Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariana Smith
Hi Ariana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I got into doing hair out of necessity. I needed a career, a job that could support myself and my young son at the time. I used to cut my brothers hair when I was a kid and everyone said I should cut hair for a living. I didn’t particularly love it or feel a calling to it but it sounded like a good idea at the time so I went to hair school. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t like doing hair the first 10 years. It wasn’t until I started working in a barbershop and focusing on men’s styles, fades and clipper work that I really started to enjoy what I was doing. When you enjoy what you do you’re naturally going to get good at it strangely enough. And with the help of other barbers and lots of trial and error and thousands and thousands of haircuts I improved. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. Which is good because I’m not really qualified to do anything else. I really enjoy what I do and I feel very lucky that I have a job that is creative and allows me to connect with people every day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Finding a great roof over your head as a hairstylist or barber has been difficult. I’m really happy where I am at Timothy Weber. He allows me to express myself and operate independently.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in men’s styles and gender neutral hair for women. Love working on all the latest styles with kids and teenagers. I’m most proud when I get someone in my chair that is a little unsure about trying that new thing and all they need is that little push to express themselves. I want people to feel good about who they are when they leave my chair. Hair is a tiny aspect of who we are but a great stepping stone to expression in showing the world who we are inside. As far as what sets me apart from the others, I guess youd have to ask my clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I think I’m the most happy when I’m connecting with a client. I’m giving them a haircut, but life is about connections. I love hearing about my clients day-to-day life. The good stuff and not so good stuff. Gives me perspective on my own life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @arifades1
- Other: TikTok @arifades1
