Returning to the Chair: A Journey Back to My Roots

Good morning and happy Wednesday, loves.

This blog post has been sitting with me for a while—floating around in my mind, evolving slowly—waiting for the right moment to take shape. And now, I think it’s finally ready.

I’ve always known I was here to help people.
Even as a little kid, I remember telling my mom—newly divorced at the time—that I wanted to become a lawyer to help single moms like her. That dream didn’t stick for long, but it was the first spark of something bigger: the desire to use my voice to uplift others.

Later, I dreamt of being a motivational speaker, and that one still lingers in the wings. In high school, I thought politics was my path. But by junior year, I found my way into helping people through something a little different: doing hair. Helping people feel beautiful became my mission.

My Beauty School Beginnings

I still remember my first day of beauty school. By some stroke of luck, I was the only student in my semester. It meant one-on-one education, hands-on learning, and deeply personalized training. It was magic.

When asked why I wanted to do hair, my answer was always some version of, “I want to change people’s lives. I want to help them feel beautiful.” And I meant it.

And over the years, I did.
I built a thriving career—I did hair at Fashion Week, worked alongside my hair idol in Chicago (I even got fired... but that’s a story for another time), and became known as the stylist who could fix a bad haircut. But more than anything, I was someone people could talk to in my chair. I made connections. I helped people feel seen.

Then 2020 Happened...

Like many of us, the pandemic shifted my world. The salon closed. The days blurred. I took up new hobbies—one of which was hypnosis. Another was community organizing, especially for the LGBTQ+ community.

I started running weekly support groups. I was exploring my gender identity more deeply, using they/them pronouns, going by a different name. I was evolving. The world was shifting, and so was I.

When salons reopened, I returned—only to find confusion, uncertainty, and a sense of disconnection. My heart just wasn’t in it anymore. I had been protesting for things that felt meaningful, and suddenly the hair industry didn’t feel aligned with who I was becoming. When my boss said I couldn’t cut back my hours by even one day, I knew I was done.

A Whole New Me

Since then, so much has changed.
I’ve transitioned—I now go by Aza and use she/her pronouns. I’ve run a nonprofit. I became a certified hypnotist, a stage hypnotist, a yoga teacher, and a meditation guide. I moved to Colorado, got married, started working at a university, and—perhaps most importantly—I grew the f*ck up.

But you know what hasn’t changed? That little girl inside me.
The one who wanted to help people feel beautiful.
She’s still here.
She’s just learned a few more tools.

The Return to the Chair

Last October, the idea of doing hair again started whispering to me. I got my license transferred to Colorado. I began slowly rebuilding the kit I had left behind in Illinois.

And then a few weeks ago, while preparing for the Limitless Variety Show, I met someone who helped run the event. We vibed instantly. Turns out, she’s a hairstylist. She insisted I’d be a perfect fit at her salon and even gave her boss my number without hesitation.

Her energy lit a fire in me again.
I visited the salon—3 Little Birds North—and immediately felt safe, inspired, and excited. It’s within walking distance from my home. The universe aligned. I was offered the position of haircutting specialist, and I start tomorrow. 💇‍♀️✨

A New Kind of Haircut

Yes, I’ve taken time away from the beauty industry—but that time was never wasted.
I’ve developed soft skills, emotional intelligence, spiritual insight, and a deepened sense of self.

When you sit in my chair, you’re not just getting a haircut.
You’re spending time with a hypnotist, a yoga teacher, a meditation guide, and a trans woman who deeply understands transformation.

My goal is bigger than fixing ends or reshaping a cut.
I want to help you reconnect with your inner beauty.
Because when we ignite that inner spark, it radiates out into everything we do.
Hair is just one of the many tools I use to help people see their own light.

Thank you for being here, and thank you for reading this part of my journey.
Whether we meet on the mat, in the meditation circle, or in the styling chair—I am so honored to walk part of this path with you.

With love, beauty, and infinite light,

Aza