Meet Sara Montoya of Pleasant Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Montoya.

Hi Sara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2015 I became the mother of a little boy who refused to let anyone cut his hair. He was barely three years old the first time he walked into a barbershop. He was so excited about the barber chair, eyes wide open as he watched all the big boys laughing & grooming, he was even given a chocolate donught from the kiddie table. None of it meant anything after the Wahls came out vibrating and hissing in his ear. He’d seen enough. It was later that night that my research began on Pinterest to learn how to give the best mommy-cut I could.

I fumbled with shears at first and eventually worked up the courage to use clippers. After buying some cheap clippers & deep diving into YouTube I felt that I could pull it off. With each cut came progress & compliments from friends & family. Then the Covid lockdown caused many barbershops & salon’s to close while essential workers had hair that continued to grow no matter the social state of the world. My father was one of those essential workers & he approached me about cutting his hair for him, “just until his barber could open up shop again”.

Eventually, I was encouraged to make it official by earning my license. I’d always done my own hair in increasingly alternative styles so I knew I was comfortable with women’s hair but Barbering would be a real challenge & men’s grooming increasingly became an art I was passionate about.

My father never went back to his barber & my son has never had his hair cut by anyone but me. His Mommy.

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?
I entered barber school at the age of 36. I had experienced multiple career changes by then mainly ‘ having a background in tech, health food/supplements as well as extensive customer service. I was terrified I would not only be the only woman but that I’d be old enough to be everyone’s mother. To my surprise there was not only a woman my age but there were four of us & two young men. They were the most optimistic, driven & talented group of people that I could have met during such a vulnerable time in my life. They were the catalyst to a smooth transition from old to new & I am eternally grateful to have experienced this journey with them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a traveling barber/stylist who works with ClipDart, a cross country movement revolutionizing hair care with cultural competency, tailoring services to meet the needs of our clients through on-site hair care. Our mission is to improve mental wellness, provide services to those with restricted access, with the intention of creating a world free of hair care inequity. I genuinely listen to my clients & their vision to best help them feel their most confident selves.

Any big plans?
In the future, I would love to open a space for creative artists who specialize in different aspects of the hair industry wether that be barbers, curl specialists, lockticians, braiding, blonding, hair extensions etc. All with the goal of executing the clients vision with precision & care.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_scissorhandz

Image Credits
,Images all free use or taken by me, still shots from video content.