Posted 2:22 am Sunday, February 12, 2012
Evette Tritt's Passion For Hair Becomes Career
Evette Tritt's passion for hairdressing began in high school, but it would be years before she threw herself into the beauty profession.
Today, she owns Salon Verve in downtown Tyler, housed in a historic building at 121 E. Erwin St.
Ms. Tritt grew up in Arp. Her mother still works as an accountant, and her father is retired after overseeing an oilfield welder supply operation in Kilgore. She grew up with a younger sister.
She was a twirler at Arp High School, from which she graduated in 1990 before taking classes at Kilgore College, where she also was a twirler.
She left school, got married and started a family. Following her longtime desire to get into the beauty business, she later earned a cosmetology degree and has been a hairdresser for the past 15 years.
"I've always wanted to do hair," Ms. Tritt said. "I tried to do it in high school. My parents would not let me do hair. Then I finally went after I had children."
She was a self-employed hairdresser until October 2010, when she opened Salon Verve with her partner, Jimmy Arber. Arber handles the business side, while Ms. Tritt handles the hair part. The salon has eight employees.
"I just love making people feel good," she said when asked about her favorite part of the work. "I love to make a change in their appearance and a smile on their faces when I'm done."
And working in the bustle of downtown Tyler is a pretty bow on the hair.
"I love the downtown area and the square," she said. "I love our building, too, the floors and the brick and its historical value. I love it down here."
Every six weeks, Salon Verve puts paintings from a local artist on the walls, according to the establishment's website.
During the showing, the salon throws a meet-the-artist event night, where the public is invited to tour the salon, mingle and enjoy some wine, cheese and music. And the art is for sale, to boot.
Ms. Tritt, 39, said the salon is her life.
"I don't have any free time," she said. "I'm always working. I'm here 12 hours a day, six days a week. And on Sundays I'm just dead."
Ms. Tritt has two children: Lindsey, 18, a West Brook High School senior, and Logan, 20, who plans to go to art school soon.
And the apple in her family doesn't fall far from the cosmetology tree.
Daughter Lindsey expects to have her cosmetology degree in hand when she graduates from high school in May.
Most subjects for this column come from business cards randomly drawn from a briefcase. Send business cards to Managing Editor Brian Pearson, 410 E. Erwin St., Tyler, Texas, 75702.
