Retirement means being with family
By Loreen Berlin
Endless Cuts Hair Salon has been serving its customers at 5941 Ball Rd. in Cypress for eight years, having moved from two earlier locations. Anaheim resident Dawn Harris has been a stylist at Endless Cuts for nearly five of those years, after moving her location from a building located in the next parking lot, where she owned her salon for ten years.
“Dawn used to have her own salon in the next building, but one day she walked in here looking for a chair to rent and we brought her on board,” said owner Marcela Valencia.
Harris became a hairdresser 40 years ago when she was 29 years old.
“I didn’t want to go back into an office, so I went to Beauty College while raising two boys, three and five years old, and it’s been a great life because of the people I’ve worked with,” said Harris. “We’re all strong and independent women and we’ve all done very well and at this time in my life, after 40 years, my clients are now my friends.”
Harris is now ready to take on a new challenge, that of retirement and helping her family in Oklahoma, where she has a special needs grandson. “I want to set my son and his son up there where there will be family for them,” she said.
“I never thought it was going to happen; my son kept saying, ‘We actually have family?’ And so when I realized I could sell my home here and retire in Oklahoma where I have family, I’m ready. I’ll miss the people here as I feel like we’ve grown up together for three generations,” she said. “It’s been an amazing life, an independent life as a single mom. It’s been a good life.”
Harris said her words of wisdom are that a person has to do the right thing and believe in themselves and not give up and one day, they will make it.
“In the beginning, to start with, you have to put in the hours and put in your time when you’re young; it’s a career that’s important and it takes practice until you can do it in your sleep. You have to make it part of your life and it will become of your life.”
Harris said some owners she has worked for ran a tight ship, but through them, she learned a good work ethic and she feels that young people today need to recognize that too.
Valencia has been a hairstylist since 1984, which is 34 years.
“I’ve owned salons for more than 20 years and had a salon in Buena Park, Cut Above, at Beach Boulevard and Malvern Avenue for 15 years but wanted to get closer to home in this area, since I live in Anaheim.”
Valencia then had an opportunity to go to La Habra and reconnect with a salon and beauty supply company for three years.
“Then I sold and refocused on my Cypress salon, owning both salons at the same time. It’s a pleasure for Dawn to be able to take the next step in her retirement. The staff members have really enjoyed having Dawn and her clients here,” said Valencia. “I would like to praise Dawn’s customers for their loyalty and continued support of Dawn and Endless Cuts Salon. With Dawn’s retirement and departure, Endless Cuts will continue to offer services to her customers and we are looking forward to that opportunity.”
