Becca received her full license from Aveda in East Lansing, Michigan before finding her true passion – nails. She has over 10 years of experience in the cosmetology world, with an extensive nail background. She has taken numerous classes to perfect her craft all over the United States. In 2018, she took a step back from nails to focus on the business. Occasionally, you can still find her at her nail desk! Raised by an entrepreneurial family, Becca has followed in their example and decided to turn her passion into a business. Her number one priority is offering exceptional customer service, but she also loves to form personal connections with the clients of the salon. She loves keeping up with beauty trends and is always excited to see what's next in the beauty world. Her interest in products and retail came from the opportunity to brand rep for Bumble and Bumble. She researched and tested many different brands and lines before choosing what to use at Stella & Shay. She wanted the offerings to be unique – not what you find at every other salon. Becca and her husband love to travel and spend time with family and friends. She is a proud aunt to 23 nieces and nephews, and loves spoiling them! They both love to try the latest and greatest Cleveland restaurant, especially any pizza spots! She is always happy to answer any of your beauty, travel or salon questions you have. Shoot her a message on Instagram below!
Instagram: @abiteofbeauty_
Alecia joined the Stella & Shay team as one of our originals, bringing 17 years of experience in the industry. She has advanced training and specializes in Klix Hair Extensions, Brazilian Blowouts, natural hair colors, balayage, babylights, color corrections, and mens and womens haircutting. She received her Brazilian Blowout and Klix Hair Extension certifications in 2009 and you can find some examples of her transformations on instagram: @stellaandshay_alecia.
Alecia is married and is a new mommy to daughter, Rosie, and has 2 fur children (a beautiful basset hound and ginger cat named Rocky & Riley.) She loves country music, traveling, being on water any chance she gets, and sitting outside on a warm summer day.
Alecia is one of Stella & Shay's independent contractors – her scheduling and pricing may vary. To book an appointment with Alecia, visit her booking site here.
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @stellaandshay_alecia
Alexandra discovered her calling and her joy after earning a BA at the University of Toledo. She chose Brown-Aveda to train as a stylist and hasn’t looked back. In the past 10+ years, she’s met wonderful people. So many of them have given her the pleasure of enhancing their wellbeing and self-image. Alexandra and her husband James love to travel and are avid concert-goers. They are also proud parents to twin girls! She also enjoys cooking, visiting with friends, reading and hiking. She will choose a life adventure or experience over a material item almost any day.
Haircut pricing: Men’s | $35, Women’s | $65
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_alexandra
Amy started her hair career in high school when she graduated from her school vocational program, and has loved it since! She has 13+ years behind the chair and loves the job more everyday. It brings so much joy making people feel beautiful and happy. She specializes in blonding and natural dimensional hair color.
Outside of the salon she spends her time with her husband, 2 year old son, and 2 dogs! Her hobbies are mostly talking her husband into a new house project, or taking her son to a fun new place!
Haircut pricing: Men’s | $35, Women’s | $60
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @hairby_amykirry
Aubrey grew up locally in Avon Lake. She attended Kent State for criminal justice and joined the Stella & Shay front desk team in April of 2019. Some of her favorite things are: pigs in a blanket, her cat Paul, Around the Corner, and spending time with her family. She has a true passion for jungle animals and the show Catfish. In her spare time she takes many dance classes, competes in crab races and works after hours as "security" for Stella & Shay. She also runs the front desk instagram! Make sure to follow @stellaandshayfrontdesk
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_frontdesk
Betsy is a former elementary school teacher who turned her passion for hair into a profession. She is thrilled to be part of the Stella & Shay family!
Her favorite services include cuts, custom color, highlights and balayage, Brazilian Blowouts, and all sorts of styling. She enjoys working with kids, teens, and adults as well as all hair textures. Her goal is to help clients love their hair and feel confident using great products and techniques after they leave her chair. A fun chat and a good laugh make her day, she truly enjoys getting to know her clients.
In her free time this mom of three (and one dog) enjoys spending time with her husband and family. She loves to read, bake, travel, and nap. She’s always up for trying a new local restaurant with friends – especially if there are cocktails and a patio!
Haircut pricing: Women’s | $50
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @stellaandshay_betsy
Brianna has always had a true desire to be in the business of making other women feel beautiful. After getting her degree in psychology at FGCU and spending some years as a manager, she finally took the plunge to pursue her passion and become an esthetician. Her favorite part about performing services is the connection she makes with each client and the results that put a smile on their face.
She is always down to learn about the latest and greatest products and treatments available to her clients. She loves to come up with skin care regimens to help you achieve your skin goals in the treatment room and at home!
Brianna loves talking makeup. She is always looking for a good high end dupe! She has a running list of must try restaurants on her phone along with many recommendations. You can always ask her where to go for dinner! She loves anything Bravo, New Girl, and Parks & Rec. Stand up comedy and a good concert are some of her favorite forms of entertainment!
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @Brianna_francesca_beauty
Cait joined the Stella & Shay team in September of 2019. In her time with us she has loved learning about different products and services. Her go-to products are Kevin Murphy Session Spray Flex, and the REF Illuminate Color shampoo and conditioner. Cait currently lives in Lakewood where she loves to decorate and create her ideal aesthetically pleasing apartment. In her free time, you can find her thrifting around town, watching New Girl, or drinking a beer on her patio.
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_frontdesk
Caitie graduated from Brown Aveda in 2014 and is thrilled to have found Stella & Shay! Her specialties include blondes, multi-dimensional hair color, balayage, and babylights. She strives to continue to learn and perfect her craft to provide clients with the best experience possible.
Caitie’s interests outside of the salon include spending time with family, working on her fitness goals, thriving outside in nature, and watching reality television with her boyfriend and 3 cats.
Haircut Pricing: $45
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_caitie
Calli joined the Stella & Shay front desk team in June of 2023. Calli works full time as an occupational therapist at a local school. In her free time she enjoys going to Guardians games, exploring local restaurants, and spending time on her self care routine.
Calli loves a live concert at Nautica, Matthew McConaughey, pasta, and Bravo! shows.
Chelsea is so excited to be a part of this team! She graduated in 2013 from the Brown Aveda 1800 hour program, and fell in love with everything relating to skincare and nails. She has been studying both subjects deeply for the past seven years, and has taken classes in Michigan and all over Ohio. Chelsea recently moved to Sheffield with her now husband and her 2 pups. She loves to take care of her ever-growing collection of houseplants, traveling, spending time with family and exploring nature.
*As a level 2 nail guru, Chelsea’s prices will reflect level 2 pricing on our nail pricing page
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_chelsea
Clare joined the Stella and Shay team in June of 2023, as one of our front desk girls. She loves the beauty industry and all of the fun that comes with it! She loves being among pretty things and has found that this industry and the creativity are what truly make her happy. Clare strives to ensure that your visit to the salon will meet your expectations. She wants to make sure the customer’s needs are being met and that they love their time spent at Stella and Shay! When she’s not at work you can find her spending time with her husband, family, and friends.
Crystal graduated from Brown Aveda Institute and earned her cosmetology license in 2014. She realized quickly that her true passion was nails and has over 6 years experience in the field. Crystal joined the team at Stella & Shay in 2023 and has loved learning about and experimenting with nail art and using new tools and techniques to perfect her craft.
Crystal loves Taylor Swift, the color black, and her family. When she’s not at the salon, you can find her carpooling her 3 sons to their millions of sports and activities, at a concert or comedy show with her husband, or at her monthly book club with friends.
Location: Westlake
Cynthia was Stella & Shay’s very first intern. She started interning at the front desk when the Lakewood location opened, and quickly realized her love for the beauty world. After high school graduation, she enrolled in Aveda’s advanced cosmetology program. She has attended multiple shows and classes and is so excited to be behind the chair. In October 2019 she attended the Sassoon 3-day ABC cutting class in Toronto, and in January 2020 she attended the Deva Girl cutting certification class. In her free time, she likes to explore new restaurants, and try all the pizza joints around town! She loves to travel, read about new beauty brands and products, and spend time with her dogs.
Haircut pricing: Women’s | $55, Deva Cut | $80
Deva Curl Certified
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_cynthia
After 8 years at Aveda, Elaine now has over 5 years of experience at Stella & Shay. Elaine loves education and learning new things in the hair world. She heads our apprentice program at Stella & Shay working with the students who have just graduated from cosmetology school and preparing them for clients. As of October 2019, she has completed two intensive master cutting classes with Vidal Sassoon, and has also completed Kevin Murphy’s Session Salon Training. She studied and graduated from Ohio State University. In her off time, she loves spending time with her niece and nephew in Columbus. Her passion for doing hair comes from her desire to take care of others and make other people feel good. She makes sure to go above and beyond for each and every client!
Haircut pricing: Men’s | $38, Women’s | $70, Deva Cut | $85
Deva Curl Certified
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @lainegg
Elexis graduated from cosmetology school in 2011. She has been doing nails for over 10 years, and really enjoys what she does! She specializes in manicures and pedicures and loves keeping up with the new nail art trends. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and husband, spending time with other family members and watching football. You can find Elexis at Lakewood Monday–Thursday to take care of all your nail needs!
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @stellaandshay_elexis
Faith started her journey into cosmetology in 2015 where she quickly learned that being a nail tech was her true passion. She loves perfecting cuticles, finding the right shape for your nail, and polishing tiny pictures. Faith likes working with clients to make nail dreams a reality whether it's through nail extensions or personalized nail plans. Although hair was never her preference as a career she enjoys learning all about the products and services the hair team offers. After a short stint in Virginia she is back home to her Stella and Shay family renewing her passion for nails.
Faith married her high school sweetheart in 2017 and they just welcomed their first baby girl, Scottie, in 2022. If she isn't trying to figure out how to paint the whole Toy Story cast onto your nails you will most likely find her with her 3 fur babies reading a book or binge watching as many episodes of poor teen dramas while Scottie naps.
Faith is so excited to be home where her dream started and is always excited to reconnect with old clients and meet new ones!
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_faith
Hayley found her passion for all things skincare after suffering from painful cystic acne. She decided to enroll in Brown Aveda’s Advanced Esthetics program and graduated in 2017! She enjoys staying up to date on new products and services happening in the beauty community. She loves performing relaxing facials while infusing more results-driven treatments. Her favorite service to provide is the Hydrafacial with Hydrojelly and dermaplaning!
Hayley loves true crime, tattoos, and all things spooky — Halloween is her favorite holiday! A few of her favorite things include a good charcuterie board, chai tea & matcha.
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @skinhealthwith_hayley
Isa, a native of the Cleveland area, completed her education at the Brown Aveda Institute. With over 4 years of professional nail experience under her belt, she joined Stella & Shay. You can find her at our Lakewood location, often sporting vibrant print pants and creative hairstyles. Outside of work, Isa is the proud owner of Hypertwistations, a crochet company that specializes in selling its unique products at music festivals. In her leisure time, she enjoys indulging in her passion for mushroom hunting and embarking on hiking adventures with her family.
Location: Lakewood
Jackie began her career at Stella & Shay in the beginning of 2019. She graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in marketing and international business. From the small town of North East, PA, she enjoys everything about the NBA, true crime and BEYONCÉ. Jackie handles all of our bridal inquiries — to reach her, please email hellostellabrides@gmail.com. In her free time you can always find her with her boxer, Penny, grabbing coffee, and planning her next trip to Arizona.
Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Jami has 12+ years of experience as a stylist. She was educated at Casal Aveda Institute. She began her journey at Entheos Salon (Aveda), then spent the majority of her career at Panáche before moving to Cleveland in 2017. Specializing in color, Jami has mastered a wide range of techniques. Enhancing blondes for a more natural or “lived in look” is her signature. Her passion for her craft and the beauty industry continues to grow while she is always eager to evolve and learn new techniques! Jami loves to try new restaurants, traveling and spending as much time as she can in New York City. She looks forward to making her clients look and feel their best.
Haircut pricing: $50
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_jami
Jen joined Stella & Shay in March of 2018, and loves working in the beauty industry. Her favorite part is getting to see and experience all the latest trends in hair, nails, and skin care! When Jen’s not working, she enjoys traveling, working out at the gym or yoga studio, and enjoying great food and wine with family and friends. You can always find Jen ready to say hello at the front desk at Lakewood, and you might catch her at Westlake sometimes too!
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @stellaandshay_frontdesk
Jill is originally from Cleveland, and attended Kent State. She worked in the hospitality industry for 10 years before making the decision to go to nail school. She received her nail license at Raphael’s school of beauty and is happy to be fulfilling her passion! She started with Stella & Shay in 2018, right before the expansion to add the second salon in Westlake. Jill loves to spend time with her husband and her daughter. They love to walk the pups on a nice day, visit breweries and check out all the new findings at the local Costco!
*Offers Extensive Nail Art
Location: Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_jill
Karen is a native Clevelander with over 20 years of experience behind the chair. She was previously the Salon & Spa Director of Five Seasons Country Club, and has done camera work for ABC Sports, fashion portfolios, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. She provides a full range of hair services and skin treatments, and is proficient in hair color, extensions and hair pieces, makeup lessons, facials, and spray tans.
Haircut pricing: Men’s | $35, Women’s | $55, Deva Cut | $70
Deva Curl Certified
Location: Westlake
Kristen is a Cincinnati native who attended Ohio University, studying Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development. After several visits to see friends, she decided to make the move to Cleveland in June 2020! She loves living in the Lakewood area and being able to walk to her favorite spots. After deciding the corporate life wasn't for her, she decided to pursue getting her cosmetology license at Aveda Brown Institute starting in early 2021. She could not be more excited to be in the beauty industry and start to build her clientele with Stella & Shay! Right now you can book both hair and nail appointments with her at our Westlake location!
Haircut Pricing: Women’s | $45
Location: Westlake
Madi attended Baldwin Wallace University, and studied marketing and graphic design. When she’s not behind the desk at the salon, you can find her enjoying sports, watching Gossip Girl, and working out. She loves a good taco, especially at her favorite spot, Ghost Pepper Taqueria & Tequila!
Location: Westlake
Mary Kate joined Stella & Shay in July of 2021 as a part of the front desk team. She was born and raised in Cleveland. She loves trying all of the newest restaurants and sharing them on her Instagram food page. She also loves trying new products at the salon, her favorite is the Oi All in One Milk by Davines. Ouside of work you can find her hanging out with her dogs or with a good, cheap sparkling wine watching movies.
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Meredith, a licensed Cosmetologist, has been sharing her talents and making humans feel even more beautiful at Stella & Shay Beauty Bar for over four years now! She has expanded her services to include not only nails, but Hydrafacials and spray tans as well! Meredith is certified in Apres Gel Extensions. When you don’t see Meredith behind her nail desk creating art on your tiny little canvases, she is traveling to beauty shows learning about new products and techniques, helping to open and manage the new Stella & Shay Market Square in Pittsburgh, working in the office or enjoying adventures with her friends and family. Meredith’s favorite thing is spending with her guests and meeting new humans every day! “Thank you all for supporting all small businesses especially in 2020! Love you!”
*As a level 3 nail guru, Meredith’s prices will reflect level 3 pricing on our nail pricing page
*Offers Extensive Nail Art
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Instagram: @stellaandshay_meredith
Originally from Virginia but mostly raised in Colorado, Michelle is a new resident to Cleveland, Ohio. She became a licensed cosmetologist after graduating from Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver in 2015. She has explored various parts of the beauty industry including mens hairstylist, management, and nail technician. She is so thrilled to be back in the nail world full time, as it is her true passion within the industry. She is eager to learn and grow her skills at Stella & Shay!
Outside of the salon, she enjoys spending time with her husband, pets, family, and friends. You can find her checking out restaurants and bars for great food and cocktails. Michelle loves to travel and explore other cultures. Live music, board games, reading, impulse buying houseplants, and bingeing tv shows are a norm. She also loves a variety of outdoor activities from kayaking and camping to snowshoeing and hiking. She is ready to explore Ohio and everything it has to offer, so chat with her about it during your next nail appointment!
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @stellaandshay_michelle
Michelle joined the Stella & Shay in 2022 and worked hard to complete the apprentice program. She has since earned her chair and loves working at both locations. She has taken numerous classes since she started working and takes hair education very seriously. Michelle knows the beauty industry is ever changing, and always wants to stay on top of new trends and techniques. She is very career focused and can't wait to grow her clientele at Stella & Shay. In her spare time, you can find her doing fun activities with her four children and spending time with family.
Haircut pricing: Women's | $45
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Rhiann is originally from Youngstown. She fell in love with Lakewood after visiting friends, and realizing it’s only a 10 minute drive away from her favorite ice cream shop, Mitchell’s! She made the move two years ago. She has been teaching for seven years and teaches 3rd grade for Cleveland Schools. Her favorite hair products are the Minu Hair Serum and This is a Shimmering Mist both by Davines. When she’s not working she enjoys reading, visiting family and friends in Youngstown, visiting all the local coffee shops around Lakewood, and spending as much time outside, as possible.
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Samantha graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in Marketing and began her career in various marketing roles, real estate, and property management. She finally gave in to the truth that corporate life was not fulfilling to her and decided to turn her love of hair and people into a career. She graduated from the hair design program at Brown Aveda Institute in 2020 and is beyond excited to be a part of Stella & Shay. She loves cutting, creating dimensional color, and styling. Samantha is now offering extensions and is continuing to take classes to give you the hair of your dreams! In her free time, you can find her exploring the city, cheering on Cleveland sports, and watching Real Housewives.
Samantha offers Halo extensions and hand tied extensions.
Haircut pricing: Women’s | $45
Location: Lakewood and Westlake
Instagram: @hairby_samanthaclaire
Introducing Tara Vargo — despite her looking 25, she is rounding out her 19th year in the salon biz. The highlight of her career was attending the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Toronto in 2018. For those of you who don’t know, Vidal is the creator of many famous looks such as Mia Farrow’s famous pixie cut (Google it).
She’s a trendsetter at the salon as well in her personal life. You’ll see her walking around in space buns, corn rows, crimped pigtails, and a crisp pair of AirForce 1’s. Her specialties include balayage, ombré, dip dye, fashion colors, hand-tied hair extensions, men’s cuts, retro cuts, blondes, color corrections, and is ALWAYS up for a challenge. Anything product related: she’s your gal, but beware, she may give you a firm but fair scolding if she finds you using drugstore products. Tara loves to teach clients about handling their hair at home, from pre-washing to six days in of dry shampoo.
Fanatic resident of Ohio City, frequent visitor of Rising Star Coffee, and proud owner of THREE dogs. Thor and Lincoln are both DMX style pit bulls and you may have seen Thor lurking in our offices. She’s been dressing Franklin (beagle/collie mix) as a pit bull, as to not ruin her street credibility. She loves salon camaraderie so I’m sure you’ve seen her checking in on her coworkers and chit chatting with clients. She’s always accepting new clients and hopes to see you in her chair soon. Tara is one of Stella & Shay's independent contractors, so her scheduling and pricing may vary. You can book an appointment with Tara here.
Deva Curl Certified
Location: Lakewood
Instagram: @taracuts___
NAIL APPRENTICES
Here at Stella & Shay, whether you've been doing nails for 10 minutes or 10 years, we put all employees through our extensive nail training. This training lasts 60-90 days. During this time, if you book with a nail apprentice you will receive 20% off your nail service tab (discount applied at checkout). It's a great way for our girls to practice and for you to stash some cash for happy hour! Call us to see if we have any apprentices currently available.