We’re looking forward to introducing you to Wendy Vaughan. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Wendy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Honestly, my proudest recent moment has been making the move to a new salon after nine years in the same spot. It’s equal parts exciting and terrifying, but mostly I just feel proud that I’ve built something solid enough—with the support of my amazing clients—that I can take this leap. It feels like closing one chapter and opening another, and I’m so grateful I get to bring everyone along with me
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey y’all! I’m Wendy—a North Carolina native, hairstylist, and salon owner with over 20 years behind the chair. I run my salon, Southern Roots, and co-created Foil of Secrets (a luxury hair foiling brand) with my cousin—because let’s be honest, foils keep the secrets but salons spill the tea. 😉 When I’m not in my salon giggling with my clients, I’m behind the mic co-hosting my podcast Basically Famous, where we swap stories, share laughs, and say all the things people are thinking but don’t always say out loud—plus, we make fun social videos that somehow count as content. When I’m not working on those things – I’m usually chasing my son around the ballfields or tagging along on a fishing trip. After nine years in my last salon, I’m moving into a brand-new space, and it feels like the start of an exciting new chapter. Whether it’s hair, foils, or podcasts, my goal is always the same —to laugh a lot and make sure everyone around me does too.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
The person who taught me the most about work is my dad. He was the hardest working person I’ve ever known, and he showed us every day what it meant to value a dollar and put in the effort. I’ve never seen him make excuses—he always showed up, always provided for our family, and did it with integrity. We never went without, but he made it clear that money should be respected. He didn’t believe in debt, credit cards, or spending what you didn’t have. I’ll never forget one time when I went to the mall with a friend, and her mom bought me a skirt because I didn’t have the money on me. My dad immediately gave her the $20 back, but he was so upset—not about the money, but because I had spent what I didn’t have. His lesson stuck with me: work hard, live within your means, and never let excuses get in the way of showing up.
Even though he has since passed, I’m so grateful I was able to start my business while he was still here—and I’ll never forget him telling me how proud he was of me. (And my mom, who’s probably reading this right now, was and still is my biggest cheerleader. 😉)
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Worrying about what people think—whether they’re judging, rolling their eyes, or whispering about me. And let’s be honest, in the age of social media, everybody has an opinion. You can post your best idea or proudest moment, and somebody out there will still think you’re cringe. For a long time, that fear definitely made me second-guess myself or hesitate to put things out there.
But the older I’ve gotten, the less I care—because honestly, people are going to talk no matter what. I’d rather give them something worth talking about, I guess. At the end of the day, I’ve created things I’m proud of, and while I don’t always get everything right, I know I’m doing it with a pure heart and good intentions. And if someone wants to roll their eyes at that, well, they can go ahead—it just means they’re getting their cardio in
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Social media can fool so many of us because it’s easy to curate a highlight reel that doesn’t really match real life. But one thing I always say about my online presence is what you see is what you get. I keep it real and true to myself—on or offline. It makes me proud to know I’m the same person behind the screen as I am in person, and I think my family, friends and clients would definitely back me up on that. Honestly, it’s a lot less exhausting when you don’t have to keep up a fake version of yourself.
Over the years, clients have asked if I’d ever do Instagram/social media full-time, and my answer has always been the same: absolutely not. I would never want to put my worth in the hands of strangers online. I could spend hours making the best video or shooting the best content, post it, and if it only got 12 likes, I’d feel deflated—and I know that wouldn’t be healthy for me. For me, social media works best as something fun and an extra stream of income that I can fit into my life. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing brands because of it, but my true passion is in the real relationships I get to build every day in my salon, through my podcast, and with my foiling business. That being said, I absolutely love the online community I’ve built over the last six years—it’s been such a gift. Wait, did I answer the question? 🤣
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
My hilarious conversations in the salon, duh. Of course they’d miss their blondes and foils, but what really keeps people in my chair are the laughs, the stories, and the fact that I’m basically their hype girl and hairapist rolled into one. And they’re mine. I’m a safe place for my clients. I never judge them. I want them to always feel like they can vent to me. I hate even calling them clients because they’re friends and family to me. Over the years, we’ve built friendships that go way beyond hair. If I retired tomorrow, I’d like to think my clients would miss walking out with great hair—but they’d miss the laughter and the real talk even more. We really bond during hair appointments. You’d be surprised what a full foil can cover.
When I reflect on my years as a hairstylist, it honestly blows my mind how close I’ve gotten with my clients—and that’s what makes this career so special to me. I’ve been doing hair for 21 years and in that time, clients have turned into some of my best friends. I’ve been to their weddings, I’ve gone to their baby showers, pretty much any major life event —these relationships are for life. How special is a profession where that can happen? And let me just tell you, it doesn’t take long for us to be both crying and laughing together in my chair.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://audioboom.com/channels/5060764-basically-famous
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justmewendyv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BSrp5b5Ei/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justmewendyv
