Today we’d like to introduce you to Teddy Baker.
Hi Teddy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a very artsy family that was super supportive of the interests that I’d take on. Believe me, there were MANY. I truly believe that is why I’m bold enough to take on such important work. I’m a lifelong stylist, I suppose. As a kid, I learned to “set” my Barbie’s hair using various braids and rubber bands to manipulate the texture and shape of her plastic hair. I was very experimental with my own hair growing up as well. My mom let me do lots of things to my own hair and even allowed me to trim at it myself. When I reached high school, I started giving my friends all the punk rock hairstyles that their parents wouldn’t let them have. Let’s just say I was not popular with the parental units in our community.
Though I loved doing hair, I considered it just another hobby or some kind of art project… nothing special… I had always just done it. I wanted to be a chef, perhaps go into floral design, or maybe become a high school art teacher. It wasn’t until I was working at a Tex-Mex restaurant in the early 2000s when scene hair was all the rage that it hit me, hair IS art! Maybe this was my chance to be a lifelong artist and actually get paid to do it! All of my co-workers wanted these pop-punk/indie-sleaze styles and pretty soon I was cutting everyone’s hair from the restaurant! That’s when I decided to go to beauty school.
I started my career in the industry right as the 2008 recession hit. It was a super rocky start, but it gave me an idea, focus on quality low-maintenance styles and color techniques. For that, I had to branch out from everything I had been taught in beauty school. The goal wasn’t to attain a core group of regulars that kept their hair on a schedule, it was to have MANY clients that could come and go as necessary. This philosophy has kept with me throughout my career. I believe that low-maintenance cuts and color are not only achievable but the wave of the future. In this way, I’ve been able to build my brand from the ground up in three major cities over the last 15 years!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In true artist fashion, independence and creative control have been a struggle for me. In fact, right out of beauty school, I applied to booth rent at one of the largest salons in Austin, TX. I just couldn’t see myself dressed in all black working for a chain… or apprenticing. I wanted to do it my way and attract the people that inspired me as an artist. I had always been attracted to textured hair and fashion-forward styles, booth renting meant running the whole show so I threw myself into the deep end! I spent about five years figuring it out in Texas and having the time of my life doing it, but in true artist fashion, I got restless and could hear the big city calling my name.
I had visited New York only once before the thought of moving there started swirling around in my brain. I decided that when I visited my friends for New Year’s Eve, that I’d reach out to a few salons that fit my vibe to see if I could get an interview. What do you know, I got a job January second and moved to Brooklyn on February first! Guess I have a habit of throwing myself in the deep end. Life in New York was just what I needed. Since cutting was my big focus in Austin, I decided to start studying color at the Wella World Institute in Manhattan. I became a certified color correction specialist/blonding specialist and had started the road to become an educator for the brand when tragedy struck. My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. I was still working in Chelsea as a commission stylist since there weren’t many booth renting salons in the city. I knew my career would need to take another pivot if I wanted to be with my family through my mother’s cancer treatment. Luckily, I had put myself on a waitlist for a private studio when Sola Salon Suits opened in the city. I had completely forgotten about it until one day, my phone rang. I had gotten to the top of the list! Starting my own studio would give me the flexibility and money that I needed to handle this family crisis. To this day I can still hear my Chris (my now husband) say, “I love that your version of simplifying your life is to open a business in Manhattan.” He meant it too!
Having a private studio was amazing and my clientele was so supportive through my mother’s cancer treatment. I was going back and forth from Texas to New York once a month for almost two years. I was so lucky to be able to be with my mom through to the end. When she passed, it felt like a needle scratched on a record. I had been working and traveling and I was on the brink of burnout from all of the stress. So naturally, I hurled myself into the deep end again. We packed up our life and moved to Los Angeles to be closer to my husband’s mom.
I had only been to LA a couple of times to visit, but every time I came out here, I fell in love. Starting over from scratch was intimidating, but I had a few clients from NYC that had also made the move and I had set myself up to take clients in Manhattan seasonally. It was a slow start but I needed the rest. Once businesses started picking up, I started getting recognition for my work by local websites and newspapers. I had finally found my foothold out here right as the pandemic hit. The week of the initial lockdown I had to cancel on five brand new clients. Little did I know my business would be shut down for over a year. Since my partner is immunocompromised, I didn’t go back to work until I was able to get fully vaccinated. When I finally returned to the studio, I only had thirty returning guests. However, during lockdown I attended every online seminar that I could get my hands on that focused on social media. I was surprised to find out that the work I had put in on my social media presence actually paid off! In 2021 I had over 125 brand-new clients that found me through various platforms! I’m happy to say that my business is thriving after all of that.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As I mentioned previously, low-maintenance lived-in looks are my specialty. I love blending various cutting and coloring techniques for bespoke styles. I believe in cutting the style into the hair as opposed to cutting the hair to be styled. That’s why I’m obsessed with curly cuts and shag styles. They both lend themselves to that ultimate wash and wear lifestyle. I love all textures from course to fine and believe that anyone can have an effortlessly chic look. Lately, I’ve been loving those modernized vintage looks. Think dreamy soft mullets, heavy fringes with lots of texture, & colorations that accentuate your hair’s natural beauty. What sets me apart from most is that I’m able to achieve these looks on pretty much any budget. I can always find a way to tailor your needs to your maintenance routine and lifestyle. In fact, most of my clients come in seasonally or twice a year! I’m most proud when a client comes in after months of grow out, saying that they’re still getting compliments on their hair. I always say if it’s my work it’s going to look good the day you leave and last as long as you need it to.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I think people are most surprised to find out that I grew up in a border town in the very tip of Texas. My family didn’t have a whole lot when I was young, we even came close to living in the housing projects a few times. Despite money being tight, my parents did everything they could to give us a good life, but it wasn’t easy being raised by hippy parents in ultra-conservative south Texas. I was bullied a lot. I even got a few cracked ribs in school. It gave me really bad social anxiety and imposter syndrome, something that I still deal with to this day. I think it’s hard for people to see my insecurities because I have a bubbly personality and I take a lot of risks. Art is how I work through it. Being creative and making people feel beautiful is how I fight those insecurities. I love what I do and being a stylist has brought so many wonderful people into my orbit. I’m always excited to be at the studio, hair is my passion not just my job.
Contact Info:
- Website: TeddyBakerBeauty.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/teddy.baker.beauty?igshid=Y2ZmNzg0YzQ=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeddyBakerBeauty
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/MPf6rOxYItb
