Today we’d like to introduce you to Tabatha Blystone
Hi Tabatha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
So, here’s my story. After a tough divorce that left me feeling adrift, I decided to change my life around at the age of 33. I had been a stay-at-home mom for 11 years, homeschooling my three kids for six of those years. I had a high school diploma, but I needed a faster way to earn a living and pay my bills. I had modeled in high school and my sister was an educator at our local cosmetology school who had just started accepting Federal Student Aid, so I decided to give it a try.
I went full-time to school, working evenings and weekends at Sally’s Beauty Supply to make ends meet. Six weeks into my education, I was winning school hair competitions and loving every minute of it. I finished school in about nine months and landed a job at Amazing Artizens in April 2011.
I found out about Amazing Artizens from the cosmetology school owner, Angela Morrison. It took me about two months to get hired part-time, but I quickly worked my way up to full-time within a few months. And within six months, I had built a loyal clientele and was finally able to ease some of the financial pressure I was under.
In 2015, my sister (Melanie Thigpen) and I bought the company from my bosses, Sharolyn Williams and John MacDonald. On Christmas Eve of 2017, we moved our location from a side street off Whiskey Road to the Publix Shopping Center, which helped boost our sales. In January 2021, my sister retired, and I took over the company on my own.
When we bought Amazing Artizens, it wasn’t making much money, but I knew with hard work, determination, and some good business advice, we could turn it into a top salon in Aiken. And we did!
I went from being a pregnant teen to a stay-at-home mom to divorced and scared to a profitable small business owner. I had a 10-year plan from cosmetology school graduation to salon ownership, and I managed to accomplish those goals in just four and a half years.
Over the years, I’ve grown both personally and professionally, and I’m excited to continue growing with my team and the exciting plans we have for the future of Amazing Artizens
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a very bumpy road. When my first husband and I separated in 2008, my life and the lives of our children completely changed. I had no way of supporting them financially and had to find a skill to care for them. Then my second ‘marriage’ ended in 2017 when I found out he was a bigamist, not too long after I purchased my company. Covid was terrible for business since we were closed a full 8 weeks, but with planning and determination we made it. My sister and I had differences of opinions on how to run the company so she retired and I took over in 2021 I eventually adopted 2 of my step children. There were many employee difficulties over the years as well. I now have a leadership team and dedicated staff, and am so thankful for them. In 2024, Larry celebrated 15 years of service at Amazing Artizens; Kim Sharpe and Lora Odermatt both celebrated 5 years of service.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Amazing Artizens is know for our Associate’s Program, dedication to education, cleanliness and most of all the care we have for out guests and the great services we render.
I hire employees directly from local Cosmetology Schools and train them one-on-one with an educator behind the chair. They are not assistants that sweep hair and clean up after us, but partners with us that work hand-in-hand with us and our guests. This program allows new hairstylists time to hone their technical skills and develop interpersonal skills needed in our trade, all while building their own clientele and earning wages. Once finished in the Associates Program, stylists move to their own chairs with a schedule that fits their needs and allows them to thrive. They can earn promotions and incentives as they work their way through our Level System. The sky is the limit as they say!
I also make sure we stay active in education and up-to-date on trends by having monthly education for the entire staff. Wether its an in-house class with a Redken educator, senior staff member, or online; we make sure to stay on top of education.
Our guests are our billboards. We love them like they are family and they love us the same. We take time to consult with them to make sure we know what they want in their services and do our very best to achieve them. We have a mulit-level pricing structure that fits almost any budget.
What were you like growing up?
I was a scared kid that moved every few years due to my dad’s job in the nuclear industry. The longest we lived anywhere was 3 years in Michigan a few moves before we came to SC. We left our home state of Mississippi when I was 5 and moved here on my 12th birthday. During that 7 years, we lived in six different states; occasionally moving back and forth between two several times as work demanded for my dad. While fitting in here was difficult at first, I have never wanted to leave Aiken, SC. I made some bad decisions in high school and was pregnant my senior year but was still able to graduate with honors. I always say that my then husband and I did everything exactly backwards. We had a baby, got married then I graduated from high school.
Pricing:
- Haircuts starting at $44
- Color starting at $66
- Balayage starting at $122
- Highlights starting at $112
- Brow make over Starting at $87 (shaping, lamination, & tinting)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazingartizens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amazingartizens?igsh=MWRpajg4bnl1OXZuZg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17Tky6h9s7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/amazing-artizens-salon-and-spa-aiken-3?osq=amazing+artizens+salon+and+spa
