There’s a well known anonymous quote that says: “A good stylist is cheaper than a good therapist.” Most stylists seem to have a special talent for dealing with people, and this couldn’t be more true when it comes to Julie—she graduated with a psychology degree before she discovered her love for the beauty industry!

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Julie was raised in central Illinois, and while she went to college for psychology, her childhood dream (inspired by the Madonna “vogue” era), had always been to be a hairstylist. After completing school, she moved to Chicago and as fate would have it, she was hired as a receptionist at a popular full-service salon. While working as a salon receptionist, she quickly discovered her passion for hair and began attending cosmetology school as well. She became a stylist and worked for this same salon for more than 10 years before becoming an independent stylist for several years. 

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During her career in Chicago, she studied with Redken, Phyto, Bumble & Bumble, Davines & Kevin Murphy, Vidal Sassoon, and her all-time favorite mentor--Sally Rogerson. Julie loves learning all hair techniques, but she especially loves continuing education classes on precision cutting and corrective color. While she doesn’t technically provide therapy to her clients, Julie considers a successful day to be one in which her clients not only leave looking better, but also leave feeling more relaxed and confident.

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After living in Chicago for more than 15 years, Julie moved to the Winston-Salem area in 2017, where she found her new salon home at Alkali Hair Studio. Since working at Alkali, she has had the opportunity to train with Oribe, R+Co, and Easihairpro extensions, and she loves her new salon family and the wonderful clients she’s had the pleasure of working with.

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In 2023, Julie became a Board Certified Haircolorist! This is an amazing accomplishment that few stylists achieve. It requires rigorous study and training and equal measures of tenacity and dedication. We couldn't be more proud of Julie and are grateful to have such a talented craft hairdresser at Alkali!