Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Rippe.
Hi Riley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I have lived all around but mainly grew up in the east Memphis/midtown area.
I went to several public schools up until 8th grade, then my parents put me in a private school. I ended up getting my GED in my “senior” year. I tried college but it wasn’t for me. I always loved the beauty industry, so I ended up going to cosmetology school. Currently, I’m working as a hairstylist and I love it.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think everyone has their struggles along the way the world isn’t perfect. If you grow up in Memphis you most like have a baby momma family drama. It’s a Memphis local specialty I feel. Having a sibling helped me not feel alone growing up in the craziness.
My little brother’s name is Scott Foster. He’s an awesome skateboarder, he is way cooler than I ever was in high school. Lots of older siblings can relate, I’m sure hahaha. Even though we have a 7-year age gap, he got me through a lot. We always relied on each other on hard days and I think we will always be close because of that.
One of my biggest struggles when I was older, was probably getting kicked out of school beginning of my senior year. It changed my life path and all the plans I had. The older you get the more you understand that adapting to the change and soaking in all the aspects of emotions is better than trying to fight it. Or worse, getting stuck in it and not being able to move forward. I let it rest heavily on me for a while. It was a big goal of mine to finish high school because not everyone in my family had.
I slowly began to learn I was not a failure and life just had other plans for me and inviting the change was much better than sulking in it. It all felt like the biggest deal in the world. It seems so small to me now. I try to be a person with no regrets because my decisions lead me to where I am now and I’m happy with that person. Life does have a butterfly effect and I would 100% rather learn and grow from my mistakes than wish them away.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I studied cosmetology at Paul Mitchell and graduated last year, I am currently working at epic total salon. I’m specializing in blonding, vivid, and long layered hair cutting. I love what I do. My goal is for you to leave with your dream color while maintaining healthy hair.
I love educating people about my process as I go along because the process can look scary sometimes. It’s all about knowing I’ve communicated well with my client to ensure I can achieve what they want. I’m so excited for my clientele to grow and be able to share my talent with more people!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I feel like when you grow up in Memphis you can learn to dislike a lot of things about it. I used to want to leave Memphis as soon as I could. It’s what I always thought I would do. As I have grown up, I’m learning to be grateful for the city I’m supposed to be in at this moment in life.
Memphis has its kicks but it also has incredible style, music, and lots of inspiration around you. Everyone here has a story that’s worth hearing. Some people here are bad just like everywhere else in the world. With that being said, I’ve also met people I couldn’t be happier to know and love. Memphis will always be my home no matter where I go.
It truly is like no other city.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.epictotalsalon.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hippie.rippe?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
