From the streets, to top stylist, to salon owner

If you’ve come from a cozy home with loving parents (I’ll put my hand up), it’s hard to relate to Deandra Vaughn’s early life.

The Vancouver native grew up surrounded by addiction and neglect. Almost from the start, she was forced to raise herself. But rather than stick with the chaos of a family that couldn’t care for her, Deandra chose to leave home and emancipate herself at the age of 12. She describes that time as “hectic” and says she feels completely removed from it, as though she’s looking into someone else’s life.

She spent her teens living on the streets or with boyfriends. Since she legally couldn’t work, Deandra started doing hair in her basement at 14. Relying on herself wasn’t a choice. “At some point you say to yourself ‘I don’t want to be ghetto’ so you make it so,” she says.

Fast-forward 17 years and Deandra is considered to be one of the city’s top hairdressers. After spending eight years as Barbarella’s busiest stylist, she decided to design, build and run her own salon. Heartbreaker,, named for one of her favourite musicans' (Tom Petty), backup band, opened July 30. It’s something Deandra saved for and financed entirely on her own.

I’ve known Deandra for five years, ever since our first awkward encounter made me seriously question my sexuality. She possesses a unique mix of brash honesty, leather-tough strength and eye-popping drive that leads her not only to survive, but flourish.

“People were really scared of me, but I guess confidence is scary,” she says. “I don’t take shit, but most people don’t give me shit anymore.”

My favourite Deandra anecdote perfectly symbolizes her get-things-done spirit.

Years ago, she and her then-boyfriend were taking a hike in the wilderness. When a giant crane sprung up from out of nowhere, her boyfriend’s instinct was to crouch down in a ball. Deandra jumped up and socked the giant bird in the torso. [Ed note: Relax, animal lovers: The bird flew away unharmed.]

She credits her fearlessness to her unstable upbringing. “I have nothing to fall back on, I don’t have family to fall back on,” she says. “So you just make sure it doesn’t ever get there, where you need someone to help you.”

Despite her dark, storied past–or perhaps because of it–I've noticed that Deandra lives by some strong ethics. One of those is to never talk shit. Not once have I ever heard her gossip or say something mean about another person. (Well, within reason. “Adult women with really high pigtails? Not [reasonable].")

This is particularly impressive considering she spends her whole day dealing with people who are confined to a chair for upwards of an hour.

Despite her gruff exterior, she is impressively easy to connect with. Her clients range from musicians and actors to the former vice-president of Air Canada. While being in demand could have led her to charge upwards of $125 a cut, she’s opted to stay accessible, a hairdresser for the people. That way, she can keep on connecting with the community.

“I love my clients, my clients are my friends."