Long before I ever went to beauty school, I was the salon kid.

My mom and grandmother's salon sat on the main street of our small Alabama town — the only salon in town. From elementary school on, I was there. Sweeping hair after cuts, wiping down windows, restocking the wash bowl, and eventually earning my way up to rolling perm rods. Every client in town knew me by name. Some people might say we were breaking a few child labor laws. I like to think I was getting a head start on a lifelong career.

My mom raised me on her own. On top of a full schedule behind the chair, she worked a second job to keep our family going. The school bus dropped me off at her salon every afternoon, and I'd spend the rest of the day there until she was done. I didn't fully get it back then, but watching her put in that kind of work — every single day, without complaint — is where my work ethic came from.

Here's the thing most people don't know about me: I never loved school. I have ADHD, and sitting still in a classroom was miserable. I dropped out of college twice. But I always wanted to be a teacher. That dream never went away — I just needed to find a subject I could actually focus on.

So I did what everyone else in my family had done all along: I picked up a pair of shears. It clicked instantly. Hair was the first thing in my life I could lock in on with my hands and really go deep with. Walking into beauty school already knowing a little about a lot of things in the industry is still one of the best feelings I've ever had. My plan at the time was simple — become a stylist, then teach at a beauty school one day. I had no idea where it was actually going to take me.

I ended up at the AVEDA Institute of Tallahassee almost by accident. All of my friends were heading off to college, and I wanted that same "moving away" experience. The receptionist from my mom's salon had recently moved to Tallahassee, and that was enough of a nudge to point me toward the school. I packed up everything I owned, drove to Florida, and started my real life.

I worked full time all the way through beauty school to pay for the move, the apartment, and the tuition — all of it, on my own. It was the first time in my life I had ever truly taken school seriously, and I wasn't scared, because failure wasn't an option. Outside of class I was shadowing local stylists and signing up for every continuing education course I could find. I had a clear picture of who I was trying to become, and I chased it.

The turning point came in the middle of a hair extension class I was taking while still finishing school. The company teaching that class was based in Utah — a salon, its own hair extension and product line, and a traveling education business that toured the country every other weekend. They offered me a job, and it became the dream version of a first job out of school. My first flight ever was the one I took to Utah. At the time I had no idea that flight was the start of years of flying every other weekend to teach.

I worked my way up at that company to top stylist and lead educator, and eventually collaborated with the brand on my own signature color shade. My very first class as an educator was in Scottsdale, Arizona — and it's a core memory, because my first instructor from beauty school flew out to support me. That first class turned into hundreds of classes and thousands of stylists over the next few years.

After almost three years, I decided to bet on myself. I left that job, started my own education company, spent one more year in Utah planning and teaching my own classes, and then asked myself a simple question: If I had never moved to Utah, where would I be right now? The answer was Tampa. Friends I'd made in beauty school had ended up there, I loved the city, and it felt like the version of my life I had skipped over. So I took the money I had saved from teaching and invested it in the move.

Today, I live and work in Tampa, where I offer custom hair extensions, precision cuts, advanced color, and personalized styling. Outside of the chair, I plan and teach classes across the country — advanced color techniques, innovative styling methods, and the content strategies stylists actually need to build a personal brand in this industry. I've taught on stage at every major beauty show in the country, including Premiere Orlando, America's Beauty Show in Chicago, and the BeWell Show in New York. I've also expanded into online education, which has let me teach stylists all over the world — reaching pros in countries I never imagined my classes would land in. I've partnered with one of the biggest beauty brands in the world, been featured in industry articles on trends and the business of hair, worked on celebrity clients, and in 2024 I was named one of Modern Salon's Top 100 Stylists of the Year.

But the accolades aren't why I do it. There is no better feeling than watching someone's face change in the mirror — the moment they see themselves and actually feel good about their hair. That's the part of the job that still gets me every single time.

If the salon kid sweeping hair on main street in Alabama could see where this all went, he'd be proud. I'm still chasing the teacher dream that started all of this — just on a bigger stage than I ever imagined. I want to keep growing what I've built, and I want to keep being a real resource for stylists who are figuring out this industry.

I played hard, but I worked harder. You get what you work for — not what you wish for.

If you want to book a service, take a class, or just reach out, you can find me on social or at stew@stewstylez.com.