Meet Shayna L. Kutcher | Salon Owner | Master Colorist & Hair Designer | Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shayna L. Kutcher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shayna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my own business started when I felt that I had mentally, spiritually, and creatively out grown the prior workspace that I was in. I would constantly daydream about how I would design my space, what practices I would implement, and how I could make the client experience that much more luxurious.
I also knew in my heart that I craved work/life balance and the only way to truly achieve my dream schedule (without feeling guilty or shamed about it) was to do everything on my own terms.
I also always knew I had so much more to give and the only way I felt I could attain those goals was to start a brand of my own.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe that as an artist, we are always looking to create. I also believe that one art leads into another. I always say I’m a hairdresser by trade, and a performer by heart. Since the time I was a little girl, I studied acting and singing and performed on many stages. As I got older and realized that theater wasn’t going to be a very stable career, I needed to find out what else I was good at. I ended up pushing away what I loved the most to focus on what I could do to build a career to make a living. I studied many things and ended up going to Cosmetology school (on a whim) where I felt that I could express myself creatively in a different kind of way. I then delved into the hair world and I was taken aback by how natural it came to me. To be honest, I was quite shocked that I had found something so different and so creative that my heart connected with.
I worked day in and day out to learn everything I could to be the best. I knew I wanted to be a certain type of hairdresser and I wasn’t going to accept mediocrity. I do believe that the key to my success was always digging deeper and having a “student” mentality.
Always putting my ego aside, having open and listening ears, and soaking up anything and everything anyone was willing to teach me.
I studied and learned from some of the best in the industry and I never took that for granted.
One of the things I am most proud of was being one of four people in the country to win a color contest through L’Oreal Professionnel.
I was flown to New York City and got to work hand-in-hand on a VOGUE photo shoot with Ted Gibson, Eva Scrivo, Joel Warren, Jason Backe and Oscar Blandi.
Our work is featured in the December 2011 issue launching Loreal Professionnel’s first ever no-ammonia permanent hair color, INOA.

I got to where I was today because lots of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. I was always the first to come into work and was always the last to leave. I attended every class that I could get my hands on. I practiced on any downtime I had and I always promoted myself when I wasn’t physically at work.

Now that I’m a business owner, a lot has changed for me. I craved work/life balance and it took me years to figure out how to achieve it.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is to always listen carefully to your heart and body when it tells you it needs change. I feel that if you’re overloaded with work, your mental health suffers. If your social calendar is full, your career suffers. To maintain a happy life, you must strive for balance. I do believe it is the key to unlocking many doors to creating your own peace.
I also believe that artists have many routes of creativity running through their veins and just because you focus on one doesn’t mean you should give up on the other.
After many years of sacrifice and immersing myself into building a career, I felt that something inside of me was missing. After many tears, introspection, and experiencing burnout, I finally figured out what was wrong.
I had thrown myself so deeply into my career that I had forgotten about the one thing that brought me pure joy. I hadn’t acted in years and I craved being back on stage. I knew I had to get back to expressing myself in a way that set my heart ablaze.
For years now, I’ve gotten back out there and been in some wonderful local community theatre productions. I was also performing with an Improv Troupe once a week and I had forgotten how much I adored making people laugh.
What I want the world to know about my story is this. Of all the things I’ve learned, one thing is for sure.
You really CAN have it all.
It may not all come at the same time, but the world truly is your oyster.
You can have everything you want in this life. It doesn’t mean it comes easy but with enough hard work, patience, and manifestation…..dreams do come true.
I have found that creating in the salon isn’t enough for me and that I need more. Creating on stage through acting, singing and improvisation, cooking and creating recipes, traveling, and just simply being out in nature inspires me and keeps me reenergized.
Find what makes you smile and keep it at the forefront of your life. Don’t push aside what your heart is telling you it craves.
I do believe that’s what sets me apart. I see a lot of people working and focusing on their careers but I don’t see a lot of people actually living their dreams. It’s not often that I see people doing what makes them feel alive and happy.
It’s definitely not the easy route but the most fulfilling. It takes never-ending bravery, courage and faith in yourself but it’s ALWAYS worth the fight.
Never, ever, lose sight of what brings you joy.
I’m hoping I can inspire someone to dig deeper to find out what makes their heart beat and go out and do it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was coming into town, we would be on the first flight up to New York City! New York City is one of my favorite places in the world. No matter where I travel to, I always crave to come back here over and over again to experience the city’s magic. The people, the sights, and the energy of the city are incomparable to anywhere else that I’ve been.
If we had a week in the city we could really delve into what makes the city special.
Let’s start off by setting the visual scene. Picture early October, the leaves are just starting to change into the beautiful autumn tones of red, burnt orange, and marigold. Pumpkins are placed up the stairs of residential brownstones and Halloween decorations are starting to pop up on every corner. The weather is a crisp 60 degrees with the warm sun just starting to peak out through the high rise buildings as we begin our day.
We would start off every morning grabbing a coffee at one of the local coffee shops near by. Coffee in hand to warm our fingertips, we would then take a light walk through Central Park. Watching as all of the New York City dogs take their first walk of the day, observing the nannies drop the children off at school, and seeing the business men and women walk swiftly to their offices.
Our itinerary then begins with picking a nice little cafe for an early lunch while figuring out what we are doing to do next.
We find a little French cafe in SoHo, sit outside, and enjoy piping hot French onion soup and a light sandwich while a cool breeze passes by.
After lunch we head to one of the world’s most sought after museums, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There is a new fashion exhibit we keep hearing about and we are just dying to experience it. We spend the next 3 hours admiring and fawning over the clothes and jewels from centuries long ago.
We then grab a quick slice of New York pizza from the little Italian deli downstairs as we are leaving the Met.
Our next adventure is hailing a cab and asking the driver to drop us off at one of the best shopping areas in the city.
We then arrive on 5th Avenue! We spend the next few hours window shopping, trying on clothes, and buying some of the most unique and beautiful clothing we had ever seen.
The sun is covered by buildings at this point in the day so we grab a hot chocolate with marshmallows as we continue down the block. We then bump into an outdoor market that sells flowers, fresh organic fruits, handmade clothing, jewelry and a bunch of other little oddities and local handcrafted art. We stay for an hour poking around at all of the fun finds.
At this point, we are exhausted and need some downtime. We go back to the hotel, throw down all of our shopping bags, shower, and lay down dreaming about our upcoming night out in the city. We decide on dinner and a Broadway show will be the perfect ending to our exciting day!
We call down and ask the concierge for his recommendation for the best Italian restaurant in the city and he makes us a reservation for dinner.
We get dressed up in some of our beautiful brand new clothes, grab a coat and scarf because the temperature has dropped a few degrees and head out to eat some of the best food we had ever experienced.
We shared three different pastas, two eclectic salads, and saved room for a Mister Softee ice cream cone as we walk our way to the theatre.
The hustle and bustle of the city is quite relevant at this time of night and we are pushing through people in Times Square to make sure we get to our show on time.
We then arrive, grab our playbill, and sit in our 4th row center orchestra seats waiting as the cast of Wicked makes their way to the stage.
Two and a half hours of music and pure joy and we are released from the theatre just in time to grab an after dinner drink at a local craft bar.
We both get a drink from the specialty cocktail list, her’s sour, mine sweet.
We talk and laugh and reminisce about our magical day before heading back to the hotel and doing it all over tomorrow.
The next few days will be met by experiencing different museums, historical sights, and enjoying some of the best restaurants and cuisines the city has to offer.
The people, the artists, the music, the culture…..only some of my favorite things this cosmopolitan wonderland has to offer. New York City is one of the most inspiring places I’ve ever traveled to and I always leave there with new ideas and a refreshed zest for life.
Everyone there came from somewhere else and has an incredible story of how the city inspired them and drew them in.
I always say that “the city” has a way of exhausting you and reenergizing you all at the same time and I don’t believe that truer words have been spoken.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I believe that every human being that you come in contact with is a profound teacher in your life. I also believe that every situation you’re faced with is a learning lesson trying to help guide you. We, as humans, are here to learn and grow from one another all while sharing the precious gifts that we each possess. In reality, I owe everything to my parents for their constant love and unwavering support. They provided me with a comfortable and stable home environment and allowed for me to express myself creatively without feeling shame or ever being stifled.
Thank you family for always going along with my crazy ideas throughout the years! I’m the luckiest to have you. (Mom, Dad, Brandon, Mattie)
I’ve also been very lucky when it comes to my loving extended family and the best of friends who have been encouraging me and laughing with me the whole way through.
I’ve always had a beautiful circle of people around me that have most definitely added to my success!
I also feel that every previous employer I’ve worked for, every teacher, and every mentor I’ve ever had has shaped me for the better. They have etched hard work ethic, business knowledge, education, confidence, and so much more that helped build me into the successful woman I am today.

Instagram: @TheShaynaShow (personal) @The_Ambitious_Blonde_ (professional)

Facebook: Shayna Kutcher