quentina

When did you know you wanted to be involved in the hair business? In high school I cut my friend’s hair. I had no idea what I was doing but I did it and it made her happy. Then, I remember a pivotal moment at Axis where I was apprenticing. I realized that cutting hair was the perfect job for me. It was creative, fun, lively -- and I could make people feel and look good. The most important and moving part to me is seeing someone’s face light up and have a skip in their step when they walk out of the salon.

When did you arrive at Storm and why did you stay? I came to Storm almost 12 years ago. I needed a change from the large salon ‘factory feel’ to something more intimate. Storm felt genuine and sincere -- full of good energy. My interview consisted of dinner at Lisa and Alix’s apartment. Benny the dog vomited under my chair and two cats were crawling all over me - needless to say I am very allergic. Lisa made pasta. What I liked about it is that Lisa and Alix were interested in getting to know me. Did I fit in? Did we have a similar vibe? Storm attracts wonderful people. It’s an interesting mix and nobody is completely crazy (only a little bit crazy.) We respect and appreciate each other, and most importantly we are friends. Lisa has created an environment where clients look forward to coming in. They look forward to the conversations and how they’re treated. People can be themselves and talk about their lives. From what is making them happy to what is making them sad - they feel safe, free and comfortable. It’s nice when people drop by because they’re in the neighborhood. And it’s so telling that they do.

What is your greatest wish and most important value?For everybody to eat good food; for everyone to experience love in any form; and for everybody to be able to see the little things that give them a smile. Like an interesting looking bird flying in the sky. Or a great glass of wine that they've never had before. A perfect bite of food on your fork. And noticing a tree that is beautiful and full in the middle of downtown. It's the little things that we forget to notice or are too busy to see that can bring us such joy. For me, it's walking by a bakery, smelling fresh bread and having that feeling of, 'oh my god I need to have a piece of that with a slather of cold butter and crunchy salt' - to be exact.