Are you in need of a hair re-fresh? Or are you new to the area and looking for an incredible stylist? We know just the one!

Allow us to introduce you to Lindzy Plott (stylist extraordinaire) and owner of (in) tandem, which is conveniently located in  MacGregor Village in Cary.

We did a Q&A with Lindzy and it's too perfect not to share and we didn't want to leave anything out.  Enjoy, y'all.

GC: When did you start styling?

LP: I have been in the industry since I was 14 years old! My first professional job was a receptionist at our local salon! I started my journey as a career hairdresser in 2008 after gradating from Appalachian State. Then going to nursing school, which helped me realize I had been pursuing a job that was the “dream” of others and not mine anymore. 

GC: Why is being a stylist your passion?

LP: I love working with people. People inspire me. Honestly, even more than hair. I enjoying meeting the person, and then through getting to know them, create the canvas they are looking for or need for their lifestyle. 

It's this relationship of working together that brings me joy and the love of my career. The hair is simply the result we create together. This relationship is where the name (in) tandem derived. By definition, we work “alongside each other and together” to bring us both happiness and reach our goals.

GC: Why this year? Why this year to make the jump to having your own Salon? Why now?
LP: This was the year of perspective for me. As my oldest children hit another birthday while in quarantine, I began to question what I had many times prior to this moment…”what do I want my life to look like?” Many times answering this question felt like a luxury. But while in forced quarantine during a pandemic…making the honest choice to myself and my family first seemed like a no brainer.

I had decided before returning to the work, “I want to change my relationship with my career and really focus on my own happiness.” It became very clear to me, I wasn’t going to be able to achieve this doing what I had always done, which was work for someone else and fight to grow their business. So, the logic next step was to create my own!

I’ve been hearing over and over since I started my own business, “So, has this move been in the works, have you been planning this for a while?” Frankly, the only answer I can give is “Well, yes and no.”

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, so ownership has been the inevitable end goal for me since I got into the salon world 12 years ago. Really though, what sort of plan involves opening a business in the middle of a pandemic and it wasn’t easy.

The doors to my studio, (in) tandem, opened June 8th, which to say the least, was a time of great change and uncertainty in the beauty services industry. I not only dealt with the usual challenges of new ownership - scheduling, accounting, inventory, and the rest - all of this has occurred in a drastically different environment than I had ever experienced in my career.

On top of that, no one had seen a stylist in months. I had always believed in my value, but going without any hair services during quarantine made most everyone feel it too! Which, while incredibly humbling and rewarding, created a series of challenges. I had hundreds upon hundreds of requests, but only so many hours in a day to accommodate them. This proved true for most other salons as well, and all of us were clamoring for supplies from the same limited pool.

Another question I get is, “How is it going, do you like being a business owner?” Hell no, I LOVE it. “Isn’t it exhausting?” Of course, yet also refreshing in the most exhilarating way. Have the challenges felt enormous? Definitely. Have I been working more than ever in my life? Without a doubt. But I’m doing it, nose to the grindstone, tackling each challenge as it comes, and I’m living for it. The work, the rewards, the challenges, the successes - all of it.

GC: What is your expertise while styling? Ombre? Extensions? What do you love the most? 

LP: I love it all. Mainly bc all aspects of your hair need be considered to live in harmony. For example, your hair color will affect the way your haircut looks, and your haircut will affect the way your hair color lays. 

Even If you do not color your hair…your cut will make an impact, and vice versa.

I also have a strong passion for Hair Extensions! Quite simply, they will change your life.

GC: What do you want new clients to know about you?

LP: I have two crazy, full of life, loving little boys. Jacob (almost 7) and Wyatt (18 months). I married my best friend, Nathan. We have been together for 18 years and married for 8. They are my backbone and my compass. In an industry where I stare at myself all day, Nathan is truly my mirror. He reminds me of who I am and what’s important when the hustle of the world and those around me cloud those truths. (swoon)

And honestly, before being a business owner, and taking control of my own happiness, I was never truly allowed to create the flexible, safe workspace with boundaries that my family needed and deserved.