Name: Chris Knudsen
Age: 35
Title: Co-Owner of Mane Attraction Salon. Stylist. Educator.
Married/Single: Married my high school girlfriend
Kids: 2 wonderful children, and 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son
City you live in: Phoenix (Ahwatukee)
A typical day in my life includes…
no such thing as typical. But normally I wake up at 4:45am to go to the gym. Come home at 6:45am to get my kids up and ready for school. Bike them to school. Come home make breakfast with my wife and business partner, Jenny. Then answer emails, read, make calls, and plan for the day. Around 9 or 10am I head into the salon for an 8-11 hour day, and then come home and relax watching ESPN or what ever my wife is watching.
I was born…
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and adopted by the most wonderful parents Erik and Carol Knudsen.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
the weather and the topography. It’s amazing that within a 3-hour drive you get into a completely different scenery and elevation.
I’m listening to…
Pandora, because like most things in life I like a little of everything: classic rock, electric house, current pop, and even a little country.
My family…
is everything. They come first. I work hard so I can play hard with them. We like going to Disneyland, camping, and just relaxing in the pool at our house. It’s the simple moments of a date night with my wife, playing a game of basketball with my son and a card game with my daughter that make my life worthwhile.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
my grandfathers. Both of my grandfathers passed away before I was born. I would love to meet them. My parents are my heroes and I would love to have met their fathers.
One thing I cannot live without…
my wife.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a professional soccer player. I was very competitive and poured my whole heart into the sport until I was 18.
I’m inspired by…
my father. If I grow up to be half the man he is I will be a proud man.
The one person who motivates me is…
myself. A mentor once taught me the importance of self-motivation. He said, “there are a lot of people waiting for the someone else to come by and turn them on”. He also wisely said, “but hey, what if they don’t show up?” The key to it all is self-motivation. The wind blows on us all, it’s the set of your sail that determines how your life will work out.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
childhood abuse. It breaks my heart to think of children being abused verbally, mentally or physically.
The perfect day would be…
spending time with my family, friends and co-workers. I have fun doing it all, so I enjoy the long days behind the chair with clients and working on the business, my days off spending time with family, and the nights out with friends where we stay up way too late.
My first job was…
at Erik of Norway, my parent’s salon. I did everything from sweeping floors, folding towels, serving clients drinks, etc.
My favorite escape…
vacation, anywhere.
My life…
will continue to get better.
I’m currently working on…
revamping our digital email campaign platforms, recruiting the very best talent for our team, attempting to stay in shape, and spend quality time with the people I care about.
Always…
plan for the future, but don’t live it in.
Never…
compromise your character. It’s what you do when no one is looking that matters.
Favorite Quote…
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, begin to change” – Wayne Dyer.
Biggest Dream…
is to grow old with dignity. Also, to be a guiding light for my children and staff where we can prove that hard work, serving each other and our community is not only the right thing to do, but is what makes life worth living.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
not doing what you say you are going to do, chewing with your mouth open, bullying, negativity, being late, and the inability to say no to what’s not important so you can say yes to what is significant.
