We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dottie Salamone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dottie below.
Hi Dottie, 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 found my purpose when I became a hair stylist. It allowed me to open up and show my authentic self to other people. Hair is my safe space. It’s creative and transformative. I love that I get to share such a powerful thing with others. It’s not just about being talented at what you do. There’s a certain energy that pours out of me when I do hair that I don’t find as often in my everyday life. I love having deep meaningful conversations with my clients. They feel like an extension of myself, and when I see all the beauty that sits in my chair, I feel so grateful. People are complicated and they want to be heard. It’s just icing on the cake that I can pamper them and share my art with them as well. It makes life very fulfilling.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a hair stylist and salon owner. I have a private loft at Salon Lofts in Lincoln Square, Chicago. Over the last few years I’ve been really into transformative haircuts. I work with a lot of clients that have curly hair. It’s been so rewarding teaching people how to be comfortable with their natural texture and helping them discover new looks. It can be scary finding the right person to help you through a major decision about your hair. Having your hair done is also a highly sensory activity, and there is a lot of emotion involved. I take pride in offering a safe space to allow these transformations to unfold.
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?
The 3 qualities that helped me become the stylist I am today are courage, dedication, and intuition. I had the courage to put myself out there and be willing to fail in order to learn and grow. I stayed dedicated to my craft and sought out as much outside education as possible, and I let my intuition guide me. It helped me connect with my clients and really understand them and their needs. If you are early in your journey, reach out to someone you admire and ask them to mentor you. It will help you see firsthand what it takes to become comfortable and successful in your trade.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I would love to collaborate with other stylists, make up artists and photographers. Aside from being behind the chair at my salon, I absolutely love editorial work. I’ve met some of my best friends behind the scenes. I think it’s so important to connect with other creatives. We all have so much to learn from one another. You can find me at dottie-salamone.com or on Instagram @hairbydot
Contact Info:
- Website: dottie-salamone.com
- Instagram: @hairbydot
Image Credits
Michelle Kaffko-Ebner Chris Murphy
