“What’s Next?” How one Native Business Owner used Positivity to Manifest her Dreams
By Emily Clarke
Growing up as a mixed-race kid with wavy-curly textured hair, it wasn’t until the summer after I graduated high school that I really learned how to take care of my hair. Even now, finding sulfate and paraben free products that moisturize my waves without making them frizzy or crunchy is an every-day struggle. So when Shirley Matilton from Feathers Hair Artistry reached out to me asking if I’d like to try their products, I jumped at the opportunity and have been more than satisfied. Although the products are fantastic and have kept my hair moisturized throughout the last few months, I have been even more inspired by Shirley’s story as a Native business owner who uses positivity to persevere in the business world and to inspire those around her.
Shirley Matilton (Hoopa / Yurok) was first inspired to be a hairstylist when reading a Teen Beat article about Mariah Carey’s live-in hairstylist. She said she knew she wanted to dig herself out of poverty and chase her goals as soon as she read the “life-altering” article. When she first started out, Shirley rented a booth in a relatively popular salon in Ukiah. There, as the only stylist of color, she faced adversaries regarding her physical appearance and race. She called her presence a “cultural shock” to those who had been far too comfortable with the lack of diversity in their profession for too long. Shirley began her career without any clientele, so she relied heavily on social media. One day, in desperate need of pictures to share in order to bring in more business, Shirley offered a homeless woman a free meal and hair color service. Not only did this service help grow her clientele, but it represented the practice of generosity and positivity that would have a huge role in Shirley’s career as it grew.
“I came from nothing. No tribal grants, no nothing. And all I can tell you is don’t worry about the money when you’re following your dreams. Worry about if this is really what you want to do. Let go of the thought of how it’s going to come to you and focus on being the best person you can be and living in a state of gratitude. It’ll come to you if it’s meant for you,” Shirley says.
Even after facing continuous microaggressions at the salon she rented a booth in, Shirley knew she still wanted to make a name for herself in the hair artistry world. So she went to business school, and before she even graduated, bought and opened her own salon. She kept the salon a secret at first; it was across the street from the business she rented a booth in afterall. Furthermore, although her husband later became her business partner, she wanted people to know that she bought the salon all by herself. Feathers Hair Artistry was the first Native-owned and operated hair salon in the area. But Shirley was unsure about even calling her business “Native-owned” in the first place because of her previous work experience being the only Native in the building.
“I felt like a coyote in the corner of the room just constantly wondering if they knew I was Native,” Shirley shares, “but now I recognize that I made the right decision. Categorizing my business as Native-owned was the biggest blessing in my career because it weeded out negativity I didn’t want from the get go.”
Shirley says she originally opened Feathers Hair Artistry for anyone and everyone, but being Native, she soon realized the responsibility she had to serve the Native community. After opening, Shirley spent the first Monday of every month offering free haircuts for elders. In return for her services, Shirley says the local Native elders told her valuable stories.
“Natives weren’t allowed in hair salons when these elders were younger,” Shirley shares,” that is until the city was sued, and even then, just because they were allowed doesn’t mean they were treated fairly.”
Shirley calls touching Native hair a “spiritual commitment” and knows that she has to keep her own energy balanced in order to maintain good medicine in her own life and with her clients. As one of Shirley’s customers, you can expect one-on-one service where the attention is 100% on you and your needs. Shirley says she doesn’t work on more than one client at a time and even avoids answering the phone during appointments. Furthermore, the building is saged between every client because Shirley considers her work an obligation to her people and honors their energy within each appointment. Because of Shirley’s dedication to running a positive, inviting, and spiritual business, Feathers Hair Artistry has received multiple recognitions and awards over the years. In 2022, Shirley was recognized by the Mendocino County Women’s History Gala for her achievements as a woman business owner.
“To be acknowledged for my work is powerful and I was honored,” Shirley says, “but, it was a surreal experience because I know the work I’ve done is miniscule compared to those who came before me.”
Shirley was the first Native woman in 30 years to receive this recognition, and she confesses that she considered getting on stage to accept her award and telling them off.
“It’s awkward and offensive to all the Native women who have come before me. I’m a Yurok in Pomo country and these women never got the recognition they deserved. People don’t know what our grandmothers and great grandmothers did for us. But, I knew that if I told them off, I’d be the first and last Native woman to get this award. I have to make sure I leave a seat at the table for the people who come after me.”
In addition to making waves as a Native business owner, Shirley’s product line, Feathers Hair Care, is on the brink of globalization. Shirley says she’d like her products to be in everyone’s bathroom, and with a wide-selection based on your hair needs, she’s on the way to achieving that dream From the Quench duo for dry, color-treated hair, to the Zöe products inspired by her daughter’s fine hair, Feathers Hair Care seems to have thought of everyone when creating their sulfate and paraben-free products. The new Blessed Oil has been giving my waves the shine and moisture they desperately needed, and it can even be used as a moisturizer for your skin. With classy packaging, clean-scents, and satisfying products, it’s clear that Feathers Hair Care is a labor of love.
One thing that’s clear to me about Shirley Matilton is her humility. Even with years of experience and achievements under her belt, she continues to conduct herself in a curious, humble, and loving manner. This is perhaps something she was inspired to do by her husband’s late grandmother, who, when told about a new award or achievement the salon had acquired, always responded with, “Well, what’s next?” It’s in the same spirit that Shirley conducts her business and lives her life. Despite having come from “nothing” and enduring racism and imposter syndrome during the beginning of her career, she continues to chase her dreams and run her business in a way that spreads light and good medicine through the community.
“I’m in a town of 16,000 people. We just got a Costco. I don’t have the fanciest salon ever. But people drive from all over the place to come here,” Shirley begins when I ask her if she has any advice for Native women who want to own a business, “You have to make a small effort every day towards your business, it doesn’t happen everyday. Clap for yourself when no one else is. Life is like a bus and sometimes you have to ring the bell and let some people out. Seven years ago there was nothing on the walls in my salon and now, I’ve run out of frames for all my certifications and awards. No matter what you do for a living you have to be passionate, almost obsessed with it, in order to surpass the levels that other people have set for you.. You have to evolve into a person worthy enough to receive your blessings. Seven years ago when I opened this salon, I wasn’t ready for the opportunities I’m getting now. But today I’m ready and I fully understand the responsibility to my people.”
