The art of the chair.

For some, hair stretches beyond the strands and follicles. Hair is confidence, creativity, identity, and transformation. Behind every cut and every style is an artist with their own story—one shaped by where they come from, who inspired them, and the people who sit in their chairs.

For these four Louisville-area creatives, hair and barbering became more than a way to make a living. It became a way to create, connect, and leave people feeling different than when they walked in.

Born and raised in Louisville, Senobia’s introduction to the beauty industry started with watching her mother. She was young, talented, and watching her mom “dominate” the industry gave Senobia the inspiration to believe she could do it too.

Today, she’s a licensed hairstylist who has been working in a professional salon for three years, continuing to build something of her own.

Her creativity doesn’t come from one particular place. It can come from her upbringing, her culture, the weather, an event, a celebration, a feeling—or simply wanting to do something different. But before any of that, there’s the person in her chair.

“For me, it truly starts with who’s in my chair, what their vision is, and if it’s achievable,” she says. From there, she lets herself have fun with it.

And that transformation is what she loves most. There’s something about watching a client leave feeling different—more confident, more alive—that keeps her coming back.

Her advice to someone thinking about becoming a hairstylist is simple: trust yourself. Believe in what you’re capable of, put yourself out there, and don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable. Find people who will push you, inspire you, and make you want to get better.

Chance Thee Barber has been around clippers for a long time. She picked up her first pair in her senior year of high school back in 2007 and became a licensed barber in 2019.

But the real beginning goes back to when she was 17. Her barber was somebody she looked up to—“the coolest”—and that first haircut changed something in her. It felt like she was cutting away an old version of herself and stepping into somebody new.

That feeling of transformation is still at the heart of what she does.

For Chance, barbering is about freedom. It’s being able to take something she’s naturally good at and use it to build the life she wants. She loves the connections, the recognition, and knowing that her creativity can actually change how somebody sees themselves.

When her clients leave her chair, she wants one thing: for them to look good, feel good, and do good. The Vice Versa mission.

For Lexi, beauty has always been about more than making someone look good. It’s about making them feel good, too.

Her love for hair and makeup started young, fueled by creativity and a genuine desire to help people feel confident. Today, she sees every client as a different canvas. No two people are the same, and that’s what makes the work exciting. She gets to create, enhance what’s already there, and sometimes help someone see themselves in a completely different way.

But behind the glam is the grind of entrepreneurship. Lexi says people don’t always see how hard it can be to balance business with real life. There’s no clocking out, no guaranteed PTO, and no simple way to separate your personal life from your work when you are the business.

Still, she wouldn’t trade it.

One of her biggest career highlights was getting the opportunity to work with Flau’jae Johnson on multiple occasions. She spent an entire weekend providing services, experiencing performances and backstage preparation, and getting welcomed into Flau’Jae’s world by her family and team. For Lexi, it was more than a job—it was an experience she’ll never forget.

Layron’s path into barbering wasn’t necessarily a straight line. After leaving college, he realized he wanted to take barbering seriously. And once he did, he learned quickly that this industry is a grind.

You don’t finish school and suddenly have a chair full of clients. You have to build that. You have to show up, put in the work, develop your craft, meet people, and earn your reputation one client at a time.

But the job goes way beyond cutting hair for Layron.

When you’re behind the chair, you end up wearing a lot of hats. Some days you’re a barber. Other days you’re a therapist, a coach, a mentor, a teacher—or whatever your client needs you to be in that moment.

That connection is part of what makes the work matter.

For anyone thinking about becoming a barber, his advice is simple: start young and learn how to communicate. The cut might get people in the chair, but knowing how to connect with people can keep them coming back.