Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Smith.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shannon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Well, I pretty much grew up in salons, and as far back as I can remember, around the age of five I knew what I wanted to do. My mom is a hairdresser and I remember if I ever felt or had a bad day I would always go visit her at the salon where she would cut, color, and/or style my hair. And I would LOVE it, she would make me feel so much better about everything. Even on teacher work days or when school was closed, I would go to work with my mom at the salon and I was just mesmerized about seeing her passion for hair come to life. The way she interacted with her clients, they weren’t just a number to her they were an individual, a friend, who would sit in her chair and be transformed. They would leave with a smile on their face, an appreciation for my mom, and I knew it was something special that I wanted to be a part of. I started off sweeping hair from all of the clients to folding the towels and the capes. I even would practice “doing” hair by putting rollers in my dad’s hair while we would wait for my mom to be done for the day. From there it really became about absorbing as much information as I could about the business. I would practice haircuts and color on any friend, family, or willing “victim”. I eventually ended up in cosmetology school and apprenticing at the same time. I went to work with my mom for 14 years, then we became business partners for three years, and as of today, I am a proud owner of my own salon for the past year.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think for any person following their passion or dream there are always challenges. For me, it was the same. I was 17 and living on my own, working two jobs while putting myself through cosmetology school. Coming home after working all day and being exhausted but still having to find the time to work on color formulas, formulating, and practicing my hair techniques was a challenge more often than not. To then fast forward to where I was working with family. Working side by side with my mom but also my sister, who was our salon manager, was challenging as well. Having to learn how to balance family life and work life together, to the leave the family at the door was not always easy. Today, there are there own separate challenges of being a sole business owner. It’s not always easy to have do everything by yourself, for example, holding yourself accountable can be a challenge in its own.
Please tell us about The Salon of Classic AutoSmith.
What sets my salon apart from other salons is that my husband and I merged our passions together. He owns his own storage and consignment as well as a full-service shop for classic, vintage, and exotic cars. I opened my salon in the showroom of his business. While getting your hair done, you are looking out at not only really cool and unique but sometimes you may also see a once in a lifetime vehicle. I have a full-service salon where I deliver expert styles, cuts, and color. I strive in challenging myself to always continue my education, to stay inspired, but to also stay on top of the latest fashion trends. My husband and I wanted to merge our passions into one to offer a one-stop adventure for clients, offering outstanding customer service, elite products, and a consistently fun atmosphere. You never know who or what will be out on the showroom. You might even see my father in law, Skip Smith, the host of the tv show Caffeine and Octane.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, nothing. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my upbringing, challenges, and experiences that made me who I am.
Contact Info:
- Address: The Salon of Classic AutoSmith
1819 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068 - Website: www.salonclassicautosmith.com
- Phone: 470-358-9254
- Email: shannon@salonclassicautosmith.com
- Instagram: thesalonofclassicautosmith
- Facebook: @salonautosmith
- Twitter: salonautosmith.com
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