Taking Leaps, Striking Balance & Coming Home: Meet Heather

“What am I going to do next? Is this really my dream job?” So many guests open up about their lives with Heather, a Legacy Colorist at JUUT Wayzata; some feel lost and unhappy in their work. She listens thoughtfully, she knows how important it is for people to feel seen and heard—even if she doesn’t truly understand. “I just love what I do, and I’m inspired by my clients and co-workers every day,” she says.

What she does wasn’t always a given, though. Her mom urged her to pursue a different career.

Curious about what fuels Heather’s passion for beauty and fashion, and the curiosity that prompted her to leave JUUT—and come back? Want to discover the trends that excite her, and the advice she has for busy moms who want to look and feel beautiful even when time is short?

Get to know Heather.

Why did you want to become a hair colorist—and what keeps you motivated today?

Actually, I didn’t want to do this at first. My mom owned a salon, and she’s done hair for almost 40 years now. So, I grew up around it and loved it, but I was told, “Never do this. You’ll make no money.” She was a single mom, so I felt she didn’t want me to put myself in that position.

But I worked as a receptionist at her salon, and I saw how loving and caring she was. She truly loved her job. And it’s also changed over 40 years, too. Being at JUUT, I can make a living—a really good one.

It’s about more than money for me, though. My favorite part of my job is making people feel good. I wanted to be a therapist. Now I feel like I can do both.

Not everyone is appreciated in their real lives, so I try to make them feel extra special. I want people to be themselves and tell me their stories. I want them to feel good and be thought of and remembered. I’m also their secret-keeper. There is such a trust that comes from touching someone’s head of hair, and I don’t take that for granted.

What attracted you to color as a specialty?

It’s just so creative, and there’s the science, too—you’re using your brain both ways. It’s just so fun, like painting a canvas.

With my experience, I also get a lot of “Can you help me?” clients—referrals for friends of friends or clients’ daughters who need help fixing an at-home whoopsie! So many people have that story—I even have that story. When I went off to college, I didn’t have my mom to do my hair anymore. So I decided, I’m just going to box-dye it dark; that’s, like, the easiest thing to do. It obviously didn’t look good.

Are there any hair color or hair accessory trends that really appeal to you right now?

I’ve loved seeing more warm honey-golden blondes versus ashy blondes, as well as dimensional color. A lot of girls are doing more of their natural wave, and I’ve really been liking that, too.

I love seeing all the girls adding a bow or some kind of claw clip, but making it a little bit fancy with a gold or other metal clip. Then throw the hair up, kind of messy. I’ve been loving that.

You left JUUT for a time: What prompted you to leave?

I was at JUUT in Edina for 10 years (I’m currently in Wayzata), and I just wondered, “Is the grass greener? What else could I do?”

In all honesty, I really didn’t want to go, but I also knew I had to try it. I’d been thinking about it for a year or two. I love the Wagners. During my exit interview, we were all crying and hugging; it was beautiful. But it made me appreciate where I was so much more by taking that leap.

You know, change is always scary, but I got to learn a new product. But then I was also like, “Oh my gosh, Aveda is amazing.” So you try some new things and see what other cultures are like.

I always kept in close contact with the Wagners; we maintained a relationship, even when I left for six months. I think they just kind of knew I’d be back someday—and so did I. We really enjoy each other, and there was this underlying sense that, “I know you’ll be back, but go try something. That’s fine!”

What ultimately brought you back?

I just fit in so well there. It feels like home.

JUUT made themselves known for being very well educated, and everyone is a super hard worker. We all love to hustle and make people feel good. The management is amazing, too, and I can just feel the great energy.

I also like the work-life balance of it all. I work three days a week here, and that’s all I have to work. I could work more if I wanted—I could work less. As I’ve been here longer, I’ve had more freedom, and that is pretty powerful. It’s a really great place.

You love fashion: What is it about fashion that feeds you?

I love sharing my personality through my clothes and having my clients ask, “Where’d you get that?” I’ve always been intrigued by what my clients wear, too. I’m always asking, “Who makes that?” and sharing that joy that I have.

Are there any fashion trends that really speak to you right now?

Well, it’s kind of been happening for a bit. I went to Spain last year, and I saw a lot of Adidas sneakers, and I love wearing a comfort shoe with a dress or a skirt-t-shirt vibe. I love dressing things up but also dressing them down.

I’ve also been loving gold jewelry and mixing silver and gold a lot.

You have a family: How do you approach creating work-life balance?

My family comes first—that’s always been a priority for me. I have two daughters and a super supportive husband, and the four of us are so close. I feel like he and I work really well. If I’m busy all three days, and I have a few clients who want to come in on a Monday or a Saturday, I’m happy to come in for them. We work that out together; we divide and conquer a lot.

I’ve also had a little more freedom with my schedule lately. Wayzata opens earlier—we can start at eight versus 10, so I can be home when my kids are just fresh out of school. That’s fun, because I’m normally home by seven or eight. They’re old enough now, where they’re still awake, but I’m not sitting at the dinner table with them or picking them up at school. So I’ve been trying to add those fun little things into my life.

Do you have advice for busy moms: How can they save time, yet still step out of the door looking and feeling beautiful?

I love that question, actually. When I’m not at work, I honestly don’t wear makeup. I do wear fake eyelashes, though, so that helps. I’m not necessarily saying to do that!

I feel like not washing your hair every day is a fun tip for me. I feel like it gets me out the door way faster. I use a lot of dry shampoo, and I don’t use a lot of products in-between those times. Like I said before, a claw clip and having some pieces out around your face looks great. I also love putting on a tinted sunscreen or some kind of creamy bronzer; It just gives you that little glow.

Then you can walk out the door with a basic sneaker and a sundress in the summer, with just that claw clip and your bronzer or a lip. It looks like you’re put together, but you just woke up five minutes ago.