Kara Brend, Hairstylist –  Salon Envie
What do you do?
I help people to gain confidence, find beauty, or just express themselves through their hair! I create art on a movable canvas.
What education, classes or training were helpful to you?
The salon I worked at for 7 years in Menomonie, WI is where I really learned some of my most valuable skills as a hairdresser. The owner and manager there were very hands-on in their training.
Why did you choose this sort of work?
I have always been a very creative person and love working with people and getting to know people’s stories! It felt like the best or both worlds for me!
What do you like best about your work?
Other than just creating awesome hair, I love helping people to see the beauty in themselves. The look on a person’s face when they feel great is priceless.
What advice would you give girls who want to get into your field?
Take constructive criticism. Soak up any and all information from experienced stylists around you. Listen to your clients.
What is an example of something you’ve had to overcome to get to where you are now?
In December 2016, I was 9 months pregnant, 3 days from my due date, which happened to be Christmas, and my husband at the time told me he wanted a divorce. He had been having a relationship with a girl he went to high school with. I was devastated. My whole world crashed down around me and was ripped away.
The job I loved? I had to quit. The house I pictured raising my daughter in? We had to sell it. The first true friends I ever had? I had to move away from them. The city I absolutely loved and wanted to stay living in forever? Forced to move away. I had my daughter a week and a half after my ex-husband told me he wanted a divorce…and she really did save me. Without her I’m not sure I would have been able to endure a lot of what I had to.Â
Fast forward to June 2019. I now have a 2.5 year old! She’s amazing. And so happy. Her dad and I actually get along great, and yes, he is still dating the girl he left me for, and honestly, we also get along pretty decent. I’m engaged to a pretty awesome guy and he has 2 little girls. We live in Wausau together! I own my own business now and rent a chair at Salon Envie. My business name is Silver Lining Studio. Because I truly believe everything happened for a reason, and I would have never been where I am now, had everything not played out the way it did.
Anything else we should know?
I am here to empower people, especially women, who might have or are going through anything similar to what I did. Whether it is just through sharing my story and the outcome, or through a change in hairstyle!
Thank you Kara Brend!
To read more interviews with local wonder women, check out theWunderfrauen Archive.