Hidden Gems: Meet Traci Christo of Hair By Trac & Oréa Salon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Traci Christo.

Hi Traci, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Traci, owner of Hair by Trac LLC and, as of October 1, the owner of Oréa Salon.

My journey in the beauty industry began nearly seven years ago, when I was given the opportunity to attend Diamond Oaks Career Campus during my junior and senior years of high school. At the time, I wasn’t completely sure if cosmetology was what I wanted to pursue. Deep down, I knew hair was where my heart was, but I had heard from many people that it wasn’t a career where I could build financial stability or a successful future.

Despite those doubts, I fell in love with the salon environment. While in school, I interned, assisted, and worked as a receptionist, and I quickly realized how much I loved being surrounded by the industry. I graduated high school with my cosmetology license and began working behind the chair.

I briefly attended college for nursing, largely because of the opinions and expectations of those around me. After working in a hospital, I immediately knew it wasn’t where I belonged. I realized that the career I truly wanted was the one I had originally dreamed about—hair—and that someday, I wanted to own a salon of my own.

I returned to the industry, took another assisting position, and continued building my clientele behind the chair. I started as a commission stylist, and about a year later, I was given the opportunity to make the leap into booth rental and become an independent stylist. I was terrified, but I knew there was no better time to bet on myself. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I could have made.

From there, I continued investing heavily in my education. I became certified in multiple extension methods, including sew-ins, I-tips, K-tips, and tape-ins, and began offering extensions behind the chair. My goal was always simple: to make my guests feel beautiful and confident.

Then, only about eight months to a year later, I found myself facing another unexpected change. The salon I was working at announced it was closing, and I had only a few weeks to figure out what was next. I took another huge leap and opened my own salon suite.

That experience challenged me in completely new ways. I was responsible for the financial investment, supplies, business decisions, and everything in between. I was truly on my own without a team around me to bounce ideas off of. After about six months, I ultimately left the suite because of facility issues, but the experience taught me so much about what it meant to build something of my own.

Throughout all of these transitions, I continued assisting part-time because I never wanted to stop learning. Eventually, I made another big move and began working about an hour from home at a salon where I also had my own suite.

It was during this chapter that I discovered Invisible Bead Extensions® (IBE®). I decided to take another major leap and become certified. The certification process took about four months, and I began offering both my previous extension methods and IBE®.

About six months later, I made the decision to become IBE® exclusive and shift my focus toward scalp and hair health. The more I learned, the more I understood how important proper extension application, tension, weight distribution, and maintenance are to protecting the natural hair. I wanted to provide my guests with the healthiest, most intentional experience possible.

IBE® completely changed the trajectory of my career. I began welcoming new guests, creating larger transformations, and realizing just how much I loved extensions, along with blonding and custom color.

About a year and a half after becoming certified, I took my education even further by joining the IBE® Master Technique Education Program. It is an intensive program focused heavily on scalp health, proper technique, and protecting the natural hair while wearing extensions. After seven months of training, education, hands-on work, and countless hours of dedication, I’m incredibly proud to now be an IBE® Master Technician.

As my career continued to grow, I also began thinking more seriously about the future I wanted for myself and my family. I realized that working an hour from home wasn’t sustainable long-term, so I moved to a salon only about 10 minutes from home and rented my own station.

That transition was another learning experience. I was used to having my own private room and complete control over my environment, but being back in a team setting made me realize how much I had missed having other stylists around me. I loved being able to grow my own business independently while still being part of something bigger.

Then, only about a month and a half into that new chapter, I received an unexpected Instagram message from a salon owner asking if I would be interested in buying her out and taking over her salon lease.

My immediate thought was, Could I actually do this?

I was extremely interested, but I never imagined it would actually become possible so quickly. I went home, talked it through with the people who have supported me throughout my entire journey, and eventually met with the salon owner. From there, everything moved incredibly quickly.

And now, on October 1, 2026, I will officially open the doors to Oréa Salon.

This was never part of my original timeline. It happened much sooner and much differently than I ever could have imagined, but somehow, it feels exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Oréa was created around four core values: integrity, loyalty, intention, and love. I want it to be more than just a salon. I want it to be a space where clients and stylists feel supported, valued, and loved in whatever season of life they are in.

Oréa will begin as a smaller salon with six stations, with the goal of eventually growing to eight, along with a private room. My vision is to create an environment where stylists can build and run their businesses independently while still having a community around them—people who encourage them, support them, and genuinely want to see them succeed.

Faith has also been a huge part of my journey. I truly believe God has been present through every step, including the moments when I had absolutely no idea what was next. There have been so many unexpected turns, but each one has led me exactly where I needed to be. I believe He has had a plan for me all along, and I trust that even when I can’t see what’s ahead, it will work out better than I could ever imagine.

When I look back at the girl who wasn’t sure if cosmetology could provide the future she wanted, I never could have imagined that I would one day be an IBE® Master Technician, an established independent stylist, and the owner of my own salon.

It has been a wild, unexpected, and incredibly rewarding journey—and I know I’m not done yet.

I’m so excited to see what the future holds for me behind the chair, for Oréa Salon, and for everyone who becomes a part of it.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has never been a smooth road—and I don’t think it’s supposed to be. Ever since I stepped into entrepreneurship as an independent business owner about four years ago, there have constantly been bumps, unexpected challenges, and lessons along the way. That’s simply part of owning a small business, and as I step into this new chapter of owning a salon, I know there is still so much for me to learn. I truly believe we grow through what we go through.

One of the biggest personal challenges I faced was losing my dad in 2020 while I was in cosmetology school. Hair became a safe place for me during that season. It gave me something to focus on, kept my mind busy, and ultimately became a part of how I moved forward.

Building a clientele was another major challenge. It takes time, consistency, and a lot of patience. During my first few years, there were weeks where I was making a profit and others where I was barely breaking even. I worked hours I didn’t necessarily want to work because I was determined to build my business and bring new guests through the door.

But probably the biggest professional setback I experienced happened in the fall of 2025. I had been growing rapidly with Invisible Bead Extensions® and felt like I was really finding my place in the extension world. Then, within the same week, two guests experienced major issues, and I couldn’t figure out why. I was troubleshooting constantly, questioning everything, and going home in tears with so much anxiety. I became so defeated that I even told those guests I could no longer do their hair. I genuinely considered leaving the industry altogether.

That’s when my now-fiancé told me something that completely changed my perspective: “This is when you don’t give up. You try harder. Figure out why. Master it.”

So I did.

I applied for the IBE® Master Technique Education Program, determined to understand the why behind what I was experiencing and become better—not just for myself, but for my guests. A year later, those same two guests are back in my chair, and we no longer have those issues.

That experience taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: sometimes the biggest setbacks are actually invitations to grow.

Now, as I step into salon ownership, I know there will be new challenges and plenty of things I don’t know yet. But I’ve learned to welcome that. I know it will never stop—and honestly, I’m grateful for that, because every challenge has taught me something that has made me better.

As you know, we’re big fans of Hair By Trac & Oréa Salon. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Oréa Salon is a small luxury salon that will officially open its doors in October 2026 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. I’m creating Oréa around four core values: integrity, loyalty, intention, and love. While the salon itself is new, the vision behind it has been years in the making.

Behind the chair as Hair By Trac, I specialize in Invisible Bead Extensions® (IBE®), healthy hair, precision custom extensions, blondes, and color. I am an IBE® Master Technician, and scalp and hair health are at the center of my extension work. I’m passionate about educating my guests and creating beautiful transformations while prioritizing the health and integrity of their natural hair.

I feel one of the things that sets me apart in the industry is my genuine focus on scalp and hair health, along with being completely honest and transparent with my guests. I will always prioritize the health and integrity of their hair, even if that means recommending something different than what they originally came in wanting. My goal is to build trust and create results that are not only beautiful, but healthy and sustainable.

What I’m most excited about with Oréa is that it will be more than a place to get your hair done. I’m building a space where both guests and stylists feel supported, valued, and cared for. Oréa will operate as an independent, booth-rental salon, allowing stylists to build and run their own businesses while still having the community and support of a team around them.

I’m especially proud of the brand we’re creating. The name Oréa means “beautiful” in Greek, which connects the salon to my Greek heritage and my dad, who passed away while I was in cosmetology school. That personal connection makes this brand incredibly meaningful to me.

I want people to know that Oréa isn’t just about hair. It’s about creating a beautiful experience, a beautiful environment, and a community built on intention. I’m so excited to open the doors this October and begin bringing that vision to life.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I like best about Cincinnati is the sense of community and how much the city has to offer while still maintaining that hometown feel. I love the food, the small businesses, the neighborhoods, and the fact that there is always something new happening. I’ve also always loved that Cincinnati is surrounded by so many unique communities, including Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

What I like least is probably the traffic and construction that lasts FOREVERRR. But honestly, I think Cincinnati is a really special city, and I love being close enough to enjoy everything it has to offer while also building my business in a smaller community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oreahairsalon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orea.salon