My name is Amanda, I’m a human being.

In my mind I’ve always been the same regardless of biological age. I like to think I’m the same as everyone else; at least until continued conversation exposes our differences.

But deep down, I believe we all have the capacity to think, feel, err & learn. While I do the first two often and the third more than I like, the last is a passion. And to be taught is my favorite way to learn. I guess because it requires another person.

This page will one day contain more, but for now I just wanted to get something about myself back on the site. I deleted what little was on the home page when I voluntarily closed in Dec ’20 & Jan. ’21 to hide from COVID-19.

A quick summary in reverse order:

Opened shop in my house Jan. 2025.
Renovated our walkout basement to accommodate my barber studio in 2024.
Switched from walk-in only operation to appointment only operation due to Covid protocols set forth by the Dept. of Revenue under then TN governor Bill Lee.
Opened Amanda’s at 372 E. Tennessee Ave. on the 19th of Feb. 2015

Lived in Winston-Salem, NC while on an unproductive sabbatical
Worked At Ken’s Barber & Style Shop in Oak Ridge 7.5 years
Became a licensed Master Barber in June 2004.
Attended Knox. Institute of Hair Design for the requisite 1500 hrs (9+ mo.) despite being myself prejudiced against “barbers”
Started taking Tai Chi with the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA the day after I . . .
Moved in with my grandmother in Oak Ridge Jan. 2003

Travelled around a bunch doing many things, still cutting my own hair (top & sides) and occasionally being asked to cut someone else’s

Graduated from Virginia Tech in 1999 with a B.A. in Art History
Participated in an archeological dig one summer semester through UVa at historic Jamestown, Va.
Spent 2.5 years studying Architecture, during the second year of which I began cutting my own hair

Grew up in Chester, Va. graduating high school in 1995

Yes, I’m old enough to have earned every gray hair on my head.