Meet Elizabeth Paige

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Paige. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with elizabeth below.

Elizabeth, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I believe that, for me, confidence and self-esteem will be a constant journey of leveling up. When it comes to my work behind the chair, I think we get to a point where there has been enough knowledge and skill built to know that whoever sits in your chair will leave feeling better than when they came in. That hasn’t always been the case, but with each client comes a new experience—to either try something new or perfect your current craft.

As with anything I try to get better at, it requires constant exposure therapy. When I first began my journey as a hairstylist, we were taught, “fake it till you make it,” and although I don’t truly believe in that statement, there is something to be said about believing in yourself and your capabilities. It’s important to know that while some have gifts that set them apart from the beginning, it shouldn’t interfere with your potential to also reach that level—use it as inspiration, not as a thief of joy on your journey to success.

From the beginning, one of my instructors told me to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Most of the time, if you’re in a situation that feels uncomfortable, it’s just pointing out an area with room for growth. As these situations happen less frequently with more experience, there are still times when you need to push past your own boundaries to create something new.

A lot of the time, the client experience isn’t even about your skill set. While it’s important to create the look they’re asking for, it’s also very much about connection. Connecting on a personal level—even when your styles may be completely different—is key to relating and blending ideas. The more you get used to interacting with new individuals personally, the more likely they are to return. You can always look to your regular, returning guests as a confidence boost: remind yourself how many people value what you provide and choose to spend their time and money with you consistently.

The more experiences you have in life, the more you level up. A big shift happened for me after I had my daughter. Every day since she started preschool, we say our affirmations together in the car: “I am brave, I am strong, I am smart, I am kind, I can listen, I can have fun, I am beautiful.” When my three-year-old and I first started saying these out loud, I quickly realized I needed them just as much as she did.

It’s a powerful reminder that she isn’t doing as I say—she’s doing as I do. She knows that sometimes things are hard for me too, but if I can do it, so can she. I think we are all our own biggest critics, and that mindset starts so young. Seeing the world through her eyes—the frustration when things don’t go as planned, but the immense joy when they do—has been so rewarding and has shifted my own perspective.

I believe that working through how you’re feeling on the inside can significantly impact your self-esteem, which in turn boosts your personal confidence. The more personal work I do—through therapy, meditation, and yoga—the more I uncover about myself. And the more I’ve looked inward, the less I care about outside perspectives.

It’s so important to be able to sit with yourself and ask: Am I truly happy with me? And if not, where can I improve—or where can I be more accepting of my flaws?

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My hair journey started when I was young, experimenting on my dolls and Barbies. As I grew older, it shifted into shaving my dad’s hair for him. This gave me the confidence to take on my own hair after experiencing a few too many bad haircuts in my small town. I then started doing my friends’ hair, which led me to enroll in cosmetology school.

Originally, I started just as a way to make more money on nights and weekends while I pursued business school. It turns out I really enjoyed it, and I’ve now made it a career—while still managing to complete my business degree.

Now, I am an independent stylist at Pura Salon, located in Plymouth, MN! Behind the chair, my focus is primarily on lived-in color. It gives clients the look of a bright blonde with dimension for a more natural appearance and softer grow-out.

Wella Professionals is my color line of choice, as it consistently delivers lasting, reliable results. I believe the haircut is just as important as the color—I prefer to do both to complete the overall style.

I also provide eyebrow services, including waxing, tinting, and lamination, to tie everything together.

I think it’s so special to help clients customize their look by analyzing the inspiration photos they bring and educating them on how we’ll get there—whether it’s achievable in one session or part of a longer journey toward their goals.

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?

Looking back, my apprenticeship right out of school was the most impactful part of my career. Finding an incredible mentor in the beginning stages is crucial. Make sure you find someone who aligns with you & actually wants to see you grow as an individual. I was so lucky to find mine by chance, but I think you will be able to tell right away if you will be a good fit for each other. And if they aren’t, there is always something you can learn from the experience, so do not get discouraged.

My mentor taught me it’s so important just to show up for your clients. Having to constantly reschedule on your clients is not a great way to build trust. She also taught me to value my time and my work.

I think it is important, when you are starting out, to post when you are available. Work on models when you are free, and a mannequin if you don’t have anyone in your chair. You can also assist other stylists if they are willing to let you lend a hand to help get more hands-on experience.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is: don’t get discouraged. Doing hair in the salon is quite different than the school experience. It will take time to find the salon that is the right fit for you. Building a solid clientele will take time. When you are assisting, it will be a lot of work with little pay, but it is worth every minute of your time in the end.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I believe in our industry, it is so important to recognize your strengths. If you are passionate about certain services and want to feel more confident or learn more about them, it is a great time to invest in yourself and your growth. You will learn early on what you are comfortable doing, but also what you enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy providing a service, I wouldn’t recommend doing that, because we have so much freedom to customize our client experience into something we love showing up to do each day. If you aren’t passionate about a service, someone else probably is, and they would then be a better fit for the client. Do what resonates with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://na0.meevo.com/CustomerPortal/login?tenantId=10297&locationId=100470
• Instagram: @elizabethpaigemn