This month we talk with Shamikia Ward, who leads the team at the Hair Cuttery at Brambleton Town Center, about her love of her work, Brambleton, and helping people out.

What do you spend most of your time doing at the Brambleton Hair Cuttery?

I am a District Leader for Hair Cuttery, so essentially I oversee all the salons in Loudoun County, including Brambleton. A big part of my role is to build great relationships with not just the associates that work for us, but also the clients and all the shopping centers.  Brambleton Town Center is especially invested in its merchants and the community in general. It’s one of my favorite shopping centers to work in!

There’s definitely plenty of events going on here. How does Hair Cuttery join the fun?

We participate in most of the events the Center hosts.  We do all the races — like the 5k and the Grand Prix Bike Race — and we had discounts for participants of the World Police & Fire Games. We enjoy partaking in community events as these are the communities that support our locations in Loudoun County.

What do you love about your work?

I love that we get to touch people’s lives and build long, sustainable relationships with our clients. There are few better moments than having a client who moved away pop back in for a visit and tell you how much they still miss you.

Honestly, networking is also a favorite part of my job. I make it a point to get to know the other merchants in our shopping centers. For example, we just opened our Dulles Landing location on October 20, and all the other merchants were coming in to say hi — they were just as excited about the opening as I was and that’s because I invested time to make sure there’s a relationship there.

That’s smart. When it comes to that customer relationship, what looks are trending in the fall and winter? What are they asking for?

A lot of ladies had longer versions of a bob — which we call a “lob” (a long bob) —which was popular in the early summer or spring and we still see a lot of people asking for it this fall. Warmer hair hues (colors) are starting to be requested for the fall, as people tend to go a little bit darker than they did for the summer. That’s a trend every year. And then a lot of people are just growing their hair out from the shorter summer styles.

It’s definitely getting chilly. What keeps you busy outside of work?

There is a life outside of work? (laughs) I am just kidding. I am currently going to school online to finish my bachelor’s degree. That’s a personal goal of mine that I’m hoping to complete next year.  My husband and I are both very busy so we plan date nights and dinners at home to get in our quality time. I also enjoy spending time with my church or in other activities that are within the church. We go to the shelter every third Sunday in Reston or we do other community events like food drives, and currently we are getting ready to help with a coat drive.

Good for you! And what’s your relationship with the area like? You moved here when you were a kid, what do you like about it here?

I like the diversity here. My husband and I co-parent one of our nieces with my brother so I like the fact that she is exposed to so many cultures. I also like the fact that Brambleton is a big family community where there are a lot of kids, activities and common areas to play, walk and relax. We love that there isn’t any specific group of people, it’s just very diverse in ages and cultures.  We really like it here.

Why did you choose Brambleton?

When I first came out to Brambleton, which was about two or three years ago to do a training for the Brambleton salon team, I fell in love. My husband had been considering the move to Ashburn and I told him the only way that I would move to Ashburn was if we moved to Brambleton. I didn’t know much about the community —  I just knew that when I came here, I liked how I felt. The things that had a big impact were the directories with all the events they had coming up, seeing the families walking around the Town Center, and looking at how well-maintained the community was, and so we have lived here for almost two years now.

Last question: what’s one thing you’d like to tell the people of Brambleton?

Don’t be afraid to come talk to me! I am always in the area and if anyone needs me they can reach me via email or at the Hair Cuttery at the Brambleton Town Center at 703-327-6125.

Humans of Brambleton is our blog feature that focuses on one of the many interesting personalities who calls Brambleton home. If you’re interested in being a future Human of Brambleton, email us at brambletoninfo@gmail.com.