Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Theroux.
Hi Abigail, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started my journey into the hair industry by attending cosmetology school in 2009. Since then, I have worked in several different salons and salon settings, ranging from Cost Cutters and Fantastic Sam’s to a managing a Kid’s Hair, being recruited to work at Regis, and then working for a smaller, independent salon, Fox Den, in Minneapolis. I have learned so much from every place I have worked. learning new skills behind the chair as well as life skills. It all led me to finally working independently. In December of 2021, I, and two other colleagues decided to rent a suite at Salons by JC in Uptown Minneapolis. Thus Conjure Hair Collective was born. Since then, we have been able to grow our business. We have since moved to a more permanent storefront location on Lake Street.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The path my career has taken hasn’t always been a smooth one. My first job behind the chair was a lesson in who not to work for. I struggled to get paid consistently or at all. 6 years into my career, I developed carpal tunnel and required surgery to keep working. It was a devastating setback. I wasn’t sure I would be able to afford the surgery and without being able to have full use of my hands I wasn’t sure what I would do. I had to move out of the town I had been living and working in and move in with my dad while waiting on the go ahead to get the surgery. After battling with my previous employer for a year, I was finally approved for the carpal tunnel release surgery on both of my wrists and made a quick and full recovery. I got back to work as soon as possible.
I took a job at Kid’s Hair. It was nowhere near my first or second choice, but it was a decent job and after the surgery I was just ready to get back into it. that being said, I was beyond thankful when I was recruited by Regis. After working there for a year or so, they shut down the salon and gave us only 5 days’ notice. A week later, after moving to another Regis salon we were informed they were also shutting down that location, this time with only an hour notice. I took it all as a sign to move onto bigger and better things.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Conjure Hair Collective is a queer owned, gender neutral, salon and barbershop located in Uptown Minneapolis. At Conjure Hair Collective We Strive to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the people that come to us for their haircare needs. It is deeply important to me, and my business partner Steph, that everyone that enters our space feels safe and that it is a place they feel comfortable being vulnerable and creative, and that they feel like they are a part of the process as much as we are.
At Conjure, we specialize in gender affirming haircare. We can also be found on Strands for Trans.
We offer a full range of services to meet most haircare needs. I specialize in corrective coloring, vivids, and low maintenance, lived in, styles. We also offer quiet chair options for individuals who just aren’t feeling chatty.
As queer and neurodivergent individuals, ourselves, we are here to cater to anyone who feels their needs haven’t previously been met. We understand that going to the salon can sometimes be uncomfortable and leave you feeling vulnerable, and at Conjure we want you to have the experience you need to make it enjoyable for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.conjurehaircollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigaildoesyourhair/
