Meet Trailblazer Lyndsey Green

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyndsey Green.

Lyndsey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started cosmetology school immediately after dropping out of college. I was pursuing a masters in Fine Arts and instantly became disenchanted with the idea of spending the next four to six years of my life doing what other people thought was good for me. In my spare time I had been doing my friends hair and makeup for events like homecoming, prom, graduation, and weddings, but I never really thought I could be a hairdresser. Everyone in my family had graduated from university and I felt like I was expected to do the same. I completed my first year at community college and realized it just wasn’t for me. In March 2013, I enrolled at the Aveda Institute New Mexico, I started following my passion for the beauty industry and it really changed my life for the better.

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?
It has not always been a smooth road, but that never stopped me from enjoying the ride. After graduating from cosmetology school, I took a six-month position as a full-time paid assistant. I was an assistant for a 10-year Master Stylist, and it was no cakewalk. I did EVERYTHING for this person as well as anyone in the salon who needed my help. I was just happy to be there. I learned so much from everyone I worked with, especially my mentor. Some days were so exhausting, but being in on all the action helped prepare me for the work-life I knew I wanted. I was 18 years old when I started as an assistant and constantly struggled with being taken seriously by adults. The thought of building my own clientele seemed daunting, but I knew the experience I was gaining was priceless.
The best advice I could give to any woman starting something new, or trying to build yourself as a business is:

-Don’t give up. There will be days where clients, people, or coworkers might be rude or upsetting. Those days are far and few between the days when you are filled with complete joy from making new connections or making someone fall in love with themselves all over again.

-Have confidence. People feed off of your energy, don’t forget that THEY are coming to YOU for your professional skills and talents.

-HAVE FUN! You only get one life, do what you can while you can!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sparrow Hair Parlour – what should we know?
I started working at sparrow Hair Parlour in June. It has been a salon for 5 years now and is owned by my awesome boss Vanessa Rupas. I am a color specialist but don’t limit myself to just coloring hair, I have regular clients who only come in for cuts as well. I have participated in extensive color theory training, taken classes taught by my idols, but one thing I am most proud of in my career is (*drumroll please*…) I recently moved to Denver and I now work as a full-time stylist and color specialist at Sparrow Hair Parlour in downtown Edgewater. I told myself I would make a big move in my career once I hit five years, and now I am practically starting from scratch, in a town where I barely know anyone. I know there will be some speed bumps to get over as well as hills to climb, but that’s what is so exciting about starting something new.

As a service provider, I think one thing that might set me apart from the rest is: I always go above and beyond for my clients as if they were my most respected relative or loved one. I take the time to treat this person as an individual, not a wife or husband, not a teacher or doctor, just as themselves. The best part of my day is knowing I can help someone feel better about themselves. It doesn’t matter if it takes 30 minutes or 3 hours. Hearing a sigh of relief, or seeing a smile on a stressed-out mom or dad’s face is always a win for me.

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I think the media has a bad habit of reducing women down to objects of beauty or means of entertainment. Many successful women get overlooked because they don’t fit the media’s ideal image of what a female “should be”. Not all of us want to be supermodels, or pop stars, or mothers, or wives. I know many females who struggle in male-dominated occupations, not because of their level of intellect, but because of common misconceptions about women’s roles in society today. I think women face more opportunities now than ever, but that doesn’t mean we don’t struggle to get to where we want to be. I think most women are undereducated about what we are capable of doing and just how many opportunities are available.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5701b w25th street
  Edgewater, Denver, Co
• Website: SparrowHairParlour.com
• Phone: 303-238-1889
• Email: Lyndseyg123.lg@gmail.com
• Instagram: @LyndseyGreen.Hair
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyndseygreen.hair/

Image Credit:
Taylor Grey, Rio Azzuro Productions & 303 Magazine

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