The Salon / Our Home

Unicorn obsessed also the co-owner and leader of the operation. Tobin began conquering this industry before he graduated high school. He has worked with some of the top stylists in the world, including Wayne Grund and Kim Vo. Through the latter, Tobin became a platform artist and educator, traveling extensively to educate, inspire, and motivate other stylists. While he may have settled roots in Appleton, his journey is far from over. He believes in continuous learning and honing one’s skills, as well as drawing inspiration from wherever it arises. Tobin is a bottomless well of creativity, innovation, and enthusiasm.

Twenty-Five years and going, he shows no signs of losing his passion for the industry, instead constantly adding to his already-impressive repertoire; lately he has been delving deep into the classic art of barbering. His motto is, always be yourself unless you can be a unicorn, then be a unicorn. Not content to be a one-trick pony (as if all of that constituted merely one trick), Tobin plays with a full deck of aesthetic talents: photography, digital arts (both computer graphics and manicures falling into this category), and cake decorating to name but a few. Is there nothing this prolific artisan can’t do? Unsurprisingly, he can’t sit still. Just as long as you can, we’ll all be fine. Being in Tobin’s realm is never dull, so come prepared for an adventure.

Jillian, Jilly, Jillybean, Mama Chaos—but never JILL—whatever you call her, she is the heart and soul of Shear Chaos. Born and raised on her family farm in Hilbert, WI, Jillian left the pasture to do great things in the “big city.” Like her husband and co-owner Tobin, she has trained all over the U.S. and Canada, returning to Appleton with accolades and awards from competitions she won throughout the Midwest and Las Vegas. Far from being arrogant or condescending about her achievements, Jilly instead radiates warmth and hospitality. You can take the girl off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the girl, which is readily apparent more than fifteen years later by Jillian’s down-to-earth personality and affection for pint-sized, cuddly animals.

As an owner, stylist, educator, makeup artist, and certified Pureology expert, Jillian leaves little time away from the shop. This is her home away from home, and she will invite you in with open arms—quite literally, as she hugs everyone before they leave; you won’t escape without an embrace from Jillian. (If you aren’t a hugger, that’s okay; she’s cute, you will get used to it.) Beauty is Art to Jillian. You are the canvas waiting for her master’s brush: hair brush or blush brush, she’s equally amazing with both. Love what she does? Far from mysterious about her prowess, she makes it a priority to share her complementary techniques so clients leave confident they can recreate the look at home. Sharing is caring, and Jilly is unparalleled in both. So stop by for a style or a squeeze, and bring your little dog, too.

When you arrive at Shear Chaos, enjoy meeting this lil’ firecracker! If you feel like there is a slight resemblance to Tobin, your eyes are not playing tricks. Yup! You’ve guessed it, she’s his daughter! Mikarah grew up surrounded by the hair industry, so naturally she was thrilled to dive into the family biz. When you check-in for your service, feel free to pick her brain about some culinary deliciousness, because this ambitious young lady is also training to be a chef! When Mikarahs not making mouth watering cuisine, or assisting you in the Chaos experience. She loves getting artsy fartsy + snuggling up her fur babies.