Heather Oliver

Heather is originally from Missouri aka the Show Me State, but you might as well consider her a native North Carolinian because she’s been here since she was 10. Her parents moved from the Ozarks to Clemmons to escape the Navarro cartel—just kidding! Heather’s life in Missouri was nothing like what the Byrde’s experienced, but she does love the show Ozark (clearly). Her Ozark days were mostly spent jumping hay bales, playing in creeks, and exploring the countryside with her family.

 

Fast forward to 1998. Heather always had an appreciation for beautiful hair and makeup. As fate would have it, she landed a receptionist gig at a local hair salon in Winston-Salem, where she went on to become Front Desk Manager and Assistant Manager of the salon. She spent over 10 years there before pursuing a career that could better facilitate her passion and talent for writing and design.  

 

After leaving the salon, she moved into the publishing industry, where she worked for a national motorcycle magazine for 13 years. She has since worked in the internet and payment technology fields, evolving as a writer/editor, content creator, SEO, and marketer. 

 

Interestingly enough, the salon Heather previously worked at was where she met Alkali owner and CEO Amber Woodall, who also worked there as a stylist. Even after they both left, the two always kept in touch. In fact, Heather hopped back into beauty part-time after over a decade-long stretch and began freelancing for Alkali in 2019. 

 

About five years later, and with another twist of fate, Heather officially joined the Alkali team full-time as Brand Director—and she couldn’t be happier at her new work home. Now she gets to use her skills in an industry she enjoys, has an incredible team, and gets to work for a person she loves and respects—win-win.

 

Heather’s current favorite hairstyle is long to mid-length hair with long layers and a pumpkin or red hue—she was born a flaming redhead after all. But she was a platinum blonde for many years and loved it, so that look is a close second. 

 

Her worst hairstyle was when she just had to get a perm in middle school. It wasn’t that the perm itself was bad, but she hated how it looked. The saying “careful what you wish for because you just might get it” applies here. Live and learn, right?

 

When she’s not working, Heather spends most of her time writing songs (she’s a Hip Hop artist!), fiction, and poetry. She’s also totally obsessed with Skyrim, but occasionally takes a break from the Elder Scrolls world to play Fallout 4 and games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Horizon Zero Dawn, or Hogwart’s Legacy. Yeah, she’s a total fantasy nerd!