Meet Tyler Wachel | Hairdresser and Independent salon owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tyler Wachel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tyler, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Habits are powerful! I recently read The Power of Habit. It was a deep dive and fascinating to understand that habits are everywhere. What I love most about habits is that they can be stopped if they are no longer serving the proper purpose, created to push you forward or even reintroduced if they were once a strong point for your continued momentum but you fell off track. The strongest habit for me is discipline. I once taught a small segment around dreaming/goal setting and discipline. The habit of routines and having the discipline to stay in those routines is important. Having the constant routine in our day to day lives establishes unthinkable actions. Simple things like getting up and making your bed every morning or prepping your coffee pot/kurig the night before. These small constant actions of discipline create a stable environment for consistency. With a stable environment you can continue stay mentally sound. Now we are humans and no human is perfect. I think thats why I love habits so much. If you get off track you can reestablish yourself again. Its good to reflect and ask is this action serving good purpose or not. Can I trade this one action for another to get me closer to my goal. Numeric goal setting is another habit I feel strongly about. Having the road map set in place allows you to circle back around to it. Check in with your finances professionally or personally to make sure your numbers or still on track. Numbers never lie and they should be a top asset. When I was 21 I decided to purchase my first home. I had to realistically look at where I was and set a numeric goal to set me up for success to reach the home purchase goal. This can also fall back to being discipline. You have to have the strength to evaluate things. For example, I like nice shoes! I think we all do, but I also wanted to have my kitchen tweaked a little. Having discipline and setting goals allowed me to see the value and return on my investment to do home improvement verses buying new shoes. Sometimes you have to sacrifice in certain areas to grow or improve areas. Lastly a fitness routine is a habit that is a must for me. Fitness could be many things. I strongly feel that connecting your body and mind to a physical challenge can grow you mentally as well. To close my 3 habits I focus on the most is Discipline, Fitness and goal setting.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
During the last quarter of 2020 I decided that my next phase of growth in the professional world was business ownership. I didn’t know what that looked like and of course the pandemic brought on challenges with that. In my gut and heart I still felt like this was something I had to do. So in October, I left the salon I had grown up in and started my journey as an independent contractor. My business model is made up of small groups. I love that I start out doing one persons hair and it morphed into multiple family members or friends. This makes me feel deeply connected to them as a unit. Growing up in a small town it feels cozy to be connected and able to help multiple people of a family unit. I think this has helped me build the business I have today. I want anyone who chooses to get their hair done with my business that they are home, comfortable and can trust me full heartedly. What I practice most in my business is a classic customer service experience. My main job is to serve my clients. To listen to them and be there for them. I like doing simple acts of taking a ladies purse for them or guiding them to the coat closet. In a modernized ever changing world I still value the human interaction and providing this through the acts of service for my guest. My client range is pretty fluid, but I find most of my guest have challenges with getting the body they maybe once had when younger. I do a lot of extensions and strategic color placement to work with the guest lifestyle and facial features.

Building and maintaining a business isn’t easy and it doesn’t always happen over night. It takes years of consistent behaviors and drive. I think thats why habits are so important to me in life. They are the building blocks to leading or creating a business. Starting a business can be terrifying and there are still days I feel scared. But you can never reach your own success goal if you never start the journey to get there. Im a person who is analytical and sometimes too safe. I like to have all possibilities thought out before making a decision. This is something I’m working on. We can’t control how something may turn out. We will never now if we at least don’t try. There are days that aren’t the best. Those days are the days you want to analyze. There’s a learning opportunity with mishaps in business ownership. Keeping organized and knowing the profit and loss components of your industry was beneficial in starting my own. I also think building a network of people around you that can speak to you with vulnerability helps ease you out of hard situations. Having people to bounce ideas off of or ask for help that maybe they are stronger suited in that area of business is also impactful.

When I was younger I remember sitting with my grandfather and him teaching my how to use excel and track finances; to help understand where I need to go to reach a goal. My mom making me cash my early teenage paychecks and withdrawal money I needed for an item from it to show how quick money can go. With constant determination and drive we all can find our true professional selfs. I hope my story can inspire younger generations or others who have that fire in them. Life is full of opportunities and lessons.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a small town boy I love souther hospitality! So first stop would of course be momma’s house for a nice welcoming home cooked meal. I also think if a friend who has never been to a southern state needs to get fitted for a good ole cowboy/girl hat or boots. Every Texan needs a some gear. If its during crawfish season. I think The boot is a perfect southern lunch spot. The great thing about Houston is the diversity. I myself am a lunch and brunch kind of guy. Some of my favorite brunch spots are A’bouzy, Bisou, Bosscat (because im a whisky guy) and squabble. I live in the Greater Heights area so hitting up the local vintage stores and shops along 19th are so fun for cute treasures. On of my favorite neighbor spots is D’alba in Garden Oaks. The dinner menu is unique and their craft cocktails to die for. Houstons museum seen is top notch so for a little exploration day into the arts would be fun. The Menil is a free art gallery that has constant updates and activities. I have a pup so I love dog friendly places. Truckyard has a chill dog friendly vibe with live music. The Rustic is also so fun! And just adjacent to Timbergrove on 19th there’s a little pocket of heights bars to walk to a from. Makes for a fun evening with each spot having a different vibe. Seeing Buffalo Park or Memorial park on a beautiful day is always nice. They have beautiful grass areas for champagne and picnic. I also can’t forget my sweet tooth. Tout sweet is a cool late night hangout in Eado. Tiny Boxwoods has some of the best chocolate chip cookies by far. Also can’t forget about the chocolate factory for all chocolate treats. I love experiencing all the neighborhoods of Houston!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The BIGGEST shoutout is to my clients. Without the love and support of my daily interaction with them everything I set out to do would not happen. And from the bottom of my heart im so very grateful. I also started my career through a mentorship. Ashley Toliver Williams gave me the tools I needed to build/grow in hairdressing and business ownership. Lastly I have my mom to thank. Im a momma’s boy and a big part of how I think and behave is all from learning and watching as I grew up. I still rely on her daily for advice or guidance.

Website: www.TheHoustonStylist.com

Instagram: @TheHoustonStylist

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-wachel-36947251/