Meet Sherri Brodie | Hairstylist educator/coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sherri Brodie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Throughout my career I have experienced many ups and downs. What I mean by that is over the course of my career I have had to rebuild my business from the start 4 different times. The last one being just 7 years ago. I moved from California after 27 years back to Arizona. 2 of the 4 were the most significant of all 4. I mentioned that I started at the young age of 18 years old and I also married at that age. I found myself alone at 24 years old with 2 small boys standing in front of the most awful apartment complex in my town, I was there because at the time I could not afford anything else. I was ending a marriage that was not good for my beloved boys. It was then that I realized that the income I was making would not provide the life I wanted for my children. It was in that moment that I decided that I was going to everything I could to up my game as a hairdresser. I was determined to become the best at my craft so that I could not only charge more for my services but also dictate the days and hours I would work. At the time I definitely did not have the income for an advanced academy or worse, stop cutting hair to assist. I instead worked my hours and after/before work I watched some of the most seasoned stylists in the salon, eventually one of them offered to mentor me. When I was not with a client I was assisting her and when my kids went to bed I was practicing on a mannequin head or anyone that would allow me to practice on them. Eventually it paid off. One day I looked at my books and “Barbara” was on my books. Barbara was the client in the salon that only went to the best, she was that client that knew everyone and if she liked your work it was like hitting the jackpot! Well, when she sat down for her consultation, I asked her why she decided to make a change to me and she told me that she had been watching my work and was impressed. She then showed me the picture of what she had been wanting and felt that she knew I could do it. I took one look and with confidence knew that she was right I could, Well Barbara ended being a long time client of mine and went on to attract other “Barbara’s” as well. I eventually was able to raise prices and attend that academy I had been wanting to attend. If it was not for my never give up attitude and working hard I would not have achieved the success that I have today.

I mentioned that my latest start from scratch was 7 years ago.
By 2010 my career had hit an all time high. I was an educator for Wella Studio in San Francisco at the time. I had a salon of 17years as well. I was married and by then my boys were college age and had a daughter in her last years of high school. I was living in a beautiful home. Life was good,,, so I thought. That year was a year that tested my faith in so much including myself.
Within 1 year, the Wella Studio closed down. I was offered a full time educator position but that would mean I would be traveling 80% of the time. I resigned. the following week I had my first stylist walk out in 17 years so I was headed back to an empty salon. My marriage ended and the housing market fell and with that I lost my home.
I am glad I did not lose that never give up attitude. I used the $ I had saved on my own and purchased a small 2 chair salon and slowly built back my clientele. after 2 years I decided that living in Ca. was not my home anymore and I decided to move back to my roots, Arizona and start over. To say starting over this time was difficult is a complete understatement! I felt like I did when I first started out as a hairstylist. I had to learn social media, go to network groups not to mention finding a place to work after all those years was tuff! I felt like I lost myself, my confidence ,everything.
If you were to ask me the one thing that kept me going I would say it was my faith in God.
I spent the first 2 1/2 years going back to Ca. every 5 weeks and worked a chair for 5 days and that income kept me afloat till I was providing an income that would sustain me here in Az. I could have stopped going back after 1 year but I enjoyed the time with the clients I had grown to love. And I truly think it was their support that helped bring my confidence in myself back.
Fast forward to today. I am a happy girl! I am more confident in myself than ever before. Going through the loss of being on the top and losing it all was. I would say a gift.
I truly know How to OWN MY CHAIR! It is that chair that has been with me through thick and thin and that chair has been in many different types of salons. That is my WHY. I want to share that knowledge with other stylists that just might need that confidence boost.
Time to give back.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my friends come to visit I usually take to Cave Creek and spend a day. So fun. I love all the little shops and restaurants! One of my favorite places I take them near me is the Cactus Tap Room. Yes I do love a good Hazy. This place is small and privately owned which to me is the best. There is usually a drive up north to Prescott. Nothing is better to me than staying in a cozy cabin yet if the desire hits me, head on in to town and make our way down Whiskey Row, Fun shops and good restaurants.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped me along the way, so I am going to pick the person that recognized my passion for teaching/mentoring new stylists onto successful careers of their own. His name is Ken Baker. I met him when in the Bay area during the first few years of opening my salon, Roman Holiday. He worked for a company called Graham Webb. Graham Webb is a haircutting/styling academy for hairstylists. I attended the academy a few times in my career and it is the artistic disciplines that I used and still use as the foundation for the cutting skills I teach to all my stylists that go through my apprentice program at my salon.
Ken recommended me to become an educator for Graham Webb. I spent many years as an educator for GW which eventually lead me to working as an educator for Wella as well.
During the 20 years as an educator I would go into salons and teach haircutting/styling techniques to other stylists I would also work at their live events cutting hair on stage for the stylists attending.. It was quite fun and I would say one of my most favorite times in my career as a Hairstylist.! .

Website: https://www.onpointhairacademy.com/

Instagram: @onpoinhairacademy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherri.brodie.7

Yelp: hairbysherriaz

Youtube: On Point Hair Academy

Other: I have a you tube channel for my hair business which is Hair by Sherri AZ I tell you about my Hair by Sherri Az social media accounts because those accounts are well established.

Image Credits

kristyveleskophotography Karianne Munstedt