Maureen Anlauf: A Year in Review

An Interview with the NAHA 17 Hairstylist of the Year

On July 15, 2007, Maureen Anlauf passed the NAHA crown of Hairstylist of the Year to Allen Ruiz. Here she reflects on her year-long reign.

What was it like to win Hairstylist of the Year at NAHA 17?

I think it was the most pure joy I have ever experienced in my entire life. I was so nervous and just thrilled. My whole team was with me, and we worked so hard together. I was so proud, just floating.

What did it mean to you personally?

I set a dream for myself. It's one thing to set a goal, but this was a dream. I set goals for myself all the time, and accomplishing goals is amazing. But accomplishing a dream is just blissful. It took me all year to realize it had happened. To be honest, there aren't any words to describe how it feels.

What is your life like a year after winning Hairstylist of the Year?

Afterwards I thought I would never do it again. How could anything feel that good again? But a month later, I started searching for fibro-optic lights to create wigs for my next entry. Business grew; I went back to teaching and even started doing speaking arrangements. I used to teach the masters, but to teach my own stuff is so much cooler.

What was it like to come back to work after winning Hairstylist of the Year?

Incredibly good! It was so much fun to share all of the excitement with my clients because they knew what we were working on throughout the whole process. To come back and celebrate with family, coworkers, clients and the whole team was just wonderful.

How did your salon react to your win?

The salon has been so wonderful. David made huge posters, 3' by 5', of my entry and put them in the salon. It was so much fun to see people stop and look at them like pieces of art. I got to stare at them every day for the first six months after NAHA.

Were you able to raise your prices?

Heck yeah, I raised my prices!

Did winning a NAHA increase your clientele?

Winning a NAHA has been really good for business. I have definitely experienced an increase in clientele. My clientele has doubled.

What kind of recognition did you get from your local community?

The local press was great. I had a couple page spread in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and all the local magazines. I saved everything.

At the end of the conversation, Maureen had a few last words to share:

There is no other outlet like this for crazy artists like us to work on stories like we have. NAHA is an incredible opportunity for us to get our stories out there. And of course there is nothing like the thrill of good competition.