MADEIRA, Ohio — After years of moving around the country and navigating major career changes, Shane Evanshine and his wife have found a sense of community and stability in opening a barber shop in Madeira.
The journey began when Evanshine, an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force, met his future wife during his transition from military service in 2010. Back home in Mariemont, the two connected through a mutual friend and initially planned for a casual summer romance as Evanshine prepared to move to California for a job with the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The way the dynamics of our relationship at that time, it was kind of like, do you want to take a leap of faith and go to California with me?” Evanshine said.
Ashley said yes and the two were off on their California adventure.
During his years working within air traffic control in the Air Force, Shane Evanshine worked in Grand Forks, North Dakota, served in Korea, at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, in Iraq, and back to Korea before separating from the military in 2010.
The transition to civilian life and the FAA was a major adjustment — especially taking on the job at San Francisco International Airport.
"It was going from, like, the minor leagues to the major leagues,” Evanshine said. “So, I went in and I was working, my job was San Francisco arrivals, primarily, is what I did, and then it's all speed, so it's totally different thing."
The high-stress environment and constantly shifting schedule took a toll.
In 2017 and 2018, Evanshine developed a medical condition that prevented him from continuing his air traffic control career.
"Just tried to, like, kind of regroup coming off of that, because basically losing a career that I've been doing for almost 20 years, it was kind of, it was a very tough transition for us, like for me personally and the family as a whole," Evanshine said.
After spending some time in California, the desire to have family closer put them on the path to come home to Ohio and eventually pursue a new career path.
After a stint as a real estate agent, he decided to use his GI Bill and education benefits from his military service to go to barber school. Evanshine saw the opportunity as a way to be in control of his own environment.
"I always tell people, when they come in here, they always talk about air traffic. They're like, Oh, that's such a tough job. I'm like, I felt like learning how to cut hair for me was more difficult than air traffic control," he said.
After working at a barber shop in Eastgate, Evanshine and his wife decided to open their own business Shine Barber Shop on Main Street in Madeira. They saw an opportunity to fill a need in the community and create a welcoming environment.
It was another leap of faith.
"Our entire relationship has been like that,” said Ashley Evanshine.
She says the move back provides the perfect environment to raise their 9-year-old daughter Olivia while giving both Ashely and Shane a place and career that’s a little less chaotic compared to the flight line.
“It's great, and I think the stress level is 1000 times lower, 1000 times lower, and it's, it's great for us. It's great for him, us as a family," Ashely Evanshine said.
As they continue to build their business and their life in Madeira, the couple is grateful for the sense of community and the opportunity to provide a welcoming space for residents. It's a far cry from the high-stress environments they've navigated in the past, but one they've embraced with the same spirit of adventure that has defined their relationship.
You can find out more about Shine Barber Shop on its website.
There are several retraining resources for veterans looking to change careers post-transition from the military. Below are some resource links from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
