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Meet Brittany Schindler of Cellar Door Salon in North Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Schindler.

Brittany, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story starts out like a lot of other people. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, coming out of high school, so I started going to a community college, just like my dad had suggested. I got a receptionist position at a high-end salon. This is when I knew I heard my calling and my career started for me.

During this job, I and was able to assist with the models at Scottsdale Fashion Week. I thought THIS IS IT! I want to be in the hair industry! So off I went to Toni & Guy Academy and man, oh man, I knew that I loved this field and Its ever-changing and incredible creativity.

After graduating cosmetology school in 2009, I started my career at a salon with a prodigious assistant program. I loved it and saw such potential that I thought my best course of action was to pursue the “Head of Assistant Program”. I wanted to make a difference and to show that those steps are most important as a future stylist. I worked there for years, building myself up and growing within the company.

Fast forward to the real nitty-gritty in my career, March of 2017, I started working at Luxxe B. Salon, in Anthem, right after I had my first daughter, Emma. This is when I TRULY fell in love with what I do. I worked with the most inspiring staff, built a full clientele in just over a year, and was on top of the world. In September of 2018, my husband and I had our second child, Ivy. While on maternity leave with my new baby girl, my oldest daughter (who just turned two years old) was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

So here I am, feeding my newborn daughter at the Emergency Room at Phoenix Children’s Hospital while being told that my other daughter, Emma, had an autoimmune disease that will leave her insulin-dependent for the rest of her life. Our lives were turned upside down. We spent nearly a week in the hospital learning everything from counting carbs and blood sugar ranges, this is when I knew that life was changed forever, but I was now a part of a WONDERFUL community that will have our back. People in the Type 1 community will forever be a part of our life and have been such a lifesaver already.

I went back to work three months later, following my leave. Emma’s diagnosis was so fresh, I began to question my every move, including why I was back at work. But, let me tell you, my clients helped me through it all! The bond that I have with my clients is a bond that a lot of the friends you make throughout your life don’t have. Halfway through 2019, I had a decision to make, to stay in my comfort zone, or go out on my own and join forces in a 3-chair suite with my sister and another close friend, Tracy. It was a tough time for both me and my family, some of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my entire adult life, but I knew that I had another purpose so I made the move. Taking that leap of faith was the Best decision of my life!

I was so incredibly scared about the transition, from a Salon to having my own suite. It was so stressful! Not only the emotional distress of the unknown but also thinking;

“Am I going to fail?”

“Is this going to be worth it?”

“Will I make enough money to get Emma’s diabetes supplies?”

“What if I have to start over completely?” There was so much going through my head. BUT I DID IT!

My first month at my new salon was a SUCCESS. It had exceeded all of my expectations and MORE! The transition, all I can say is, WHAT A BLESSING. So here I am now… I went through trials, tribulations, fearing the unknown, braving a new life as the parent of a Type 1 Diabetic, and thriving in the career that has brought me so much positivity in my life. Some of my fellow stylists referred to me as a “Lover of Life”. That statement couldn’t be more true. Being a business owner, as odd as it may sound, brings a lot of relief and takes the stress off of my shoulders. I have the ability to be near, in case my daughter needs me, to be able to PROVIDE for her and my family in so many ways and to still live my dream!

Has it been a smooth road?
What is a smooth road? LOL, There were so many struggles; having to start over my career after having my first baby, being the parent of a Type 1 Diabetic, and breaking away from a salon to go out on my own. All of this happened within three years. The biggest struggle was learning our “new normal” after Emma’s diagnosis; learning how to take care of our daughter all over again. When and where to give insulin, keeping her blood sugar levels in range; those are just a few things that we do on a daily basis. How do we fit this into our life? Will I be able to go back to work? Do I have to put my career on hold to stay home with her? We reached out to the community and found an incredible in-home preschool that has taken on Emma’s condition and embraced it, with an incredible willingness to learn. Not everyone knows how to take care of a diabetic toddler. So needless to say, yes, there have been a lot of struggles, but I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cellar Door Salon – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
We have combined our love for hair in a 3-chair Salon Suite called Cellar Door Salon, inside SPARK at the Happy Valley Towne Centre in Norterra. I share this Salon with my sister, Chelsea Van Wynsberghe, and another great friend of ours, Tracy Baranowski. We thrive on education, new techniques, and building our business into an empire that we are proud of. I am literally living my dream. I specialize in Balayage, it is something that I am very passionate about and have done a lot of education on. It is literally what I live for in this business. Balayage is the perfect way to maintain beautiful hair without a ton of up-keep. Us, as a salon, offer all coloring services, haircuts, Brazilian Blowouts, highlighting services, facial waxing and eyebrow tinting. What sets us apart from the rest is we are literally a family. Every single client is like family, and we pride ourselves on the bonds that we form with them. At the same time, even though we are family, we all bring so much diversity to the table, each one of us compliments the next. I wouldn’t live this dream with anyone else.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The Hair/Beauty industry is ALWAYS CHANGING. But, the amazing part is, it’s always changing for the better. This is one of the industries out there that will forever thrive because of the creativity that embodies it. Social media is only getting bigger, more people are participating in it, and that makes our field get better every day. The hottest trend, Balayage, is probably NOT going anywhere. The whole reason for Balayage is the maintenance and up-keep tends to be less. And to be honest, who KNOWS what the next big thing will be. All I know is, I’m EXCITED!

Pricing:

  • Balayage – Starts at $140 + , can go up depending on product usage
  • Partial Highlight – $95 +
  • Haircuts – $55
  • Root Touch up – $65

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Amy Crooks Photography

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