For Whitney Sharp and Chelsey Domschke Swann the next natural progression in their hair career was opening their own salon and that’s exactly what they did at the beginning of the month. With a combined twenty years of experience, the friends and colleagues were ready to take the next big leap into entrepreneurship.
“My grandmother was a beautician in Tampa, FL and opened the first 24 hour hair salon. I had no intentions of going to hair school, until I realized I had no idea what I wanted to go to school for,” Chelsey said. “Once in hair school, I found that styling, coloring and cutting came pretty natural to me. So I guess you could say hairstyling runs in the family!”
Their new salon is located at 801 N 9th Avenue, just across the street from SoBo boutique. Immediately upon walking in the space you are delighted by the retro design. The reception area walls are adorned with colorful, funky wallpaper that backdrops a blue seventies style couch, vintage salon lamp and disco ball plant holders.
The salon chairs and bowl chairs are cactus green and sit in front of large gold trimmed mirrors begging for mirror selfies. While the space is quaint, it’s the perfect size for three hair stylists. Along with Chelsey and Whitney, they have one booth rental chair rented out by friend, former colleague and hair guru, Jessica Farrington.
There is no shortage of reasons why people take up a career in hair styling — creativity, self-expression, flexibility and versatility to name a few, but for Whitney, her reasons for pursuing this career stem deeper.
”My favorite part about doing hair is the way it can make someone feel,” said Whitney. “When I finish the style and see how excited and confident a client feels afterwards, that’s one of the best feelings in the world.”
At the Local Pulse, we love supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs because we believe they preserve our local culture and identity. We believe they maintain and encourage diversity and innovation in the market place and Sharp and the Swann are no exception.
“When you come through the door at Sharp & The Swann, we want our clients to feel welcomed and safe in our inclusive space. Grab a cup of coffee, get comfy in our green chairs and let’s chat about your hair, life wins and start your day with good vibes and great hair. Whether you’re a returning client or new client, we are excited to welcome you into our new digs.” — Whitney Sharp & Chelsey Swann.
Thank you for inviting us into your new space and congratulations on your new, groovy adventure in entrepreneurship. The salon is also looking for local art to sell on the walls of their new salon, if interested please reach out to @sharpandtheswann on Instagram.
