Serving in style at salon

Jimmy Stroup

For some, the simplest gifts are the most valuable. For Amy Stahovich

and her staff at Shear Attitude in Newport Beach, giving those gifts

in the form of free haircuts, makeovers and skin treatments for

people in difficult situations is all part of a day’s work.

Stahovich, who opened her full-service salon almost two years ago,

has donated her time to serve various charities since learning the

hairstyling craft. She views her service to others as a simple

repayment of fortunes she’s received.

“I’m so blessed with so many things,” she said. “I have the gift

of my hands. I could give money or this or that, but I thought what

better than to give my talent and make people feel really special?

Stahovich was so concerned with volunteering that she worked alone

in her salon on Via Lido for several months, waiting for the right

staff to come her way. She was looking for women who shared her love

for helping others, who were as positive in their outlook as she was

and who shared her Christianity.

“When I worked at other salons, I would ask the owner if I could

come in on my day off and [volunteer services],” she said. “Now that

I own my own salon, the girls that I’ve hired are all Christian, and

we just started doing it as a team.”

Perhaps most amazing is Stahovich’s ability to inspire others to

perform volunteer work.

“I’ve never actually done charity work before, but always wanted

to help out,” said Amber Sexton, a new addition to Shear Attitude.

“Thankfully, these people opened that door for me.”

Stohovich’s resident skin care specialist, Denise Dandolo, has a

similar story.

“This has been the first time I volunteered or donated my time to

people, and it’s just opened up doors to want to do it more,” she

said, mentioning that the most satisfying work she’d done so far was

with teenage girls.

“The Lord’s done so much for me, so I want to do something for

other people -- that’s why we’re here on this earth,” Shear Attitude

staff member Jessica Berry said. “It’s not just to do hair and make

people pretty.”

Shear Attitude has pledged time and effort to helping Working

Wardrobes, an organization that helps survivors of domestic violence;

Girls Incorporated of Orange County, an organization that teaches

teenage girls confidence and self-esteem; and Miracles in Motion, a

program through Mariners Church in Irvine that helps people escape

poverty.

“The thing that explains it about them is that this is not just a

hair salon,” said Rich Ottaviano, a customer whose business

consulting firm Inside Out Solutions Inc. was located next to Shear

Attitude until he recently moved his business to Costa Mesa. “They’re

here to touch people.”

To get in touch with Amy Stahovich at Shear Attitude, call (949)

723-4688.