have to do things I have never done before. This gets overwhelming because when I’m not “good” at something I can often get disheartened and that’s silly because no one is “good” at things right away. I’ve been letting go of timelines and results and just focusing on accomplishing the daily tasks, I know will get me closer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.formacollectivesalon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseavonnejames?igsh=MWV5am1vdzVjZmJoNQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseavonnejames?mibextid=kFxxJD
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ChelseaVonneJames?si=oM9WSgxjozD_mw6G