Today we’d like to introduce you to Linsay Gillum.
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?
Since I was a kid, I loved being in the salon setting and desperately wanted to be a stylist. When I was in elementary school, there was a salon across the street from our home. I would beg my parents to let me go over after school and just “hang out” (I’m sure the stylists loved that, ha). I would help put away products, fold towels, and sweep hair. Honestly, it didn’t matter to me; just being in the salon made me happy.
As I became older, I felt pressure to “do more.” In the 90s the beauty industry wasn’t what it is now. There was sort of a stigma attached to it and wasn’t necessarily viewed as being a successful career path. When it was time for high school, I decided to apply to a technical school. Instead of applying to the cosmetology program, however, I decided to apply to the nursing program and was accepted. I loved it. I thoroughly enjoyed learning everything there was to know about the human body.
But I’m a total empath and one field trip to UM Shock Trauma completely did me in. I left feeling like I could never handle the emotional toll of being a nurse. After high school, I completed two years of community college, hoping I’d find another path. After two years, I still felt lost and I decided to follow my heart and apply to cosmetology school at Robert Paul Academy in Timonium, MD to begin my career as a hairstylist. Pretty sure my parents thought I was crazy.
I graduated from Robert Paul Academy in 2007 and began working in a commission salon. During that time, I really found a love for Bridal hair. I realized that in order to build my brand, I would need to spend my weekends working weddings instead of being in the salon. The commission salon wasn’t very happy about this, which eventually created a very stressful environment.
I knew that in order to own a successful Bridal business, I would need to become a self-employed stylist and rent space in a salon to work in during the week so that I would have control over my time. In 2013, I took that leap and became a self-employed Hair Stylist, allowing me the freedom to split my time between brides and in-salon clients. I established Lockhouse x Linsay LLC, and haven’t looked back since.
Fifteen years later, I run this business from my own studio suite in Bel Air, and I’ve recently expanded to a second suite location in Canton, Baltimore. My Bridal service — Lockhouse Brides — serves brides in the greater Baltimore area and beyond. I’m incredibly grateful for the career I’ve had thus far and for the people who have helped me along the way, especially the support from my clients and other talented artists I’ve worked with over the years!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a Hairstylist means having a career based on clientele, and it can take stylists years to build, which can be very frustrating. Anyone starting out in this industry struggles, and I was no different. Reminding myself that I was not the only one is important, but it’s an easy thing to forget.
There were many days spent in the salon waiting hours on end for a “walk-in” client. I remember feeling like there wasn’t a chance I would ever be able to support myself, and there were many days when I thought I would need to give up and find another career.
This was a time before social media and in order to promote me, I had to hand out business cards and flyers to strangers (eeek!). I learned that if I wanted to be successful in this industry, I had to be willing to put myself out there, knowing that I might fail or be rejected.
Becoming a self-employed stylist was a huge step in my career, but it came with a whole new set of struggles. This kind of transition is a huge change: I had to rely solely on referrals and word of mouth. I learned that some weeks can be very busy and make you feel great about your business, but one slow week can have you feeling like you’re failing, which can be mentally taxing.
It’s important to remind yourself that everyone in this industry has those moments, whether you’ve been a stylist for 15 days or 15 years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the owner of Lockhouse x Linsay LLC and Lockhouse Brides. I’m a full-time licensed Hair Stylist with 15 years of experience and a passion for blondes and bridal hair. I’ve worked with Mrs. Maryland from 2013 to 2014 and offered my services for the Mrs. America Pageant 2014 in Tucson, AZ.
My work has been featured on My Eastern Shore Wedding, Annapolis Wedding Blog, on the cover of Baltimore Sun Magazine, and Harford Style Magazine. In the studio, I work with all hair colors and textures, but I love creating multi-dimensional blondes — it’s my specialty!
I’m really big on healthy hair (hair school will do that to ya!), and I’m never willing to compromise the integrity of the hair. Being honest with my clients about the process of the desired look is extremely important to me. I truly enjoy working with my clients to make them feel beautiful.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My clients! They are the real MVPs.
I wouldn’t have the career I do today if it wasn’t for the ongoing support from each and every one of them. My family has also played a huge role in my success, and they are 100% the best cheerleaders a girl could ask for.
And of course, my husband, who in the last few years has been the soundboard for all my crazy ideas, created excel sheets and provided advice, encouragement and so much support. Not to gush, but he truly makes me feel like I can do anything.
Contact Info:
- Email: hairbylinsay@gmail.com
- Website: www.hairbylinsaygillum.com
- Instagram: @lockhouse_x_linsay
Image Credits
@ohgoodnessgracious.co
