Meet Trailblazer Julie Duffey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Duffey.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Julie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was very young, I would watch Bob Ross on PBS everyday, Happy trees. 🙂 Got caught digging through my mom’s makeup at the age of three attempting to put it on, haha. That’s when I knew I wanted to draw, paint, basically anything involving art and being creative. I signed up for every art class I could. I asked my mom for professional pencils and a sketchbook and began to master my craft. As I got older, it went from drawing to painting to makeup and hair. I practiced every day trying to challenge myself in new techniques. I wasn’t allowed to color my hair or wear makeup until I was a junior in high school. when that time came it was full force. As soon as I graduated high school, I began beauty school at Aveda Institute. I was 17 and decided if I don’t do it now, I never will. Thankfully, I am happy to say I’ve made a career out of it. I am now a makeup artist and hairstylist at Wisp salon and spa in Parker.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it wasn’t a smooth road. When telling people you want to do hair and makeup as a career, it isn’t always accepted as well as you would think. Many told me I would need two jobs, that those aren’t “real” jobs. It’s also very hard to stay true to yourself in the beauty industry. All the stereotypes and people you get compared to. I felt like I was fighting against a lot to have my dream. I worked hard on not getting chewed up and spit out in the beauty industry. Its hard and people aren’t the sweetest. My advice would be to stay true to yourself. Keep YOUR goals in mind and do what makes you happy. Follow your dreams and ignore the irrelevant comments. People will test you and question you just have to be confident in yourself.

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 am a hair and makeup artist at Wisp salon and spa in Parker. I specialize in color for hair & I am known for fun and creative makeup looks. I am most proud of how far I’ve come in my skillset regarding both hair and makeup. Pushing myself to do looks I’ve never been able to do before. I think what sets me apart from others is how creative I try to be with every look or hair color I do. I try to make each client feel special in their own way. I try to customize each experience so they feel like they have something nobody else does. My relationship with my clients is very important to me.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I grew up in a family that didn’t have much as children and are now business owners and created much success for themselves. My mom’s side of the family came here from Russia and started from the ground up, now all are very successful business owners. My dad grew up very poor and worked 2-3 jobs at a time to make ends meet, he’s now in a very high position in IT. They set me up for success and showed me hard work does pay off.

Contact Info:

• Address: 18575 stage run rd, Parker, CO 80134
• Website: wisphairsalon.com
• Email: julieduffeybeauty@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_julieduffey

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