It’s More Than Just Hair.

I knew at a very young age that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.

Growing up, I probably earned the nickname “Nosy Rosey” from my mom because I was quite literally listening in on every conversation that involved her. And, well, with me listening also came my opinions—which I was always more than willing to give.

Girl’s night out #salondad’sfavoritenight

Even as a kid, I was always looking at things from different perspectives and angles. I wanted to understand why people felt the way they did, what they were going through, and, of course, give my two cents about it.

Then there was my mom.

I grew up watching her be a hairstylist. From my perspective, she got to play with hair all day AND talk to people for a living.

Like… you’re telling me I can yap all day, listen to people’s stories, give advice, share my thoughts, make people feel beautiful, and somehow call that a career?

Sign me up.

But there was one moment that made me realize being a hairstylist was so much bigger than doing hair.

It was Christmas of 2013 when my mom received a call from one of her client’s daughters. Her mom was in the hospital, nearing the end of her life, and her daughter asked my mom if she would come to the hospital and hold her mom’s hand as she took her last breath.

I was young, but I understood the weight of that.

She could have asked anyone to be there.

And she wanted her hairstylist.

I think that moment changed the way I looked at this career forever.

Because the person behind the chair can become so much more than the person who does your hair.

You become part of people’s lives.

You hear about the first dates and the breakups. The engagements and weddings. The pregnancies. The new jobs and the lost ones. The family drama. The things they’re celebrating and the things they haven’t told anyone else yet.

Sometimes, you’re there for entire chapters of someone’s life.

And now, as my final two weeks behind my chair in Illinois get closer, I’m realizing something I don't think I fully understood when I decided to move.

Every day at the salon gets a little harder.

I finish a client’s hair, walk them to the front, and realize I’m not saying, “Okay, let’s get your next appointment booked.”

Instead, sometimes it’s a hug goodbye.

Going to miss tagteaming clients with Ashlee #iykyk

And I don’t think I realized how hard that part would be.

Because somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling like just clients.

These people have become such important parts of my life. Some of them know stories about me that even some of my closest friends and family don’t know.

They watched me grow up behind the chair.

They watched me figure out who I was. They heard about my bad days, my good days, my crazy ideas, my trips, my dreams, and eventually, my decision to pack up my life and move across the country.

How many stylists does it take to do Avery’s hair?! #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

And while they watched me grow, I got to watch them grow too.

I watched them fall in love, become moms, start over, chase things, lose things, celebrate things, and become new versions of themselves.

For years, I thought my chair was supposed to be the safe space I created for them.

I don't think I realized until now that they created one for me, too.

They gave me a space where I could just be Avery.

And maybe that’s why leaving feels so much heavier than I expected.

I know moving to Arizona is going to be such a good change for me. I’m excited. I’m ready. And I am so unbelievably grateful for the amount of support I’ve received from my salon girls and my clients.

I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

But knowing something is right doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier.

The two girls that will be taking over my clients <3 #nopressure

Reality is finally hitting me that this chapter of my life is actually coming to an end.

I’m leaving the chair where I learned who I was as a stylist and, in a lot of ways, who I was as a person.

And soon, I’ll have a new chair.

New people will sit in it. I’ll hear new stories. I'll celebrate new milestones. I'll probably give plenty of unsolicited opinions. And I'll continue becoming a new version of myself, too.

But I’ll never forget the people who sat in my first chair.

When I was a little girl watching my mom, I learned that being a hairstylist could mean becoming an important part of someone else's life.

What I didn't know yet was just how much my clients would become a part of mine.

So, here's to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

And no matter where my chair ends up—

Once a pink chair girly, always a pink chair girly.

Unapologetically Me

With wit, authenticity, and the freedom to be whoever I choose.

It’s More Than Just Hair.

She Was Andy, So I Could Be Bonnie

Unapologetically Me

With wit, authenticity, and the freedom to be whoever I choose.