While many young people jump from job to job, never staying in one place for long, Stacy Phillips has some impressive career longevity for her age, having worked at Shear Experience for nearly half her life.
Phillips was born and raised in Lakeview. She is married to Justin Phillips, who works for the Forest Service. They have a son, four-year-old Easton. Phillips’ parents are Gene and Sandy Gabriel. She loved growing up in a big family, with her four siblings — Christi, Krissy, Teresa, Elisha. Incredibly, she was an aunt at the age of 5.
Phillips attended Lakeview High School, where her favorite sports were volleyball and track, and she was part of the Student Council. Most of all, she enjoyed fixing her school friends’ hair and make-up before many school activities like dances and contests.
After high school graduation, Phillips knew she was either going to beauty school or train to become a therapist. The decision was easy — it was beauty school because “when you have a hairstylist, who needs a therapist?” she said jokingly.
In the fall of 2006, after graduating from Lakeview High School, Phillips enrolled in Phagans’ Beauty College in Corvallis, earning her cosmetology degree 18 months later.
Phillips is an independent contractor at Shear Experience and has worked over 16 years with owner Joyce Mobley. One of the biggest challenges of her career, she said, was building clientele. Consequently, in her first nine years working at Shear Experience she also worked weekends and nights at the Snack Shack.
The COVID shutdown for nine weeks also presented a challenge, as did for many small businesses. Luckily, her clientele came back quickly. Phillips said she is very fortunate because she loves coming to work and because she gets to greet new and different people every day. She quoted the saying, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Phillips has contributed to her community by donating in various ways to OHA, Elks Lodge, Recovery Center and the Youth Mentor Program.
There is a quaint little plaque which sits at her workstation for all her customers to read: “Life is an endless struggle full of frustration and challenges but eventually you find a hairstylist you like.”
Shear Experience is located at 112 N. E St. in Lakeview and can be reached at 541-947-3121.
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