Every since Taylor Chess was 15 she had planned to be a salon owner in her 20s. She is a co-owner of the Hair Salon “Trend Pittsburgh Salon” located on Butler Street. Taylor is a Hampton graduate from the class of 2013. She started going to beauty school when she was 15, before she could even drive she was working as an assistant. She knew if she worked hard and built a clientele early in life she could be her own boss before most people her age graduated college. Chess attended Beattie her sophomore to senior year. Going into Trend, Taylor and her employees strive to make sure everyone come in feels comfortable and relaxed. There is no judgment, and everyone is welcome. Their are beverages and treats for clients to enjoy. Trend listens to exactly what you want and they spend their time giving undivided attention to you. Her clients always say how they feel so refreshed when they are there, it’s like you’re hanging out with your friends while getting pampered. Her favorite part in doing hair is the variety, having someone new and something new everyday excites her! 

At Trend, they do everything you would want for your hair including, mens and womens haircuts, extensions, and color. Taylor’s favorite part about being a salon owner is helping teach and lead new stylists. One of the reasons why she always wanted to open her own salon was because she hated the way stylists were treated at other salons. Chess states, “I like being able to help my employees and never make them feel badly about themselves when they are learning. We have fun and we all teach each other new things. Being able to create our own environment with good vibes is amazing!” I asked Taylor what advice she would give young entrepreneurs like herself, “My best advice is, do it even if you think you can’t!” There has been many moments in Chess’s career where she thought she should just give up because it was just too stressful, but she pushed through and didn’t give up on her dreams. Many students in Hampton think they are not able to achieve these “big” dreams they have in their mind just because we live in a small town. But as we see now if you really want something and you try your hardest and don’t give up, you can strive and succeed. Taylor said it best, “You truly can do anything that you work for. It’s such a scary move to step out of your comfort zone and do something risky. But when you succeed you are so thankful for everyday, there is nothing like working for yourself!