![]() remained in one career, working in just three locations within a three-mile radius? Probably not many! But Scott Wray can. The Fauquier native and co-owner of The Secret Garden Salon on Main Street in Old Town Warrenton has spent the past 30 years as a master hair stylist, and he hasn't a single regret. High School (FHS) sophomore, Scott s t r u g g l e d to f i n d a potential career path. He gravitated toward the arts, and a friend suggested he take cosmetology, a two-year course offered to juniors and seniors. Even before he started, he walked into Madhatter's Impressions, a hair salon in the Food Lion shopping center, to apply for a job. Scott was hired on the spot, and over the next two years, he worked as an assistant for 20 hours a week while maintaining straight A's in school. "I started working at age 15-and-a-half--before I could even drive," Scott says with a smile. he had found his niche. He gives a lot of credit to his teacher, Judith Russell, who encouraged him to continue in the field. After graduating FHS in 1989, he earned his cosmetology license and worked in another local salon for several years, continuing to hone his skills. Over the years, he has attended countless master education classes, many of them through Graham Webb International, a British-based academy with a school in the Washington, DC area. "I took every single class they offered," he adds. Scott also recalls an intensive one-week course offered by Redken Fifth Avenue Institute in New York City. "It was a one-of-a-kind experience that changed the bar in forming my skills and knowledge," he notes. who owned the space where The Secret Garden Salon was originally located on the location for his own. my own salon at the time," Scott says. He approached another stylist--his best a n d t h ey q u i c k l y agreed to become co- owners. The Secret Garden Salon opened on January 1, 1997 with Scott, Heidi, and a single assistant. I t h a s a l w a y s exclusively been a hair salon vs. a spa offering additional services, and this was a conscious decision. its current location in 2010, and today, each of the salon's stylists field. Scott spends a great deal of time talking with new clients to learn about them and determine a hairstyle that suits their personality and lifestyle. He is led by the simple guiding philosophy of ensuring the client begins with healthy, shiny hair. Above all, this needs to be achieved (and Scott can help, of course) before creating a classic style. experience on their clients is important, Scott and Heidi pride themselves equally on the salon's comfortable and friendly atmosphere. "We want people to leave uplifted, not downshifted," he says. with nostalgia. "After 30 years of working in this community, I almost always run into someone I know when I'm out and about," he says. "It gets more touching the older I get. One of the rewards of this job is that all of my clients have become friends." And yes, he has quite a few clients who have been with him since 1989! more years he's going to continue, he laughs and says, "Thirty more!" Let's hold him to that promise! To learn more, call (540) 347-6618. |