Hair professionals start their careers in a few different ways, the main one being a salon apprenticeship. They can be long, grueling ordeals that push some out of the industry altogether, or they can be a cakewalk. Then there’s Starling Salon’s apprenticeship, aiming to educate with empathy.
Salon Apprenticeships
You might ask why a licensed cosmetologist would need an apprenticeship, and that’s a great question. The strange truth is that cosmetology schools teach sanitation, and internships teach how to do hair. Sonia Nordmeyer says, “We’d never hire someone straight out of school without going through this program because you do not learn how to do a human being’s hair until you get into a salon.” At Starling Salon, interns work for six months and then graduate to full-stylist status, taking clients and earning commission. The program caters to each apprentice, accounting for technical progress and confidence. Sonia admits, “One size does not fit all,” and sometimes it’s necessary to give the intern more time in the program.
At first, a typical day is observing and shampooing guests, but by month three, they’re taking one client per week. By month four, they’re taking as many guests as possible and switching to commissioned earning while working. The program builds from watching services to mannequin work through one-on-one communication and ending in confident appointments with real clients.
Abby Baker’s Road to Cosmetology
Abby Baker is Starling Salon’s first non-Aveda intern. As a Redken-trained student, learning Aveda’s sophisticated color line sounds intimidating, but her teachers are expert educators. “I had no idea how to formulate the Aveda color line, so Scott went over that [with me]. Learning from him was great,” Abby says. Going back even further, her story looks like so many others when COVID hit. An Iowa native in her first year of college to be a nurse practitioner, and then the world changed.
“I found esthetics. I fell in love with the beauty world and continued to cosmetology.” Her draw to esthetics grew from an interest in the medical field; her draw to cosmetology grew from a complex need to challenge herself. Leaving her home and career behind for Starling Salon was a risk, but walking into a supportive internship offered the security a young cosmetologist or esthetician usually only dreams of. Like any other Libra, every corner of the beauty world calls to her. “What this industry can do for health is evolving, and that interests me.”
Balancing Big Personalities
Abby admits the social aspect of salon work stumps her sometimes, being the reserved person she is. She leans toward the logic and science behind hair, making her a technical stylist rather than an artistic one. It’s good news for the shy, introverted, and quiet folks interested in a hair career. Abby’s proving every day, you don’t have to be a chatty extrovert to succeed here.
How does an introverted air sign handle their new environment in a Denver salon? Like half the stylists in Starling Salon, with a book. Abby talks about book clubs and takes reading recommendations from Brianne and Megan, her fantasy cohorts. Mostly, keeping her library of anatomy books and classics, like Pride and Prejudice, nearby eases the giant leap from small town to big city.
Denver isn’t just a big city, it’s home to over 500 salons. Why apprentice at Starling Salon over the other 499? For Abby, the progressive and open environment did all the selling. She points out how Sonia values treating people like people and the salon’s transparency. Like each intern before her, Abby learns from all the senior stylists, but the program focuses on her growth alongside Sonia, the owner, and Hallie, the manager. She credits Sonia’s creativity and Hallie’s logistics with balancing her newfound salon skills.
Starling Salon’s Future Intern
After Abby, Starling Salon will be searching for their newest team member. Someone licensed, excited to learn, and dedicated to their craft. If you’re from out of state or trained outside of Aveda, like Abby, fear not. No matter where you went to school, you can attain a Colorado license and all the Aveda knowledge your brain can absorb.
Sonia does a little math and realizes there are almost 50 years of industry experience between her and Hallie. That’s a heck of a one-on-one tutoring session. While most internships focus on shoving education down your throat, Starling Salon dishes it out like tapas. Far more digestible. If you’re wondering, “Where can I find a salon apprenticeship near me?” take Abby’s lead and call Starling Salon.
Visit the Aveda site to learn about their products and mission.
Find Abby’s prices on the staff page.
Scroll Abby’s hair progress on her Instagram page.
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