Shawna Jade Enright is the owner of West Bend’s Kalon Salon + Extension Bar and Kalon Extensions, a 100-percent cruelty-free mink eyelash line. In the spring, Enright even added “bicoastal hairstylist” to her resume, flying from Wisconsin to Phoenix every few weeks to provide services to Arizona-based clients. Learn about Shawna Jade Enright…
Hometown: Kewaskum, WI
First job: I was 14 years old bussing tables and dishwashing at Woody’s Steakhouse in Kewaskum. Then, I transitioned to the salon field as a receptionist at a salon when I had my license.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in WI: In summer, I live my life on the lake. My parents have a lake house in Shawano. Growing up on the lake is a treasured memory for me. We love to jet ski, go boating, enjoy sand bar bashes, fish, etc. I also am getting acquainted with golfing as my boyfriend and his family own a golf course in my hometown. When I’m able to make my way down to the lakefront, my friends and I enjoy summer fest and any rooftop or lakeside brewery that we can enjoy the sun. Wisconsin has the best festivals as well. Strawberry fest is one of my favorites to go to in Cedarburg. I also spend a lot of time in Door County during their peak season in summer.
Your biggest accomplishments and why: Becoming a bicoastal hairstylist in the middle of a pandemic. I started my plans with Arizona while we were laid off. I took the time to start networking and connecting with amazing people on Zoom calls. I starting marketing on social media. I also started joining a lot of Facebook groups to meet people as well. I literally threw myself out there not knowing if I could do it or not. The reason this changed my life was because I needed the growth for myself. Coming from a small town, no one ever thought it was possible to fulfill a dream successfully like this. I wanted to see the world differently. I wanted to gain the confidence on my own, and I knew I had to face fear head-on to grow. I started out only knowing two people in the Valley. Now, I know the highways and streets like the back of my hand. To this day, I still continue to work and manage both locations.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: Having the courage to believe in myself when nobody else did. I’ve done a 360 with my life. I was the one who allowed toxic people to encourage me to stay small. I always needed validation from others to feel like I was worthy of something. I stayed small and played small to make others around me feel safe and comfortable. When I grew, I lost a lot of people. I needed to realize that it’s OK. There’s a season for everything and sometimes closing chapters of your life to excel to the next level of greatness is the best thing you can do for yourself. Instead of internalizing it with “what did I do,” you have to come to a conclusion that everyone’s mindset and reaction is based off of their reality and not yours. It really simplifies facing fear and evolving.
Someone who inspires you and why: This is totally random but Matthew McConaughey. He has so many amazing speeches on YouTube. One of them in particular is something that I listened to every single day for almost a year. In this speech he talked about finding yourself and instead of trying to figure out who you are, you should start by figuring out who you are not. Take a listen. It will get you through the rough valleys of life and keep your mind focused to your “why” and where you belong.
Advice to someone pursuing a career path in what you do: Never say no to an opportunity that will allow you to grow. You never know where this career path can take you. Every opportunity that I had up to this point lead me to the success that I have at 27 years old. I’m so humbled by the people I have met, the things that I have accomplished, and the growth that I’ve had in the past eight years. Don’t let fear stop you. Manifest your life, and you will be able to do anything you want with it.
Favorite quote: “Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don’t believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”–Dr. Seuss
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: This is quirky but those that know me will vouch for it. I never finish the ends of water bottles. If you looked at my nightstand, you will see about one to three inches with water in them and about three to four bottles at once.
What makes someone fabulous: Authenticity. I think that a lot of times it’s hard to understand who people really are behind the eyes of social media. I always am blown away when I meet someone in person who is truly so willing to help others grow and give them tips to success because it lights their soul on fire. Through my experience, it seems that a lot of people live in the “scarcity” mindset of there not being enough of something when others rise to the top. To me, being fabulous means you want others to follow your lead and be a mentor because they are raw and real.