Melissa Hume, formerly Melissa Occhionero,  has always aspired to be  a hairdresser.

“I was never a girly frilly kind of person, so it wasn’t that part of it. I love people and making them feel good. It’s very rewarding. Instantly, I consider myself a visual learner, so a hands-on trade that requires an envisioned end result was right up my alley,” said Hume, a 1987 WHS graduate.

Upon graduating, Hume attended New London Academy of Hairdressing,  graduating in July, 1988. She then began working at a salon full-time. Today,  she is the owner and staff manager of Utopia Salon, as well as a hairdresser.

Hume said that the best part of owning her own business is the independence. 

She said, “You can make your own hours, you don’t have to answer anyone.  So, I would say independence, but you have to be willing to take risks and accept responsibility.”

When searching for a location for the business, her number one priority was making it easy for the clients to get there.

“When looking for a location, Route 1 in Waterford seemed like the most accessible area for our client base. It is centrally located and is a very nice safe area to have a business, and is also hometown to three-fourths of our employees,” said Hume.

She believes that through hard work, dedication, and desire, anyone can be a successful hairdresser or business owner.

“Like anything, you have to be dedicated and willing to do the hard work to be a successful stylist. It takes a few years [after graduating from cosmetology school] to really learn the trade and build client base in a successful salon,” said Hume.