I am a hairstylist working behind the chair for 15years. Every year I always evaluate where I am in my career and what do I need to do to allow myself to continue to evolve. I was renting a chair at a small salon with talented stylists but the salon itself lacked growth opportunities and the current salon owner was looking for a business partner. That’s when I knew it was my next step in my career and I knew that if I jumped in as co owner that I could make a difference.
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
Change is scary for people, although I made changes that were necessary it still came with resistance especially because its taking people out of their comfort zones
What books are you currently reading? And your recommendation for entrepreneurs to read?
Instead of books I actually to business owner seminars. I’m also part of a support group specifically made for salon owners. Within the support group there are workshops available and classes.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits? How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
family and friends were extremely supportive of this venture- the only slight contention was just making me aware of how challenging a business partnership can be. I believe my business partner and i shared the same vision however in hindsight, sitting together (prior to the buy-in) would have been more helpful to make sure we were on the same page for the future plans of the salon.
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
In my industry Instagram is a huge influence. My personal page for my work has been a huge success at 40k followers. It has also helped my success my salons business and those who work for me
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
It takes time, be patient. There’s so much that goes into owning and running your business. Building relationships with your staff and the clients that walk through the door so everything. They are the key as to what holds your business together
What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur locally and internationally?
Know your brand, have a plan and execute. Stay Dedicated.. and always have your heart in the right place.
