Kelly Convery is a seasoned hair industry professional, with more than 10 years of industry experience. In 2019, she opened SKC Salon in Edmonton with two other independent stylists, Scirocco and Chelsea; and she welcomed her second daughter into the world. It was a big, and busy, year for Kelly to say the least! We got to know Kelly through our Stylist Spotlight. Check it out below! Tell us a bit about you and your career! How did you get your start, and what has led you to where you are today? I've been in this industry for about 12 years, and it’s been amazing! I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling career choice. To be honest, it kind of happened by accident. My mom was the one who suggested hair school. Two weeks into my schooling I was convinced. I thought this is actually amazing, I haven't looked back since. It has taken a lot of hard work to get me where I am today; our industry isn't easy. You want to please everyone, and sometimes you just aren't the right fit for that specific client, it can be hard not to take it personally or see it as a failure or an, I’m not good enough situation. It took me a while to get to the point of realization that, you know what, for every ten you impress there will always be the one that you don't. We are only human at the end of the day. You salon, SKC, opened in July of this year. As you approach your six month mark, what has been the biggest lesson learned and what has been your favourite part of the experience so far? Opening SKC was and has been amazing. We have obviously had some learning curves and having just had a baby it was overwhelming at times, but my two partners have made it such a fun experience. When you work closely with like-minded individuals and can still hang out with them outside of the salon and not get tired of one another, I think that says a lot about the relationships. We keep each other accountable and I think that is something that you need when running a business. How long have you been working with Great Lengths, what was your inspiration to join the GL network? I’ve been with Great Lengths for about 8 years, and I’ve had them in my hair for about 10. My mentor at the time would always let me watch her client installs, and once she put them in my hair, (regretfully, I had cut my hair into the Victoria Beckham bob at that time) I was immediately hooked. Seeing the look on women’s faces, and how much their confidence sky rocketed once they saw their new look made me realize I NEED to work with this company. What impact has being a Great Lengths Artist had on you and your business? Great Lengths has been such an amazing addition to my business. It has created an additional sense of trust with my clientele, as well as within the industry as a whole. Anyone who has heard of Great Lengths knows the training that comes with being able to offer this service. That value on education is a good indicator to people that the brand isn't gimmicky, and it isn’t something that is going to fade out in a year or two. They have been around for a long time, have won countless awards and are the best extensions out there for your hair. And it shows. What do you love about Great Lengths? What don't I love is the better question! Having had them in my hair for so long, I feel lost without them (for the whole three days in between applications haha). I love that they are ethically sourced, that is a huge factor for me. I love that the bonds are customizable, that the shades never lose their tones and can be altered so easily. I love them because you can just do so much with them; add length, volume, fix a bad haircut, add colour without actually colouring the client’s hair if their hair is already compromised. Plus, once they are in, they are in. There is no coming in every couple of weeks to tighten them. And last but not least, I love the removal. Once their extensions are removed, I love showing clients just how much their hair has GROWN and that it is still in great condition. In addition to being a busy stylist, you’re a mom to two daughters, one under the age of one - how do you manage to do it all? Do you have any advice or time management tips for those trying to juggle a number of things on the go? I have a great support system, my fiancé has been my rock during this whole process, I couldn't have maintained my clientele, opened up a shop, or been the mom I am without him or our family. I’d like to be able to give advice, but I never understood when I asked clients and friends how they did it all, and every response was, you just do, but I totally get it now. You really just do what you need to do. You’ve spoken on Instagram about the importance of education, what led you to speak up about the topic? As cliché as it is, you really don't ever stop learning, and in our industry you need to stay on top of your craft or you will be considered a dinosaur. I think that sometimes people in our industry get to a place of, Oh I’m doing so well, I know everything, but realistically you can be replaced very easily. Keeping yourself up to date is important. If you go to a class and take one thing away from it, you’re already ahead. It’s not like our classes are taught in boring locations; we can be in New York, LA, or somewhere cool like that and that just makes the experience and the education that much better. What is your personal favourite hair trend right now? Why do you love it? I would say my favourite trend at the moment is going grey, and I don’t mean the artificial grey shades, but the natural growing out grey in between colours. Grey hair always had this stigma of being old and unkempt, and I completely disagree. When I see a woman wearing her natural shade with some pops of colour, the first thing I think is, Wow, this woman has so much confidence and does not care what people think.” I just love how the stigma of it is changing. It makes me look forward to when my hair goes that route. Do you have any colour or style predictions for Winter 2019/2020? What I hope comes back, and think will come back, is old school highlights. We have consistently used balayage and lived-in looks as our safety net (no hate to artists who capitalize on these methods), but I think there are a lot of technical aspects and placement/ positioning that you can’t hide with highlights, as opposed to hair painting. Do you have a style icon? Or a hair hero? My style icon is Riawna Capri. I absolutely love everything about her and the 901 Salon. She’s also a Great Lengths artist, so that adds to my love. Everything she does is so natural; it’s like talent and inspiration just ooze out of her hands. And of course, she’s stunning! If you could pick a celebrity, a public figure, anyone at all - whose hair would you love to work on? If I could work on anyone’s hair, I would go back in time and do Britney Spears hair after she shaved it and then had countless types of extensions... the images still haunt me. Ha! What or who do you look to for inspiration? I look to my peers around me. Social media is all smoke and mirrors, I try not to get too wrapped up in it, so I love watching my colleagues and fellow stylists in our area. And of course, my daughters, they inspire me to be a better person and I feel like they’ve helped me connect on a whole other level, not just with clients but with everyone I encounter. What personality traits do you feel are most beneficial to your success? I think being open to criticism, my drive and ambition to continually educate myself and my attention to detail have benefited me. (Especially when it comes to Great Lengths; applications are a very meticulous process!) And, I think a sense of humour is important; two to three hours with one person is a long time, it shouldn't all be serious! What advice would you offer newly certified stylists to best take advantage of their GL skillset? Practice with customizing the bond! I find it so satisfying to know that different bond sizes can be used throughout a client’s hair. Knowing that I’ve created different colour, movement and density in different places gives me such a good feeling when I look at the finished result. Do you have any Great Lengths do's and don’ts? Clients, DO: Your research on your Artist. The Great Lengths website will show you who is certified in your area. Do research: check their Instagram, read reviews, etc. Every artist specializes in different looks. DON’T: be afraid to ask questions! What is your favourite part of being a stylist? As cliché as it sounds, My favourite part about being a stylist is the relationships you create with your clients; developing that trust, being able to try new things on them, or offer something you know they were nervous to ask for. And, I love the constant learning, I love being a sponge and watching stylists do their thing. It’s very uplifting and rewarding to see other stylists love something as much as I do. Do you have a favourite mantra, quote or saying you like to keep in mind? Work smarter, not harder. What are your goals and aspirations moving forward? My goal is to simply live in the moment. I love where I am at right now; I just want to continue at this pace, and to continue to focus on perfecting my craft. FOLLOW KELLY AND SKC ON INSTAGRAM.
Natacha Thivierge is the founder and co-owner of Salōn XN, a popular high-end salon in Blainville, Quebec. Designed to cater exclusively to women, Salōn XN has become the go-to salon for Quebec’s young female influencers to feel pampered and leave feeling beautiful and confident. Natacha is a newly certified Great Lengths stylist and has already made quite the impression on Instagram with her beautiful applications. We couldn’t wait to get to know Natacha for our Stylist Spotlight. Tell us a bit about you and your career! How did you get your start, and what led you to your role as co-owner of Salōn XN? I started in the hairdressing field at 14 years old. I did my training and I knew immediately that it was what I wanted to do. After having done everything (colourist, barber, hair extensions, cuts), I wanted to offer a unique service dedicated to women only. Two years ago I founded Salōn XN, and now here I am! Tell us about Salōn XN! Salōn XN is my world. It is for me a place dedicated to making every woman feel good, receiving personalized service. We offer a range of services, anything a woman could want! My goal is to offer the best to our customers with quality products and service. How long have you been working with Great Lengths; what was your inspiration to join the GL network? I have only just recently become a certified Great Lengths technician, less than a year ago, however, I have been doing other methods of extensions for 12 years. I started with the technique where I had to put the glue on the strands of hair myself - it was horrible! I tried more than twenty companies until I discovered GL, and it has changed my life! What impact has being a Great Lengths Artist had on you and your business? The word that comes to mind is professionalism. When we began offering Great Lengths, it all made sense. I am proud to offer a product with a unique range, a history and a level of quality that aligns with our Salōn XN brand. What do you love about Great Lengths? I love the number of options we have with Great Lengths. It’s incredible when I take out my colour ring with all of the colour options; it allows me to be so creative. I love explaining the Great Lengths reputation, history, the installation process, and the quality! I love telling my client that she will have the most beautiful hair in the world when she chooses Great Lengths extensions. What is your personal favourite hair trend right now? We specialize in blond, so our clients stand out, often with several shades of warm or cool blond. These are my favourite colours. What are your predictions for the top hair trends for Spring 2020? For Spring 2020, I predict a lot of blonde, multidimensional browns, and pastels for festivals. I promise you’ll see beautiful colour coming out of Salōn XN. If you could pick a celebrity, a public figure, anyone- whose hair would you love to work on? Maripier Morin, my Quebec idol. I think she represents the current woman so perfectly! What or who do you look to for inspiration? I take inspiration from everyone; my employees, Instagram, other salons. Max Gourgues (@maxgourgues), and hair educator Marie-Anne Labrie (@pinklablonde) are particularly inspiring! We are so lucky to have such passionate and creative people in Quebec. Salōn XN works closely with a number of influencers in Quebec. How have you worked to develop these relationships? What do you like about working with these influential young woman? I have built a bond and a great level of trust with them. While it is a business relationship, it is also friendly. Salōn XN has an image of being true, sincere and authentic and it’s a top priority to ensure our clients feel this. It is very important to me. I often get asked the question, How did you build those relationships? Salōn XN is fresh, it is current and we always have new plans in the works. We involve our influencers with developing our plans and I think this has been an important part of those relationships. I love working with them, it's inspiring. We work together in a mutually beneficial way to reap the rewards. It’s very motivating. What advice would you offer newly certified stylists to best take advantage of their GL skillset? First and foremost - Respect your client's hair. Stay true to this and you can do amazing work. Mix tone on tone to create beautiful finishes, and develop a style that is unique to you and your client. What personality traits do you think are most beneficial to your success? I’m a perfectionist! Some would say that in your personal life, perfectionism is not entirely beneficial, but at work it gives you an advantage. I’m very committed to ensuring everything I do feels well-executed, clean, as close to perfect as possible. My approach to social media and Instagram have also proven to be incredibly beneficial. What is your favourite part of being a stylist? I love giving advice, guiding my clients, and proving to them that anything is possible when it is well-executed. Above all, I love being able to change perceptions of hair extensions with Great Lengths. Do you have a favourite mantra, a quote or a saying you like to keep in mind? “Respect the hair.” With your recent engagement, a young daughter and a successful salon, 2020 is bound to be a busy year for you! What are your goals and aspirations as you move forward? I believe that staying busy and being surrounded with people and things that make you happy makes us move forward in all aspects of our life. This year, Salōn XN will continue to evolve in big ways; we have several beautiful projects launching soon. I’ll stay busy! FOLLOW NATACHA AND SALON XN ON INSTAGRAM.
Company with certified management
