Meet Tarin Chepeus | Hairstylist

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

Hi Tarin, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
From a very early age I never liked being told what to do. I come from a lineage of people whom have all owned their own businesses, and I always knew no matter what career path I chose, I wanted it to be my own. Plain and simply, I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted, and I wanted no one in my way to tell me otherwise. Not exactly the most conventional of answers, but I’ve never been a conventional person.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
There are plenty of people who do what I do. What I think sets me apart from the rest isn’t exactly what I do, but how I do it. I am a brutally honest hairdresser. I’m not always going to tell you what you want to hear, and I’m not going to perform a service just cause I have the tools to do so, and want your money. Instead, every client who sits in my chair, gets a conversation about what is going to be the best for the health and longevity of their hair. I want each client to not only love their hair once they leave, but years down the road because it is still healthy and taken care of. I pursued this career because it is an artistic outlet. I love the constant change, challenge, and freedom in this industry. I love that it’s not easy, and that every single day a curve ball can get thrown at me. The challenges in the industry excite me and I live for them. Each day a lesson can be learned. From something as simple as how to mix color so that I don’t splatter it all over my clothes, to how to execute an extremely challenging color correction, I am making mental notes all day long. However, I think my biggest lesson learned is to find a work-life balance. We live in a world where people who work themselves to the bone are idolized and stopping to enjoy life along the way is frowned upon. Owning your own business is and always will be hard work and require lots of dedication, but remember to take a step back and “smell the roses” as they say. If there is one thing I could tell people to understand about me and my business, it’s that you and I are here to have a good time. I am here to make you feel confident, you are here to give me a challenge, we are both here to enjoy laughs and stories, and just be in the now.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite city things to do in Arizona is try all kinds of new restaurants. From the little hole in the walls to the grandiose, wallet destroying, restaurants. If I’m not in the city trying a new restaurant, I am hiking to some sort of creek, river, or watering hole up north. If I had a friend visiting me for a week, and they told me to show them all the best spots in the state, my response would be “Do you have some sort of caffeine source? Cause you can sleep on the plane home.” Downtown Phoenix, Arcadia, Scottsdale, and Glendale have so many awesome eateries it’s insane (yes, don’t sleep on Glendale, there’s lots of awesome stuff there).

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?
In every effort to beat a dead horse, I owe almost everything to my mom and dad. From day one, they never let me settle for the mundane, they taught me to always stick up for myself, gave me all the tools they possibly could to set me up for success in life, and allowed me to be my weird quirky self. Failure was never looked at as a kiss of death, but instead a moment to reevaluate where you’re at, and figure out how to pivot to move forward. I also owe plenty of gratitude to my life partner and best friend. He has never tried to stomp out my independent, driven, stubborn mind. He has always been right next to me, cheering me on to do whatever wacky plan I have next, and lets me lead my own way.

Instagram: thatblondechick_hair

Other: My handmade jewelry Instagram page: desert.stone.works