Meet Heather Thyng

We were lucky to catch up with Heather Thyng recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I stumbled into the world of cosmetology somewhat accidentally I had graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and a minor in marketing, in the height of economic crisis that was 2009, aka the Great Recession. At the time I was working as a bartender, making way more money than I ever would have in a corporate entry level job. And so I knew I wanted to go back to school (because restaurant money is good, but restaurant hours can be brutal) but for what? I didn’t love the subject matter of a business degree, and I didn’t love the idea of paying for a Master’s degree.

When I was young, my Mom sold Mary Kay makeup, and I always loved it. And from bartending, I knew I could stand for long shifts, make small talk, and multitask, and ultimately, I’m a people pleaser. Enter cosmetology school. The program was cheaper, and quicker than a Master’s degree. So there I found myself, enrolled in September’s cosmetology class, three months after I finished college. In a room full of mostly 18 year olds, who had pretty much all been told, usually by their guidance counselor, they weren’t smart enough to get into college, so “hair school was a better choice”.

I was shocked, and I was annoyed. Annoyed that young women were brushed aside by adults, because they didn’t fit into a societal mold that a few people decided was the “correct career path”. Annoyed that cosmetology wasn’t considered a real job. Annoyed that a profession that requires learning and practicing a skill, being a business person, a chemist, a therapist, an office administrator, a marketing and networking guru, and is so many more things, was brushed aside as some sort of pretend job. Some passer-by career until you find your ‘real’ profession.

Today, 15 years later, I’m not annoyed, I’m outraged. And from that my purpose, and passion has come grown and flourished.

My purpose is to leave my industry better than I found it.

To have people respect and understand what it is we REALLY do. And I don’t just mean the hair and the social media profiles. How we make people feel. How we hold space for them in their darkest times, and brightest. The gift it is to bear witness to their best moments, and support them in their hardest. That is the real work, and it’s not easy work, and not everyone can do it.

My purpose is to teach young and established stylists alike, so that they feel educated, and empowered to not only be a better stylist, but to also reshape how people view hairstylists. To help young people know that college is not the only feasible option for all students. To illustrate that trades are just as respectable and vital as other profession.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a hair stylist and salon owner of Sparrow. I just celebrated my seventh year of salon ownership! I work in the salon through the week, and spend my weekends working with wedding parties. I have over 3o weddings booked this year alone! I’m currently working on creating educational wedding courses for other hairstylists. I really love any and all things involved in the wedding process. And over the last few years have really leaned into that area of focus.

To celebrate seven years of Sparrow, I did a rebrand of my logo, and I am so happy with how it turned out! Anna Grace Design absolutely nailed it all. I’m currently in the process of having my website redesigned as well.

The rebrand just feels like a great way to celebrate what I have accomplished over the last seven years, but also a great way to kick off the next chapter.

I’m so excited to step into the role of educator, because I feel like not only can I help other stylists succeed, but also grow their businesses, and leave the industry better than we found it!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Attention to detail – I felt like in order to be taken seriously as a young female in business, I couldn’t afford to make careless mistakes. However, meaningful mistakes that provided feedback were plentiful and beneficial.

Curiosity – I always found myself, and still find myself, wondering how people do things, and if there is a better way, and then trying it. Some things work, some things don’t. It’s always feedback, and incredibly helpful. Stay curious.

Persistence – I just never felt like failure was an option. Sometimes, often actually, I didn’t know how I was going to make something work, but I just picked one avenue, tried it, and went forward from there.

I opened my salon quite literally on a whim, so it was a sink or swim type of baptism by fire, but I learned so much from just paying attention, staying curious, and being persistent when I failed. It’s not failure, it’s just feedback.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Other hairstylists! My local community of hair stylists have been my biggest cheerleaders. They’ve been so supportive when that little voice creeps up, saying that maybe I shouldn’t post it, and maybe I shouldn’t host that class. I don’t think that they know how much they’ve encouraged me to continue! I also love to continuously learn from them, and share our processes, in hair and in business. It’s so empowering to be surrounded by strong, intelligent women, who know their value and what they bring to the table, and it’s an honor to sit at that table with them!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sparrowhairstudio.com
• Instagram: SparrowHairStudio
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/SparrowHairStudio
• Linkedin: Heather Thyng, Sparrow Hair Studio

Image Credits

all via instagram profiles

Headshot @Leahs_Lens_

Logos (2) @annagrace.design

Salon Photos (2) @MarissaElisePhotography

working/action shots (2) @JessieDPhoto

hair photos (2) me