Conversations with Van Callaway

Today we’d like to introduce you to Van Callaway

Hi Van, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began as a hairstylist nearly 7 years ago! I was looking for a field where I would get to impact my community, get to talk to and meet new people regularly and get to be a creative force daily.
Being a hairstylist has exceeded my wildest expectations of having a dream job.

I have been able to study and learn from some of AZ’s best hairstylists, work on multiple photoshoots and most importantly have a direct connection to my community feeling like their best selves.
I worked at a well known salon in Tempe Az for 5 years before recently making the move to Switchblade Salon in Phoenix.
The connection that Switchblade has to the community of Phoenix is indescribable and a very big reason I decided to make the move.

As much as I loved working at my previous salon I struggled with feeling uninspired and disconnected from being able to do more than just a head of hair.

Switchblade, located close to downtown Phoenix, has been a queer-safe-space for nearly 20 years, it was this among other factors that got me so excited about the move.

At Switchblade we (Alex Shoemaker, owner and stylist of Switchblade) have been able to cultivate a beautifully cozy salon space that welcomes the community to come grab a custom beverage while we talk about how to achieve the best for the hair.
With such a safe space as Switchblade I’ve found my clients feel at peace to be themselves, process what they need to and leave feeling like their best version of themselves.
In just a few months I’ve welcomed dozens of folks into the space and have found they’ve been searching for exactly what we are cultivating here!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle feels like anxiety as a whole. As an adhd creative type I have thrived in the day to day of hairstyling. Big picture can be hard to keep in mind when it comes to budget, planning and the back of house and structure of running one’s own chair. It’s much more fun to do good hair and be done, getting to leave it all behind. I was anxious that I would have more crossover from my personal life and rest time into work and that would only add to burnout.
And I was so so burnt out already.

It’s interesting that, with some exploration of channeling my adhd instead of fighting it, I found I was fully capable of experimenting with structure. Part of the journey as of recently has been letting go of the idea of perfect. Whether it’s the perfect schedule, the perfect support environment, the perfect clientele, it’s an impossible task.
I focus on what I can control and put positive energy into and it’s gotten me a lot further than stressing about what my employer is going to do in the next fiscal year lol
I have all the information and I’m responsible for and capable of it.
It’s been more freeing than anxiety spiking so far.

To summarize,
This journey has been focused on the exposure therapy of taking deep breaths and staying positive through the roadblocks.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I LOVE my work. Specifically the over all end result of a guest spending a few hours with me. When I get to hand them the mirror and show them what we achieved together?? It’s an indescribable feeling.

What I’m most proud of is my ability to consult with a guest/client. My favorite thing to do is come up with a battle plan after understanding what exactly my guest wants or doesn’t want.

At my previous salon I was able to create their consultation form that was used before any hair coloring or chemical service. This gave me a good opportunity to fully understand what was needed in the first 15 min of a hair appointment.
What I found was that a person who felt understood about what they were asking for (regardless of if it is achievable) and then understood what I could offer them was always more likely to love their hair and their time with me than someone who didn’t feel heard in the consultation.
This is the reason I focus on my consultation first and foremost when it comes to my work.

My work shows this as my clientele keeps me busy and always on my toes with new ideas or journeys for “the hair”!

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve gotten to learn from and work with some truly amazing human beings!
The first that come to mind is the dynamic duo: Sarah Eugene (@IAMSARAHEUGENE) and Rena Lucero (@RENA_DID_THIS)
They have been educating forever and hairstylists for a few decades between the two. I got to work with them for a few years after learning from them in cosmetology academy and I have so much to thank them for when it comes to what I’ve been able to learn from everything from technique, to formula, to connection with a human being, to being a warm experience to others.

Another rock of mine has always been Marissa Aguilar (@MAMA.RITZZ) who is and will continue to be a force of nature and one to watch when it comes to hair, art in general.

Of course we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Alex Shoemaker owning and running Switchblade, I’m ever grateful for their commitment to good hair and good connection to their community.

I could never go without thanking and giving props to Dominic Phillips (@MINIC.MANOR) my partner. He and I met and fell in love a few years into my career and have been ever inspired to be exactly myself and pursue my highest good which has led me into some of the best moments of my life and career so far.

Pricing:

• Color Pricing Begins at $110/hour
• Cut $100/hour
• I offer gender affirming haircuts at a discounted rate for trans clients
• $50 new client appointment – includes consult, customized treatment and style!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Vanschair.com
• Instagram: @Vans_chair
• Other: https://Vanschair.glossgenius.com

Image Credits
Van callaway