The Styled On Mars Interview By Kayla Doria Ward

 

This week, I had the privilege to chat with Mars Bailey. The fierce, iconic hairstylist and owner of Styled On Mars. She breaks down her journey to becoming a young business owner, her favorite colors and cuts, and what community means to her.

Introductions and Beginnings

KW

What is your name, and how would you label yourself in your career?

MARS 

My name is Mars Bailey, and I'm an alternative hairstylist and salon owner. 

KW 

How did you become a hairstylist and salon owner? What was the journey to get here?  

MARS 

Hair's always been my thing, for sure. Honestly, my entire life, I've known I wanted to be a hairstylist. Growing up, it was always my thing. I would have Barbie dolls and American Girl dolls, and cut their hair and paint their hair with markers.  It's always been my thing. And then, definitely in middle school and high school, when I was finding myself, hair color was totally my thing. I was always that girl in school who had new hair every single week. I was always the friend who did everyone's hair. So, I always knew I wanted to be a hairstylist.  

Then, after I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to do hair, but going into a trade and into cosmetology wasn't the cookie-cutter thing you're supposed to do. And everyone was like, "You need to go to college; you won't be successful without college." And so I was like okay, I guess I have to go to college. And so I actually went to college for one semester, and I immediately knew it wasn't for me. I knew I was a creative, I knew I was artistic. So, after one semester, I dropped out and enrolled in cosmetology school. 

I did my 1200 hours in nine months. I banged that out. And then immediately, the day after I got my license and got approved, maybe that week, I just hit the ground running. But I feel hair's always been my thing for sure. I've always known this was the route I wanted to go. 

KW 

Do you have any influences you look up to or have looked up to throughout your journey to becoming your own boss and a salon owner? 

MARS 

Honestly, I would say my mentor. She and I aren't really as close as we were. But growing up, my mom's hair stylist, her name was Kate Owens, or Kate's Cuts, and she was iconic. She owns a salon in Bonita Springs, Florida, and she was my mom's hair stylist growing up. She was the first woman who did my highlights; she would do feathers in my hair. 

I had just started cosmetology school, and they had a job board for local salons hiring assistants. I was like, I need a job because I was already planning to move to Tampa down the road. On the job board, right in the middle, it was Kate’s Cuts, and she was hiring an assistant. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is so meant to be. I reached out, but I was thinking I don't even know if she remembers me cause I was probably, maybe 10 or 12 when I got my first highlights. But she immediately remembered me and actually she took me under her wing during cosmetology school. 

She not only taught me a lot about hair and techniques, but also about the type of salon and business owner I would want to be one day. And the way she ran her salon, her salon culture, her mission, and the way she just carried herself was definitely the type of hair stylist I want to be. So I'd say she's probably my biggest mentor for the business owner I am. And she's an icon and is iconic. She definitely had a big role in my career for sure. 

Talking Hair and Business

KW 

What does hair mean to you?  

MARS 

I think hair is one of the first things people notice about themselves and other people when meeting people for the first time. I think it's one of the biggest forms of self-expression. And I think hair is such an outlet for people to be able to, express themselves in their appearance to  align to the type of person they are on the inside. 

Hair is more than art, hair is a connection, hair is a safe space. I feel I'm a hairstylist and I paint hair and I cut hair, whatever, but it's more than that to me. It's the connections, the relationships, the trust,  and the sharing of stories. I'm also a big believer that hair holds energy and memories. So, I think it's a big part of people's identities and who they are. 

KW 

What was either most challenging, most fun, or even your favorite hair that you've done so far? 

MARS 

I do have to say I am a queen of a chunky highlight. I love any chunky highlight, whether it's black-and-white, red-and-black, rainbow chunkies, or a Y2K chunky highlight. So I'd say that takes my cake. 

However, I will have to say my favorite transformation,  if I had to pick one, I would have to say when I did Alyssa Liu inspired hair. And honestly, okay, a confession, love Alyssa Liu. She's an icon. She has honestly changed the alternative, especially the alternative hair. But being so honest, when my client came in asking me for this hair, I'm not a sports girly, I didn't know who Liu was. But when she showed me I was like Oh my God, hell yeah, I love a raccoon tail! And so we slayed her hair. Of course, it turned out fabulous. We wanted to go a little more ashy than the traditional Alyssa Lou hair. Hers is a little bit more of a natural blonde. We wanted to go for  a more of a black and white style. But I was like, let's do it, girl! 

It just so happened, the day we did her hair was the night she was doing her performance and she won. But I didn't know that, because I wasn't watching the Olympics. I didn't know. But apparently she had won and I posted her hair that day because I had just done my client's hair that day. And because of that, And because she just won, she was going viral on social media and that hair went viral. I got over 5 million views on the video, and so many people reached out to me. I had an interview with NPR. I was going viral. I was posted on so many other accounts. It definitely launched my social media in a sense too. So I think not only because it was so cool and iconic and I love Alyssa Liu now, but also what it did for my brand too. I would say that one is my favorite transformation. 

KW 

Pivoting to you, since you are a one-woman show, how would you describe your experience with opening your own salon? What does your typical day look like? 

MARS 

So now it's a little different, since I have an assistant and just opened my new studio this past week. But this past year, being my own woman stylist, honestly, I'm gonna be so honest, it was not easy. Maybe on social media and just chatting with people, I made it sound glamorous. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and I wouldn't change it for the world. But I made it sound so exciting and so fun, and I think a lot of people don't realize how much goes on behind the scenes and how much literal blood, sweat, and tears I've poured into my studio. 

But, a typical day of my life, I get to the salon immediately. I always have to do a little post and check my social media since I am pretty active on social media. Of course, I set up, turn on all my cute lights, set up my cute music, set the scene, light my cute little candle, and my incense. Then check my social media, reply to messages, check what people have texted me, and comments. And then I typically dive right into it. I am typically back-to-back to back-to-back. Time is money. So one thing I'm trying to get better at is giving myself a little more of a break, a little more breathing room. But my day can range from two to six clients, depending on the services, what I'm doing, and how late I'm working. But it's typically go, go, go. 

KW

What is the most important thing you do during a day or appointment that sets your salon apart from others?

MARS

I really try to pour my entire self into my studio during my day. Honestly, I don't check my phone throughout the day. I really try to make my clients feel this is a one-on-one, this is their appointment. I think one thing that's kind of gotten a little lost in this industry is: Of course, it's great to have the aesthetic, the vibes, and the appearance, but I feel hairstylists have kind of made it all about themselves. When at the end of the day, we are service providers, I am here for you. I'm here for your service to make you feel beautiful, to be here, whether you need to cry, whether you need to rant, or whether we need to laugh. This is your appointment. And so I'm not the type of girl to double-book. I'm not the type of girl to leave you for three hours while you're processing and just come to you to wash you out. I'm not just going to throw you out to my assistant to finish the service.  You're here paying for my service and my time, and your time is just as valuable as mine. 

So I feel that’s the one really important thing in my day-to-day is making sure I'm here for my clients and showing up for them. Whether I'm in the salon for a quick little 6-hour day or I've had long 12-hour days behind the chair, I’m still showing up for my clients.

KW

What made you want to open your own place instead of going from studio to studio and just renting a chair? 

MARS 

I have always known I've wanted to be a salon owner. It's always been the goal set since the beginning. I've always been super transparent and open about this being my goal one day: to open a salon, for a few reasons. 

I wanted the freedom to build a space that felt authentic to me and also to my clients. I feel traditional salons, especially Florida traditional salons, are along the same lines as blonding, extension, and balayage specialists, which is totally amazing for blondes out there. But I feel traditional salons aren't always the right fit for the type of artist I want to be and the clientele I want to serve. Alternative isn't just a style. It’s being authentic and true to yourself and not fitting in someone else's cookie-cutter box. So I really, really wanted to create a safe space for anyone and everyone. 

And with that being said, I also have blonde extension clients. But, I just want it to be a safe space where it doesn't give mean girl energy. You could come with blonde hair or pink hair or you want to chop it off or you don't want to. I want it to be a safe space where anyone and everyone, no matter who you are, what you look, who you love, it doesn't matter. You could come and be you. And that was my biggest thing for wanting to open my own space, is to create a safe space and not only just a safe space, but a community. 

My goal is to make it a community, especially once I open a bigger salon. I want to host events, bring in vendors, and create a safe space where people can express themselves. I feel that was my biggest reason for wanting to own a salon, especially as a salon owner in Florida, because there really aren't many places for alternative people to come and express themselves and get what they want, too. I feel that's a big thing, too.

KW 

With opening your new salon, what challenges have you faced when opening versus the challenges you had with your past studio? 

MARS 

It's honestly two different sides of the spectrum with opening my last one and my new one. So it's been a little less than a year since I opened my last salon. And I feel the biggest thing I struggled with last year when opening my salon was learning to wear every hat. I wasn't just the hairstylist. I was marketing. I was doing my bookkeeping. I was my receptionist, my inventory, scheduling, social media, and also, just designing and having the space itself. So I think it was really scary at first.  

Last year, my biggest challenge was making the jump. And because it's scary, trying to prove, especially being at the young age I am, to try to prove to people that I can run a business. And it was scary, especially juggling it all, because up until this point, I had been working at a previous salon where all I had to do was show up, clock in, see my clients, and leave. And so, trying to juggle all of that was... really challenging, but I feel that over this past year, I've finally gotten into a groove, a flow. I feel I'm finally at a point where I kind of have a little bit of work-life balance, because that was one of my biggest challenges when opening. 

But I would say my challenge now, which is the total opposite, is going into my new studio, where I hired an assistant. And I'm so excited about her! Her name is Hannah. She is the sweetest thing. She's honestly a mini-me. I'm so excited to have her as part of my team. However, I've been a one-man show for a year now, and I feel my salon's my baby. I've literally poured my heart and soul into this place. So now I’m giving and trusting someone to do the things I've been doing all independently. I can also admit I am a control freak, and I like things the way I have them. I have a vision, and when I have a vision, it has to be the exact vision. And so I feel like my one challenge now is taking a step back and letting Hannah kind of come in and help, because I do need the help. I do need it, and I have been wanting this for so long. 

This past week was my first week open, and hers as well, obviously. And she's already killing it. She's already amazing. I feel I was a lot more anxious and challenged leading up to it, trying to figure out the role she'll be filling or the things she'll be doing for me. But I'm honestly feeling super confident with her now. But I feel the most challenging thing about entering this new space is no longer being a one-woman show. 

KW 

Did you ever face any pushback from bosses, landlords, family, friends, because of how young you were and how fast you jumped into it all?

MARS 

I definitely think yes. I think I've honestly gotten pushback, not only just from opening a studio, but even before I became a cosmetologist. I didn't have people who were fully there for me. And don't get me wrong, I do have a support system that really, really supported me. Don't get me wrong. But the “not important people” basically told me that, before I even opened the salon, told me I wasn't going to be successful. I wasn't going to make it. I needed further education. Past employers even warned against it. But I already had people filling this in my mind at the ripe age of 17, before I even started. And so, yes, that has definitely given me a lot of unwarranted worries and fears.

But honestly, that lit my fire even more. It was like, well, watch me. And growing up, everything I've done going into my studio, I've done it 100% independently. And I'm really proud to say that. Everything I have, I've worked my ass off to get it. 

When I first moved to Tampa, I didn't know anyone. I literally knew my two best friends, and that was it. So I have built this clientele from the ground up. I wasn't a full-time stylist at a salon for a year before I decided to make the jump and open my own studio. So yeah, it was scary as hell. And so many people were like, Mars, I think you need more time. I don't think you're ready. So many people thought that. And I wanted to prove them wrong. And I honestly feel that has lit a fire under me because, of course, I was scared because now I have all these people watching me and I have to prove to them that at such a young age, I am able and I am capable of running a business and doing the thing. But I did it. I did it. 

Community and Safe Space

KW 

What does alternative mean to you, and how do you represent that in your salon? 

MARS 

I feel people and trends have now made alternative a style or an aesthetic. And don't get me wrong, it definitely does play into that. But I think alternative means to me authenticity and being true to yourself. It could just be how or who you are on the inside, but whether it's someone, if they have a vivid color, a natural color, tattoos, piercings, or whatever. It’s about expression, being true to yourself, and not fitting into what society expects you to be. 

KW 

Many people seek out alternative stylists because they don’t feel comfortable in traditional salons. How did you design your space to be a 'haven' for subcultures?

MARS 

The second you walk into my space, it definitely screams me. Maximalist, definitely artistic. But, first things first. The second you walk into the salon, you will see a LGBTQ flag hanging in the wind, flying in the wind. So I feel that's the first thing, and I feel like it’s written everywhere that I'm a safe space. Anyone and everyone is welcomed and I feel that was the number one thing. Even being a Florida, alternative girl growing up, especially in the Naples, Fort Myers area, there's definitely a lot less of our community down there. 

True story, real story, I wanted traffic cone, neon orange hair with a blonde money piece. I wanted that so badly. And so especially being in Naples, I was searching all these salons, but at the time I couldn't find any alternative ‘stylists’ down there. And so I found the stylist, I thought she was gonna be good. I felt she had a good vibe. Mind you, I'm probably only 15 or 16 years old. But still, so I'm just a little baddie that's just trying to find herself. And I go into the salon and it was just a terrible experience, honestly. Everyone was looking at me weird and the woman just could not do it. And no offense to her, but it just like, it was just such a bad experience. And I remember I left the salon crying. I just did not feel welcomed. I felt judged, honestly. And I feel  that was one of my biggest  turning stones where I was like, I want to make a change, especially being in Florida.  

I said, that I feel most salons here are traditional extension blonde specialists. And I'm not shitting on those people. My cosmetology school bestie, she is literally a blonde extension specialist. I'm not shitting on them whatsoever. The things she does, I can never do. However, I feel there needs to be both of us, for people like us. And so that's one thing I really wanted to create in my space. I wanted it to not only be cool and vibey and aesthetic, but I also wanted the second you walk in, you feel welcomed, you feel safe, you see me, my flags, you see my safe space things.

KW 

Ybor City has been in recent conversation for historic and treasured alternative spaces being pushed out or closed down. With people feeling uneasy and even unsafe in those once-sacred spaces, has this affected you and your space?

MARS 

I'm a Ybor local. I've lived in Ybor for going on three years now, and you'll have to drag me out of Ybor one day. I love living here, not only for the history but also the community. There is such a big alternative and LGBTQ community in Ybor, and it's definitely drawn me there. I love South Tampa. I am also a fan of that. But unlike Soho or South Tampa, Ybor is her own little haven. And I've loved the community. That's honestly one of the biggest things that drew me to Ybor and what made me want to move here one day was the community. 

It is honestly really sad to see some of these places disappearing and having to close down. They weren't just businesses; they were places, and they were gatherings for people who felt connected, whether it was through art, music, or just an alternative culture. So with these spaces closing down, it feels like pieces of the community are going with them. 

That’s a really big reason why Styled on Mars has been so important to me. Although I'm just a hair salon, I want to create a studio where people can feel a sense of community, thrive, and connect. So yeah, I think preserving scenes like that is so important.

Also, Crowbar! I don't know on the top of my head, but Crowbar has been open for such a long time, like generations of the alternative community and big things have been there to be a space. So as someone that's always kind of felt connected to Ybor, it's honestly heartbreaking seeing places like Crowbar and even smaller businesses closing down. For some people in this community, those are their safe spaces, their home bases. It honestly makes me sad to see for the artists that have performed there, the people, the connections that have been made there, and people who felt understood.  Places that have been here for generations and years are closing down. It's just killing local artistry. So that's one thing I wanted to say about crowbar. It just, It's honestly really sad and really heartbreaking, and I think it just reminds me and pushes me even more to create a space that is welcoming.

Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Mars

KW 

Any big projects or announcements coming up that you’d like to share?

MARS 

This is officially my first week being open in my new studio. I hired an assistant, so I have my first Styled on Mars employee; it's kind of crazy. Her name is Hannah. She is currently in cosmetology school. She's projected to graduate in January, and she'll essentially be the first stylist of my salon in my empire. 

One thing I really want to say is I've been feeling a lot of gratitude this past week. Although I have worked my ass off to build my clientele and this space, it truly is my dream. I couldn't do it without my clientele, without my people that trust me and support me. Whether it's you just rebooking your appointment, giving a referral, tagging me on your story, or even just liking my post, those little things mean so much to me. I just feel so thankful and accomplished.

I just think back to being that girl in cosmetology school, and now I’m already opening a second studio location. This is insane to me. It's literally everything I've ever dreamed of and ever wanted. And even my first studio was my dream, now having this new space, it's better than I ever could have imagined. Genuinely, I literally can't wait for you to see it. It's so perfect. 

So follow your dreams and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. If you don't put the work in, it's not gonna come to you. But if you put the work in and you do it, you can fucking do it! Because I had no support, which no shade to my mom, I don't want her to feel bad if she reads this, but genuinely it's the truth. I had no financial support. I didn't have much emotional support, but I had a dream and I set my mind to it. And I did that. I guess this is my gratitude announcement, and being able to feel so thankful and so accomplished at such a young age. It's kind of insane. I don't even think it feels real to me yet. 

KW 

Any closing advice to young hairstylists wanting to either open a space or just get started?

MARS 

You can do it! Literally everyone told me I couldn't, and look, I did that shit! 

One piece of advice: it's not as easy as it looks. On paper, and especially on social media, as anything on social media is, I feel it seems so aesthetic and so fun . Don't get me wrong, my job is so, so fun. I do have so much fun and I wouldn't change it for the world. However, this job is hard work. And I think one thing is you definitely have to put in the work. You're gonna have to build your own clientele. You're gonna be standing on your feet for 6 to 12 hours a day. Invest in some compression socks! You're gonna hurt physically and be tired thoughout your arms and feet. Oh my god, my feet hurt so bad. I'm only four years into my career. My feet hurt so bad. I'm screwed. But not only your feet and your arms will blow drying all day and all that, but it's also very emotionally taxing too. And you really. you have to be prepared to have a full cup and to fill other people's cups. 

My job, at least to me, my job isn't just doing pretty hair, it's the connection and it's the people. That's my favorite part about my job. Of course I'm an artist and I love the funky stuff and I love the raccoon tails and bangs but honestly, my favorite part about my career is the people. Making my people feel comfortable and seen and safe and being an outlet for them and not only being an outlet, but also helping them feel beautiful. Of course this job is so fulfilling, so beautiful, fun, and expressive. But it is definitely a lot emotionally too. And yeah, just being an outlet for someone.

But I guess my biggest thing is it looks all butterflies and rainbows, but you're going to have to put the work in to do it. And I feel that's a really big piece of advice. I mean on the corporate ladder, you can't just climb it up. The only way to climb is if you're growing yourself and you're growing your brand and you're growing your clientele. The only person that can do it is you. 

Instagram: @styled.on.mars

Tik Tok @styled.on.mars

Linktree: linktr.ee/styled.on.mars