Shearing sisters
Gierharts share salon experience
Some people might be reluctant to enter into a business partnership with their sibling.
Not the Gierharts.
Sisters Shelby and Catera Gierhart, both licensed cosmetologists, opened Two Shears Salon and Spa at 8835 W. Indiana 18, Bryant, on June 1.
Two Shears is a full-service salon, offering women’s, men’s and children’s haircuts, hair coloring and makeup. In January, they’ll launch the spa portion of the business, which will include massages, facials and waxing.
Shelby, 27, originally decided to enroll in a program at Masters of Cosmetology in Fort Wayne after graduating from Jay County High School early.
“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up,” Shelby said. “And I went to beauty school for two months and I just decided, I will never go to college, this is my thing. I love it. I have a huge passion for this industry.”
She worked at UpperKut Salon & Spa in Portland and more recently was cutting clients’ hair out of her home.
Catera initially resisted following in her older sister’s footsteps. But she faced the same dilemma Shelby had in high school — what to do after graduation.
“I wanted to be a hairdresser for a long time and I kept saying, ‘No, my sister already does it, I can’t, blah blah blah,’” Catera, 20, said. “And she’s like, “Why? Why can’t you?’”
She found a program she loved at Summit Salon Academy in Anderson, and graduated from cosmetology school this summer. She’s now in the midst of an esthetician program, which will be finished in February.
The idea for Two Shears came about because of some good-natured selfishness, Shelby will readily admit.
“I’ve done hair for eight years, and my baby sister joining the industry — I could not let it be OK that we didn’t work in the same place,” Shelby said. “If you’re going to work in my industry, you’re going to work with me.”
And they were never afraid of working together, even though people warned them it might get complicated. They own the business 50/50 and have a contract between them, but promised to always put each other first.
“She’s my sister, and family is the most important thing to us,” Shelby said. “We will close this building before something affects her being my sister. … Family is the most important thing to us, that’s the bottom line, nothing else.”
They especially valued their relationship after a family tragedy three years ago. Catera, their sister Lexie Gierhart, their mom Julie DeHoff and Lexie’s son Carter were involved in a traffic accident in June 2015; Lexie and DeHoff died of their injuries. Catera was also injured. Lexie’s young son Carter was unhurt.
Lexie came between Catera and Shelby in age; while the eldest and youngest sisters were close before, the accident bonded them.
“After that, I needed her, she needed me,” Catera said. “We’re eight years apart, and I was still in high school, and so I obviously had to grow up after that.”
Shelby agreed.
“She needed me, and I needed her, more than anything,” she said.
The sisters already have big plans for the future of their business — assembling a team of stylists, offering more services and eventually expanding the building.
They’ve been busy so far, more so than they had even expected.
“What we didn’t take into consideration was the rural community,” Shelby said. “People that live 45 minutes from Portland that have to drive that far to get their hair done, or a lot of people who live out here drive to Muncie.”
They’ve even had truck drivers stop in on their lunch breaks for a quick trim.
A strong online presence has also helped. Shelby has been taking a marketing class and applying the lessons to the business’s social media accounts by hosting giveaways and posting frequently to optimize its web presence.
Currently, Shelby has taken care of the day-to-day operations while Catera finishes up her schooling in Anderson. The pair is looking forward to working together full-time once she graduates, and getting to share their love for the business.
“Making people beautiful,” Shelby said when describing why she’s passionate about cosmetology. “Making people smile.”
“There’s no other feeling like when they’re smiling,” Catera added. “To make somebody feel like a million bucks, it’s just so rewarding.”
