Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Climaco
Hi Madison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey in the hair industry began when I was just 15 years old. I always knew I wanted to do hair, and by the time I was a junior in high school, I was visiting Paul Mitchell The School STL every chance I got. The staff there, including two incredible women, Marli and Ashley, often joked that I was at PMTS more than I was at my own Wesclin High School. While my choice of career wasn’t always met with the same enthusiasm as “more traditional” or “more successful” paths, I never doubted myself and refused to entertain the idea of failure.
During my time at PMTS, I had just turned 18.
I was so eager to finally be enrolled, so i bolted to every opportunity that came. I volunteered at The Muny and local fashion shows at the Contemporary Art Museum. I earned a trip to Orlando with the school for Caper, and I participated in a nationwide student competition called Beacon, where I placed third. (i believe..it has been a while haha!) While I wasn’t able to attend the trip to Las Vegas for Beacon, it was still an experience that shaped my confidence-especially because i entered for fun and completely did not expect to get anything out of it! I graduated with over 100% attendance and received a special ring for it.
Along the way, I made lifelong friends—people I still have a very active group chat to this day!
I graduated from PMTS on July 11, 2017, and less than a month later, on August 3rd, I welcomed my then-longtime boyfriend & now husband Mykll’s first baby girl, Cece. While he was attending his first year at SIUE as a full-time student, i was hella pregnant. So many emotions—graduating, preparing for my career, and becoming parents all within literal weeks of each other. Being pregnant while attending hair school & staying supportive of Mykll as he balanced school full-time came with challenges, but I was too excited to dwell on them. Looking back now, I’m incredibly proud of how we navigated such a huge chapter of our lives while being so young.
I’ll never forget being a freshly 19-year-old new mom, underestimating the postpartum healing process, and somehow signing up to take my licensing exams just two weeks after giving birth.
One part of the exam included three hours of hands on work while standing. Those 3 hours standing up were absolutely brutal. Pro tip from a mom of now 4 babies: if you’ve just given birth, don’t sign up for anything intense until at least 6–10 weeks postpartum! (Seriously, what was I thinking?)
My first “batch” of loyal clients, as I like to call them, was Mykll’s group of friends and his 8 brothers and sisters. I gave soooo many free haircuts in exchange for a coffee of my choice..typically being a Casey’s gas station English Toffee Cappuccino. YUM. I didn’t feel right charging them for bad haircuts, but I needed the practice. Every once in a while they’d get lucky with a good,evenly cut haircut!! Eventually i caught on to men’s cuts and once i started charging after i was licensed they continued and still to this day pay me AND bring me coffee! They’re the best. His Filipino/Hawaiian sisters gorgeous curly hair took a bit longer for me to get the hang of. It’s SO. MUCH. HAIR. but wow their hair is gorgeous!
Shortly after, Mykll and I got married & I officially started my career. While I won’t give credit to a salon that treated me so poorly, I do believe my experience there was a critical part of my journey and a reflection of some of the harsh realities of this industry which no one truly talks about. After about 2 years I understood how easily new, passionate stylists can be manipulated.
While i wont speak on other’s experiences- i’ll touch just a tiny bit on my own in case you may be experiencing similar. The examples I’m about to share I was made to think were normal and happen everywhere. Before you continue, just know this is my perspective- while my first salon experience failed me, it doesn’t mean in better circumstances it wouldn’t work for someone else.
I lost so much of myself during that time. I barely remember my daughter Cece’s toddler years because I was drowning in the constant pressure of looking, acting, being a certain..character? not maddie, not a mom, but MADISON. the cute skinny blonde who was good, knowledgeable, and could triple book and not buckle easily under pressure. I worked without proper pay, attended many classes without pay or licensing hours- i even started suffering from eating disorders ( i’ve since recovered) caused by skipped lunches (because there was “no time” in my schedule). When i did eat- i was shamed for eating in the back room instead of offering my unpaid help. They called it the “Broke Room”. I was told I was lazy if I wasn’t cleaning, and even criticized for showing up without makeup—this was deeply hurtful because I’ve always liked myself naturally. I was forced to take guests who would sexually harass me, verbally abuse me. These are just small glimpses into what I endured, but they were enough to make me believe that I wasn’t “tough enough” for an industry i desperately wanted to be part of. I felt like as a mother i was missing everything. Cece wasn’t awake when I left for work in the morning, and she was asleep when I got home at night. Things started getting bad at the salon when I started standing up for myself. They. Did. Not. Like. That. I started asking questions instead of just following along— and that was not ok.
A long, long story shortened—Eventually, I was “fired” (this place told my coworkers it was a firing while telling me i should “take a break” to which i was confused and disagreed), they called my guests without my knowledge, told them I had left the salon to pursue another career, and urging them to rebook with someone else.
That moment became my turning point.
Failing wasn’t an option. AND IT WAS THE 2020 PANDEMIC.
The industry had my back. I mean, the freakin owners of 901 salon were dming me!! I was completely blindsided, and had no place to go, and now no income. and the sweetest little toddler staring up at me not knowing what was happening to her mommy. SO many salons messaged me offering me free space to do hair while i found my next spot. I was traumatized at this point. I knew i couldn’t personally go back to a traditional salon. My trust had been broken. What solidified my decision to create my own space was the support from my guests, friends, and family. They came together and raised $5,000 through a GoFundMe. They urged me to start my own business. While $5,000 may seem like a lot of money, it was enough to get started with the bare minimum. It allowed me to purchase basic color kits, a blow dryer, processor, and other necessities like shampoo, conditioner, etc. It also covered maybe a month or two of rent for my first space.
I seriously thought I needed a fancy salon for people to come to me, but I quickly learned that my clients weren’t coming for the salon—they were coming for me. As someone who had been gaslit for so long, this was a hard concept to grasp. I heard over and over by my guests— “I don’t care where you do my hair, as long as it’s you.” and “You could hose me off in the back for all I care!”…and, honestly, sometimes I did!! I’ve rinsed people’s hair in my bathtub, and they were just as happy. (and paid my same salon price, lol!) I’m not proud of this, but i’ve also used my friend Shelby’s knitting needle as a makeshift needle to install her handtied extensions. (I love you Shelby!! I know that had to hurt, but you were a trooper!!) As a new small business owner i found out quickly—You just gotta do what you gotta do!
My first solo endeavor I worked at the Salon Lofts in Fairview Heights in 2020 for about a year. It was exactly what I needed at the time. I was surrounded by stylists, but none of them cared how I looked, how long I stayed behind the chair, or how I structured my day.
Not long after I signed my lease at Salon Lofts, we found out we were expecting our second baby. I truly believe the universe waited until I was out of a toxic space and my body had healed before blessing us again. I’m especially grateful to Casey, who had a studio next to mine and always checked in on me, and to Ashley, who carried my heavy laundry baskets to the car when my pregnant belly couldn’t carry them any more.
After our son, Tai, was born 3 years ago I moved into my own tiny studio where I am to this day. Just about one mile from our home in Mascoutah. It’s small, it’s a bit hidden, but it’s mine. (now that I think about it, I’m not even sure I ordered my logo for a sign??)
I’ve never been happier. I could never again allow someone who doesn’t have my best interests at heart to control my business.
My success is built so much from my loyal guests. In my opinion-hairdressing is so much more than formulas, hair washing, and blow drying.. it’s about human connection. My guests and I laugh, cry, jam to 2000s hits, sit in silence, hug, and respect/love each other. I don’t double-book because I believe every guest deserves my full attention. That approach might go against the “time is money” philosophy, but I believe if you pour your all into each individual, your success will follow.
After my frontal lobe developed, everything changed – beforehand I was definitely driven to be successful, afterwards, I had a plan and was •determined• to be successful.
While my story is definitely not the smoothest, I’m deeply thankful for every part of it.
Every guest who sits in my chair brings their stories (if my walls could talk you wouldn’t believe the stories!) (all confidential of course 💛), their energy, and their trust.
My clientele consists of people who typically only need to see me about three or four times a year, as I specialize in creating lived-in styles that grow out beautifully. I also offer tape-in and hand-tied extensions. I’ve set a goal for 2025 to get recertified in keratin & other methods of extensions.
As a female business owner I am by appointment only, i’m very concious who i allow in my small space for safety reasons- and will continue this until the right moment comes along for me to open my own booth rental & my ultimate dream to include Headspa!
In today’s world, it’s no secret that getting your hair done isn’t cheap. It’s important to me that my guests leave feeling their money was well spent—not just on their hair, but the care they receive in my chair. It truly is so relaxed, and it feels like hanging out with friends all day- and getting paid for it! My guests joke with me all the time to start charging a “Therapy Session” fee!
The bumps in my journey have taught me empathy, and the importance of treating every person with care and respect.
I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built, not just as a hairstylist but within my family. Working for myself has allowed the small victories like breastfeeding all my babies, pump when needed, take the time I needed to heal after births, and most importantly, be present for all my children’s milestones. I can’t end my story without including my family for keeping our gorgeous babies safe while we’re working. For about a year my husband was able to be a stay at home dad to care for the 3 kids we had at the time. (how’d i let him get that sweet gig?? ☺️) Now we are both back to working- and our last, final baby just turned 6 months old. So, especially thank you to my mother in law-Laurie & to anyone else who watches our 4 babies at a time on a daily basis—you are absolute angels. THANK YOU.
thank you for listening to my story.
I’ve never missed another moment in my children’s lives, and I don’t plan to.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, I very clearly wrote my entire article before even moving on to the next question! I feel like I’ve already touched on many of the significant obstacles I’ve faced in the past, I’ll pivot from revisiting the more personal and traumatic experiences I’ve overcome (and continue to work through). So, I’ll focus on some of the ongoing challenges which come with balancing a career, a small business, and a family of 6.
Things like managing finances, rebudgeting for last-minute reschedules (i typically don’t charge my guests because i understand in life things do come up, and if you’re sick-id rather reschedule anyhow), coordinating weeks in advance with my angelic mother-in-law (also occasionally my mom, or his sisters, etc) who watches the 4 kids while Mykll and I work, keeping my back stock in check, and seeing the industry slowly recover from the pandemic have all been real hurdles. These may not seem as dramatic as past obstacles, but they’re my realistic weekly realities that require constant attention, and quick problem-solving. I’ve been able to navigate them pretty well while staying true to my values, and the lifestyle I want to create for my family.
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?
i specialize in lived in colors that my guests to visit me about three to four times a year-depending on their hair goals of course. Most of my guests are lower maintenance with their hair, but also find value in getting their hair done. I’m not the kind of stylist who pushes clients to be in the salon every 6 to 8 weeks—I honestly don’t think that’s realistic for most people’s lives (including my own.) I believe the type of person you are, are also the people you attract. I’m low maintenance with my hair, i like one on one in salon, and so do my guests. There is a type of salon for everyone, my salon is for the extroverted introverts like myself. One of the things I’m particularly proud of, and what sets me apart, is that I don’t double book (unless specifically requested. Common examples being: couples, girls day out, parent/kid). This allows me to dedicate my full attention to each guest while still seeing about 5 to 7 clients a day which is my comfort level, depending on the service.
While my speed is quick, I never compromise on quality or the integrity of my guests’ hair. Most of my guests would agree that, despite my faster pace, they never feel rushed or like they’re just another name on my schedule. It’s a big shift from earlier in my career when I had to be double/triple booked, and that business model obviously did not work for me personally. As someone who genuinely loves connecting with people, I felt like I was taking advantage of my guests’ time and personal attention when I worked like that. Having one on one appointments have become extremely important to me. I believe they appreciate it as well.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Oh my goodness, that’s such a great question. I’m a firm believer in the power of the universe, and I truly believe that everything in my life—both good and bad—has played out exactly as it was meant to. Do I believe i “got lucky”, no. i definitely put in work. I do believe that every experience in my life has shaped me how I needed. Even when it was difficult to see the lesson in the moment.
Over time, and with trial and error I have learned the importance of maintaining balance. At one point, I let my business completely consume me, and it turned me into someone I didn’t recognize or like. That was a tougher time, but it taught me how vital it is to keep my work and my personal life separate when possible. My business absolutely a huge part of who I am, but it doesn’t define my entire life.
As for how luck has played out in my life and business, I believe I’ve been blessed with a great amount of goodness. I also believe that where you focus your energy matters. When you focus on the good, more good has a way of flowing to you. Then when challenges come—which they always do—approaching them with your positive mindset can make your hard moments feel manageable. Through practice and retraining my mind i truly believe that luck is 10000% tied to perspective, and I choose to view life with Lucky Girl Syndrome. Which is just a term for believing you are lucky, and luck will find you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: personal- @madisonclimaco //// hair- @madschair
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@madsishappy?_t=8sf51obuLVu&_r=1
