#IBELONG In Beauty: This Stylist Found Flexibility and Security in Her Career

During her 32 years as a stylist, Connie Holmes has done it all—stylist, salon owner, manager, educator, platform artist, artistic director. But sometimes the unexpected happens, and after a divorce that left her starting over, she remarried and moved from Oklahoma to Arlington, TX, looking for a job. At the Salon by InStyle she discovered a place where she could care for her clients her own way, mentor a new generation of artists and continue to grow in the profession she loves.

RESPECT
“One of the things that struck me immediately about working for this company is you’re not a number,” says Connie. “They treat everyone like a professional and they treat everyone with respect, as an individual. They want to see you move up and grow. You don’t find that in many other companies, but here, it’s the nature of the culture.”

THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
“A long-time client came in and asked me for something more trendy than usual,” Connie remembers. “So we gave her a fabulous cut. On her way out, she said, ‘Connie, I love you and today you made me feel more special and beautiful than ever.’ She went home to have lunch with ‘Daddy,’ her husband, and later that day she passed away. Her last words to me were about how I made her feel and that’s when I understood it’s not only the quality of work but the quality of the experience that touches your client.”

NURTURE THE NEXT GENERATION
“My passion is for young, upcoming stylists,” says Connie, “and I have a thirst to share and empower. At this company, I can mentor in my salon and maybe eventually as an educator. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded”

WHY I BELONG @THE SALON BY INSTYLE
“It elevates me. I feel important. I have the flexibility to be a daughter, to be a wife. I have the flexibility to spread my wings. At the same time, I have security. I always tell young stylists, ‘Why fly with crows when you can soar with the eagles at the Salon by InStyle?’”

More Salon by InStyle associates share their #IBELONGinbeauty stories:

• Here’s how Alyson Reck found her family-friendly fit.
• At the Salon by InStyle, Christine Butcher discovered the best of all worlds.
• Imagine getting paid to learn! This stylist earns when she’s in class!
• Must-have career advice: go where you can grow!
• This salon manager has embraced a career that makes her dreams come true.
• Meet a dedicated salon manager who aspires to inspire.
• The freedom of a solo artist with the support of a salon family? This pair found a place where it’s all possible.
• This pro found a salon family that takes care of HER family.