Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Theroux.
Hi Abigail, 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 started cosmetology school in 2009 when I was 20 years old. I attended the Professional Salon Academy in Bemidji, MN. While in school I receptioned at the local Cost Cutters and when I graduated that became my first job as a Cosmetologist. In my early days, I did hair and spa services but soon moved into hair and facial waxing only. I worked at Cost Cutters for 3 years until moving on to Fantastic Sam’s where I spent another 3 years. I developed carpal tunnel that was severe enough I had to take a break from working to get surgery. While waiting for surgery I moved to my Dad’s near the cities as I was unable to work for a while.
Once fully healed, I took a job working at Kids Hair where I managed their Eden Prairie location. While working at the Eden Prairie Center I was recruited to work for Regis in the same mall and I was eager to get back into color, which was always my passion. I spent a year there re-honing my skills as a colorist and getting back into the hair world that I loved, with dreams of working in Minneapolis where I lived. My time at Regis came to an end in 2019 and I got a job at Fox Den Salon on Lake street in uptown Minneapolis. It was the start of the pandemic and everyone’s careers were uncertain. I pushed through anyway, with my mindset on building a new clientele and making my mark in the Minneapolis hair scene.
My dream has always been to own my own business in Minneapolis and after almost 2 years at Fox Den I decided it was time. In December of 2021 I, and 2 other colleagues decided to rent our own suite at Salons By JC and own our own businesses. Thus Conjure Hair Collective was born. We are all independent stylists working under one business name. It reinvigorated my passion for the field of Cosmetology.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been the smoothest of roads. My first job behind the chair was a lesson in who not to work for. I struggled with getting paid on time or even at all. Nothing was consistent and I was worried that I had chosen the wrong path. After leaving my first job and developing carpal tunnel 3 years into my next job finding out I had to stop doing hair broke me. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to afford the surgery, and If I couldn’t do that what was I going to do? I was forced to move out of the town I was working and living in to move in with my dad for a year while figuring out how to get the surgery I needed. After battling with my previous employer I was finally approved and had carpal tunnel release surgery on both of my wrists and was able to make a full recovery and get back to doing what I love. Working at Kids Hair was not my first or even second choice but I just wanted to hit the ground running and they really took care of me there. I was thankful when I was recruited to Regis but after working there for a year they shut down the salon I was working at with 5 days’ notice. We were moved alto another nearby Regis where they shut down a week later, this time with only 1-hour notice. I took it as a sign that I was ready to move on to bigger and better things. Building a new clientele during a Pandemic was a real challenge that I felt I was suited for. After 2 years with Fox Den, I felt fully ready to branch out on my own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a hairstylist that has worked In all kinds of salons, specializing in everything from clippercuts, to kids cuts, to color I have always been drawn to color the most. I specialize in corrective coloring and low maintenance lived in styles. I love the contrast between high fashion fantasy colors and effortless looking sun-kissed highlights. My favorite is when a client comes in with a “vibe” that they want to convey with their hair and we can collaborate on what that will look like for them. Every color is a collaborative effort with the person sitting in my chair. Forming a relationship between client and stylist is one of the most important parts of my job. They want their outside to reflect their inside and to do that you need to form a connection with that person. That is what I am here for. I also specialize in gender affirming hairstyles. Again, it is important for your outside to match your inside no matter who that may be. At Conjure Hair Collective we do not gender our haircuts as we believe hair has no gender. I want our salon to be a safe and comfortable place for everyone that enters. A place they can be vulnerable and creative and feel like they are a part of the process as much as I am.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe that hair styling is a career built on risk taking. If you aren’t willing to take risks you won’t get what you really want. It was terrifying to move to a new city after working in Bemidji for 6 years. Every move I made I had to start over with building a clientele, learning a new color line, learning new techniques. When I first started doing hair there weren’t as many free educational resources as there ar now so every new technique I learned was trial and error. Moving from working full service salon to only doing haircuts for 2 years made me nervous to get back into a full service salon. I had been rejected for a couple of jobs based solely on the fact that I worked at Kids Hair, Constantly having to prove my worth. The biggest risk that I have taken to date has been starting my own business. Hoping my clients would follow and I would be driven and successful has been the most terrifying and rewarding experience of my life.
Pricing:
- Haircuts $50
- Hair color (by consultation)
Contact Info:
- Email: Abigail@conjurehairmpls.com
- Website: Vagaro.com/conjurehaircollective
- Instagram: @abigaildoesyourhair
Image Credits
Abigail Theroux
