Bailey Miller works on a coloring for a client.

Bailey Miller works on a coloring for a client.

<p>Bailey Miller owns her salon, Bailey’s Belles, named for her daughter Bella.</p>

Bailey Miller owns her salon, Bailey’s Belles, named for her daughter Bella.

Bailey Miller loves being a hairstylist and has made it her career, owning her own shop Bailey’s Belles — one that recently moved to 200 West Main St. in Clinton.

Miller has been in Clinton all of her life and she has been doing hair for about six years now in the city.

The hairstylist grew up in her aunt’s salon and shadowed her for years which turned into her motive for becoming a stylist herself after going to hair school. She knew she wanted to be able to serve people in her own way and hair was that way. Miller likes being able to make someone feel great about themselves through what she does.

Her favorite part of the job is coloring hair because no two heads are the same.

“When you do a color, you can do the same formula on two different heads and get different results,” Miller explained. “So it’s always something different.”

Miller went to Lakewood High School and then to Sampson Community College for hairdressing.

“I really learned a lot about professionalism there,” Miller stated of SCC.

The hairstylist books out far in advance and she feels that she doesn’t get to service all of the clients that come her way being that she’s only one person. A total of five women work at Miller’s shop, named for her daughter Bella.

She stated that professionalism and customer service are factors to consider while on the job because clients want to feel like what they want is met when at the shop.

“Go to different training courses and invest in yourself, because that’s what will set you apart,” Miller advised. “Further what you know because I feel, in this industry, stuff is always evolving. Just keep learning and keep wanting to grow.”

Miller is forever continuing her education because she wants to constantly better herself. She said she seeks to pour all of her knowledge onto others by teaching. She cares for her clients and always tries to assess their needs.

“My other favorite part is seeing the reactions of my clients when they first see their hair,” Miller explained. She added that she is a visual person so she can see when a clients loves their hair or when they dislike it. That’s why she likes coloring so much because that can always be fixed.

Miller was in middle school when she worked for the first time on her aunt’s hair so she expressed early on that she wanted to do hair. She never expressed any interest in being anything else.

Outside of cutting hair, Miller likes to cook and shop. Her favorite things to cook include oxtails or smothered pork chops. She works hard to compartmentalize her personal and professional life, especially as a working mom. On her days off, she makes it a point not to communicate with clients. That is her time with her daughter.

Miller said she works hard to keep a certain standard in her professionalism and stay driven in her career.

Brendaly Vega Davis can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2588.