Today we’d like to introduce you to Walker Smith.
Hi Walker, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From a very young age, I knew I was an entrepreneur of life experience. My journey to becoming a hairstylist is a fun adventure so buckle up!
Growing up on a large daffodil and tulip farm in Washington State brought color and creativity to my everyday life. From the farm life to the city life, hair has always been a huge passion of mine. The beauty of color, the precision of cutting, and impact it can make on one’s self-wealth drives me to push for greatness.
I first fell deep in love with doing hair when I went to my first hair show in Seattle. To me, it was absolutely amazing just how much hair can transform someone, and I use that same mindset with every client. Having fabulous hair makes you instantly feel amazing. It can turn a bad day into an absolutely fantastic day.
Prior to attending cosmetology school, I was a Medical Laboratory Scientist in the United States Navy for close to 8 years. By day, I was saving lives at the hospital, and with any possible off time I would be glamming up my friends. I served 2 enlistments as a Navy sailor and chose to leave the Navy in 2017.
After a total of almost 10 years in the science and healthcare field, I finally realized in 2019 that I needed to do what I loved doing in life, and that was being a hairstylist. In 2021 I graduated from the Cinta Aveda Institute in San Francisco. I had the pleasure of finding a team of stylists in San Francisco who took me under their wings and taught me the techniques and styling that isn’t taught in hair school.
In April of 2022, I chose to leave the Bay Area to be closer to my father in Southern Utah. I came here not knowing what to expect but came with an open mind. I was lucky enough to find an amazing salon that fit with the luxury ideals and the quality of service I was always taught to uphold. My journey from a career in lab studies to a career in the salon is a whirlwind, but I wouldn’t change a thing. For me, hair is an art, a science, and passion.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Going to cosmetology school during a global pandemic was an unexpected obstacle. Hair school is a very hands-on learning environment and about half of my program was via Zoom. Learning coloring techniques, cutting techniques, and how to start physically getting to know your way around a salon chair wasn’t really an option for us. I searched high and low for a salon that I felt would teach me the most skill and at a luxury level. I was lucky enough to find one.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Coming from a science background, I find doing color is my specialty. Color is a science and I love to combine that with my creativity. When I add dimension, highlights, balayage, or an all-over color it’s as if I can see the finished product before it’s completed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://etherealsalons.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WalkerSmithHair
