Today we’d like to introduce you to Steffan Bentley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I first got started doing hair by giving all of my Barbies hair really bad bobs and then dying their hair with markers or Kool-Aid.
My initial training started as a Veda institute in Chapel Hill North Carolina in 2007. After completing cosmetology school, I moved to Austin in 2018 and started working for a salon here as a protégé. I completed the training program within six months finding myself for the first time a hairstylist. I popped around to a few salons in my early 20s as we as many of us do whenever we’re trying to find who we are and what we’re looking for in life. I finally settled. I had a salon (Garbo) here in Austin and became the education and creative Director for almost ten years. Teaching for the salon ignited a passion and sharing knowledge to other younger stylus and teaching people how not to be only competent in here but how to be financially successful and free. So I took the steps to becoming a national educator for Aveda both in the domains of hair color and hair color business.
With this journey of getting to know myself and getting to know what I was looking for in a job environment and what I needed from my employer was not really being offered. There was no salon model or workplace model out there that celebrated individuality and creativity and encouraged people to be the best version of their true authentic self say more so wanted to put people in the bubbles and to make them into a machine for the profit as the owner. With this the year before Covid and I established my own business and started my pursuit of opening a truly inclusive salon and barbershop the benefits the employee first. Now, three years later in almost 2022 we are about to open our location at our amazing home at the ACC Highland campus.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would compare the smoothness of the road of entrepreneur ship much to the Oregon Trail. I started negotiating my lease on my retail space for January before Covid. And I submitted my first loan application the Friday before lockdown. My loan was coming through the city of Austin’s economic development department and as soon as the lockdown happened all funds from the loan were redirected into Covid relief. Which put m my project until both lockdowns was lifted and the current local businesses in Austin were taken care of.
After completing my loan and getting started on the project, I made a mistake and went with the wrong contractors that stole about $35,000 from me also delaying my four months project to what is now been close to a year. Through supply demands, material shortages, and just everything you can think of there’s been bumps in the road the entire way. From the IRS communicating with a small business association to secure funding and that taking forever because of understaffing any communication issues. Doing it alone on my own salary and not taking salary for two years now to open a salon. Hiring a staff and then not having a home from them for them and having to find a temporary salon location for what is now been three months while construction is still being finished on the other salon.
It has literally been one bump in the road after the other but what I think is the most important is to not focus on the problems themselves but to remain focused on the solutions to the problem so you can maintain a sense of proactiveness and a sense of accomplishment instead of sitting in the bad places and feeling defeated.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As owner-founder of Apotheca Academy and Apotheca Salon & Barbershop in Austin, color educator, platform stylist and creative director Steffan Bentley strives morning til night to cultivate networks and systems of education, support, wellness and inspiration for everyone in his orbit, both in the beauty industry and beyond.
He’s dedicated to enriching his team in their careers; his students in their learning; his fellow salons in their teaching; his clients in their style journeys; and in uplifting nonprofits, community organizations, local artists and small businesses.
Elevating people, bringing amazing education to every stylist and salon, representing and furthering the LGBTQ+ community, making every client look and feel special and unique, and spreading good in the world is what Steffan is all about. He’s constantly on the lookout for opportunities for his team to shine creatively and push the envelope with their artistry and passion (and win amazing awards in the process!).
Awards and Accolades:
2018: Trend Vision Award, Semi-Finalist
BTC Big Shot Awards, International Creative Colorist, Top 5 Finalist
2017: Aveda Global Fashionista Contest, South Central U.S. Winner
Neill Corp. Guest Artist, Curriculum Developer & Educator
2011: Creative Director, Garbo A Salon Spa
Certified Mentor Hair Color Educator, Red Chocolate Educator, Aveda Regional Educator
Yogi, Entrepreneur, Enthusiast
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Going to my grandparents house every day after school and playing dominoes with my grandfather and learning how to sew with my grandmother.
Pricing:
- Short Haircuts $40+
- Long Haircuts $50+
- Retouches $60+
- Highlights $85+
- Balayage $100+
Contact Info:
- Email: steffan.bentley@gmail.com
- Website: www.apothecaatx.com
- Instagram: @apothecaatx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apothecaatx
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/apotheca-salon-and-barbershop-austin?osq=apotheca
Image Credits:
Mario Villeda
