We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista Bartik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista, why did you pursue a creative career?
When my senior year of high school came around I started to question what it is that I truly wanted out of life. I have always enjoyed doing my friends nails and makeup but never considered it as a career until my high school teacher told me, “do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”. They were not wrong.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a hairstylist and educator based in Raleigh, North Carolina. I have a passion for creating natural-looking lived in hair, particularly in the areas of blonding and balayage. My passion also lives in hair photography and social media, which I use to showcase my work and connect with other hairstylists.

When I am not behind the chair, I get the opportunity to travel and teach stylists all over. It is incredibly fulfilling to share my knowledge to help stylists grow and improve their skills through my teaching, social media presence, or simply by being a positive role model.

I got to where I am today by never giving up. I was told early in my career that your level of success equals your level of hunger. Through my journey I’ve realized that anything is possible with the right mindset and surrounding myself around the right people.

 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area we would start our morning with a workout or yoga class and then get breakfast at First Watch or The Flying Biscuit Cafe.

If the sun is out you can catch us hanging out by the pool during the day. Around night time we are definitely getting dressed up and going out. Downtown Raleigh has many great restaurants and nightlife.

 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this shoutout to my mom. No matter how big, or how crazy my dream may have seen, she never doubted me of reaching it. I wouldn’t be who I am today without her.

 

Instagram: @colorbykriss

Tiktok: @colorbykriss

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