Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnna Denny.
Hi Shawnna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Getting to where I am now in life was not a quick or easy journey to say the least. I was told at a very young age by my grandmother that I had to do something that made me a lot of money or I’d fail at life. Which lead me to working In almost every general field in one way or another – food/bar industry, payroll companies and call centers, brief stint in the medical field, retail and retail management – you name it I pretty much did it.
Along side working I’ve always needed a creative outlet. Which for most of my life was modeling in some capacity. Whether it was photo shoots or runway I was living for it. Agency work ended up not being my favorite thing in the early 2000s where everything was still riding the coat tails of 90s “heroin chic” and I didn’t fit the aesthetic. I’m not sure how it works these days but back then you operated almost like being a piece of property. You had to ask permission to cut or color your hair. Had to send in measurements anytime you gained or lost weight. It felt awful as a young girl being under the microscope. Well when the agency wouldn’t release me from my contract, I broke it by getting my first tattoo and clearly never stopped decorating my body with them. After that I ended up retiring from agency modeling.
Fast forward to 18 year old Shawnna. I was starting to be in front of the camera again for friends and this time I felt I made my own aesthetic. I wasn’t confined to a box of having to look a certain way, it was amazing! That’s actually when I got picked up for my first hair modeling gig. They loved my tattoos and edgy vibe that I had been previously passed over for. Ended up doing a handful of hair modeling photoshoot and even a runway show. The more I did, the more I became fascinated by the backstage scene and being on studio sets. One of my favorite things about it was the getting ready and the glam! I loved getting my hair and makeup done. So naturally as I got older and kind of phased out of the local modeling scene I decided I wanted to be behind the chair instead of in it!
However, when I finally made that decision and was ready to make the jump the 2020 global pandemic hit. My job closed temporarily and my mental health severely declined alongside having a serious romantic relationship become very unstable and toxic. That only became fuel to the fire I had inside to make something of myself.
Eventually I had gone back to work and at the time where I was working was surrounded by hair stylists. I picked a few of their brains on hair schooling options. The thing is, I was looking for hair only. I didn’t want to do nails, makeup, facials etc. just hair. Ended up getting connected with Sally Rogerson. A known educator in the industry. She wanted to meet me. The Sally Rogerson wanted to meet little ol’ nobody me. So I went. I met her at her new school the SR Academy. It still feels like it was just yesterday. She was showing me around the school and talking to me as if I already went there. It was incredible. She loved my rock and roll attitude and we bonded over a love of alternative music. Little did I know that conversation would change my life. Sally asked me to enroll with her first class starting about 2 weeks from when we met. However there was one problem… I couldn’t pay for it. I tried every possible thing to make money (legally lol). I even almost refinanced my car so I could use it as collateral for a loan. Ended up calling Sally and told her I wasn’t going to be able to go to her school because I couldn’t afford it. I told her all the ways I had tried and I could only come up with about 500 dollars.
She told me she’d see me Monday and we’d figure it out. That moment changed my life. She saw something in me. She saw the fire. She saw the fight. And I showed up Monday morning. I ended working a total of 3 jobs to make it happen, cleaning of the school, running social media accounts, and a receptionist job at a salon in downtown Phoenix. Determined was an understatement.
In a little over a year I graduated. I immediately started training under Traci Barrett at Snapdragon. Traci was amazing! With all of her experience in all areas of the industry she gave me so much knowledge and experience over the 2 years I was with her. We got to not only work in the salon together but we got the opportunity to travel for jobs across the country and got to live out a dream of mine of doing rockstar hair before they walked out on stage. It was incredible. Left the toxic relationship I was in behind, and moved out on my own. Then, I was ready to start taking my own clients. No more training wheels. Here we are, 6 years later. I now work at Snapdragon full time, I am in the healthiest and most loving relationship I have ever been in, I quit habits like drinking / smoking and most importantly- I get to still be me.
Unfortunately I was told earlier this year after a trip to the hospital in January there is a high possibility I have Endometriosis. A full body disease with no cure. My life got flipped upside down. Though it has not been an easy journey, with the proper routines and an amazing support system I’ve managed to get some footing with it. I’ve had to cut back on being behind the chair as much but I am still in the salon five days a week! Three days behind the chair and two days up at the front desk. With possible surgeries in my future I am grateful to have the most incredible support team through all of this filled with family, friends, coworkers and even strangers on the internet! Shout out to all of you and thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh gosh no, life has never really been “easy.” I went through an extremely toxic relationship that had me in a dark and confusing place for a long time. I had a therapist actually tell me at one point that I was stuck in survival mode. Constant fight or flight. Once I got out of that and out on my own I was able to heal and regulate my nervous system again.
I also stopped relying on substances to fill the void. Alcohol and nicotine had a chokehold on me for years. Then it hit me one night while I was out at a bar alone- I couldn’t keep doing it. I was so depressed when I got home from drinking I would just want to go drink the next day to feel better. It’s a vicious cycle. I quit it all. First alcohol and then smoking.
Then of course my current on going battle with Endometriosis. One day at a time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Yeah so like I had mentioned I am a hairstylist now at Snapdragon Salon here in Phoenix. @stylesbyshawnna on Instagram. I specialize in razor cutting, extensions and custom color work! Doing tons of vivid colors and blonding. I feel like I’m most known for the rock and roll edge mixed with a “witchy” vibe. I love creating fun and funky looks for my clients while maintaining the integrity of the hair! I’ve got an eye for the details and slight perfectionism haha. I also am a real 100% transparent stylist. I will tell you straight up if something won’t work, if the hair may become too compromised during the process, or if I am not the best fit to do the job. That being said I will always point you in the right direction to achieve the desired look, even if it’s not me! I feel like clients really appreciate the honesty and transparency.
I’m probably most proud of my dedication, the growth I’ve had in my salon work, and time working on set or backstage. The highlight for sure was probably getting to do Måneskin‘s hair before their show here a few years ago. Rockstar hair was always a dream and in so grateful I got to live it out.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Phoenix. I always have. The mix of cultures and art and there’s always things going on! I also love the music scene here. Always been kind of popping in and out of it over the years.
Something I feel that has kind of progressed a lot is the amount of drugs and violence unfortunately. It seems a lot of people are angry these days. And I mean hey, I get it to a point right? The world is pure chaos right now and there is tons of things to be upset about, totally. However, we should be banning together, not separating. Makes me sad.
Also… if we could just stop all the construction everywhere… lol
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @whereisshawnna @stylesbyshawnna
Image Credits
Alana Eilene
Alyssa Pakes
Shawnna Denny
Jared Rygg
