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.