By Kyla Hurt
Photos by Kyla Hurt
Why not have some fun in hair
The She Shed Salon at 209 Hart St. in Franklin opened on April 1. The owner and only stylist of The She Shed Salon is Danielle Phillips.
She is far from new to the industry, having been a stylist for the last 19 years. People might remember her as the manager of Smart Styles, which was located within Walmart or as the owner and stylist of A Touch of Creation Salon in Jacksonville. Like many, Phillips found herself in a different place due to the pandemic. So, she decided to start her own salon.
The salon is 14 feet by 25 feet and came from stick frame. “We built this salon from the ground up … my dad, my brother, husband, friends.” The salon is built on her family’s land and she can see some member of her family’s home in practically every direction.
While one might think the space would be cramped, it is just right. The space is personal and perfect for Phillips. She has a friend who makes signs and they’re speckled around her salon, adorned with writing such as: “Welcome to your therapy session … I mean your hair appointment.” “Today is a perfect day to start living your DREAMS,” or “Therapy is expensive. get a haircut instead.” Galvanized décor and clean, simple furnishings dress up the place. She describes it as comfy, cozy and very country.
Then there’s Phillips herself. Clients are greeted by her vibrant red, wavy hair and a warm, big smile. Her personality is fun, real and a bit country wild; she’s the type of person with whom you feel comfortable immediately.
Phillips offers all types of haircuts, color and perms. She also lists facial waxing in her services. Men, women and kids are welcome, she adds. In fact, she has a Pack ‘n Play tucked in one corner, toys for kids and coloring books available, as well. Phillips notes that she has experience working with group homes in the past, too.
One perk about her hours is that she is open Mondays while most salons are not. Her hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m on Mondays, plus Wednesdays through Fridays; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays – or later if needed. Call 217-883-2228 for appointments. She notes that you can also check out her business or personal Facebook page.
Phillips says she’s always “just had a passion for doing hair. I’m a people person … I’m a very social butterfly. I feel like anybody can get their license to do hair, but it takes somebody really talented to be really good at it. I love it.”
Beyond opening her own business, Phillips has an extra reason to be proud. Phillips is dyslexic, specifically associated with hand and eye coordination, she says. “So, if I read a paper, I don’t understand it, but if you read it to me and I follow along with you, then I can comprehend what you’re telling me. I was diagnosed with it in kindergarten. When you have [dyslexia], it’s a struggle because with everything, you have to work 10 times harder … 10 times harder … 10 times harder! I was determined I was going to cosmetology school and I was going to graduate, so that’s what I did. I worked and I worked and I worked. My parents and my teacher – they helped me. I graduated out of cosmetology school a month after I graduated high school.”
“It’s just a little important something to me. I’m the first person in Franklin history to graduate out of high school and out of an extracurricular schooling with a self-contained learning disability. I’m the only one out of two different cosmetology schools that still currently holds my active cosmetology license and still does it: it’s not a side job for me. It’s an everyday, Monday through Saturday job. So, that’s a huge accomplishment for me.”
“And still right at 38 years old, I’m a goal setter. I have daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals because if you don’t, you kinda get lost … and so it makes you want to keep thriving to succeed.”
Kudos for that, Phillips. She succeeded and is still doing what she loves – now in her own salon, The She Shed Salon. Phillips enjoys updos, especially for special events. Aside from that, she loves when she can do transformations on a client. Because of the pandemic and having had to keep away from clients for some time, it’s been exciting to see changes in clients as they’ve returned.
Phillips is married to Jake Phillips. They have an eight-year-old little girl named Pistol, “and she is a pistol,” says Danielle Phillips. They also have a little boy, Colt, who turned 15 months on May 6.
