Lolita--More than a Salon

In this episode, hosts Anna and Jasmine sit down with Lolita, the owner of Hstyles, Inc., to discuss her journey to becoming her own boss. We explore the challenges Lolita faced and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. From taking risks to building a loyal client base, this episode is packed with inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs. It highlights the power of hard work, community support, and the courage required to turn a passion into a successful business.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Hey guys, welcome back to the From Spark to New Ventor Podcast, and we're your hosts, Anna and Jasmine.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

And today we're interviewing a special guest. She's an entrepreneur close by who owns her very own hair salon called Eight Styles.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Miss Lolita from Phoenix Sonas Suites. How are you doing today, Miss Lolita?

SPEAKER_00 0:26

I'm doing awesome. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Of course. Of course. So before we start, tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

I grew up in Landover, Maryland. I've always been around entrepreneurs. Um, and that really set the course for me to try to do things on my own, um, just to find my way in a very large, loving family. Just great support system.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. We have some questions we want to ask you. Are you ready? Yes, I am. Okay, so first question is um what motivated you as an entrepreneur to begin your journey?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Um, what motivated me was uh the desire to have freedom over my craft. Uh when you work for someone else, they sort of put restrictions on what you can do, when you can do it, um, and the new techniques you can learn. So I really just wanted to get out there and do things on my own and be my own boss.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

I feel that. I feel that honestly. And honestly, what obstacles did you face along the way of your journey? Like, did you experience any like self-doubt?

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Oh, definitely. Um, they say that everyone's supposed to, you know, believe in yourself, but you can only take that so far. You also have to like build your craft, be always have continued learning. There's financial pressure, there's um learning business skills, which is a big part of um being an entrepreneur, because if you don't get that side right, it doesn't matter how talented you are, your business isn't gonna go anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Well, it seems like you've been through a lot of obstacles, but as long as you don't give up, it's possible, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Um so do you remember when you started thinking about opening your own salon instead of working for someone else?

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Um probably back in 2013. Um, after a few years of being in the industry, and you realize that the harder you're work you're working, you're actually working to make someone else's business grow and not really building your own brand and making a name for yourself. So I wanted to be able to take ownership of my talents, yeah, and be able to help people that way.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

That's amazing. Um I guess it's kind of similar to the question I just asked, but like, was there a specific moment you thought I'm doing this?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

I had and I was a manager of a salon. I had an employee that decided to not to come to work. And I was at home because it was my day off. Yeah. And uh my super, the regional manager called me and chewed me out because the employee didn't show up, which is understandable, but she was very degrading. Um, and then when I called the employee, the employee said, Hey, you know, friends are more important than than um than doing hair. I was like, oh, okay, well, you tell everyone I'll see them around because I quit. And that's when I knew like I'm I'm done and working for someone else. Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Was that scary? Like, was that really scary to just say like I'm done, I'm quitting? Like, what's next to come?

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Uh yes, it's very scary, but I knew that I'd already built a good clientele. Right. And um, I was already making steps, I was taking baby steps into opening my own salon. Um so it was just that that extra push that I needed, that confirmation that this isn't where I'm I want to be, I need to be working on my own.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Okay, I love that. So how did you get the money and um knowledge and connections you needed to start like your own business?

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Savings, uh, your like if you're married, you know, your spouse, your family, uh, credit cards. Open up a credit card and purchase like my first set, like my mirror, my supplies that I needed, my chair. Uh you'll find a way. If it's your dream, if it's really what you want to do, you'll find ways to come up with uh the resources. I I didn't go through like small business association, any of that. It was really just personal. Yeah, it was just credit cards.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

That was financially smart. Yeah. So speaking of connections, how did you build trust and loyalty with your clients?

SPEAKER_00 5:47

Always telling them the truth, letting them know what's possible, what's not possible. Never lie about your skill set. Um, just make sure you just build that trust between client and stylists, that you're here for them and that you're here to bring out the best that they could be, not really put out an illusion for everyone else, but to feel comfortable about yourself.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Yeah. Um, at what moment did you start feeling proud of what you have been caught in? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

My mother was at a slug line. I don't know if y'all know what that is. It's where in the mornings you um go to a parking lot and like you get rides from other people and you carpool together.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

And she called me excited because she could overhear people talking about me.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

And she and she was like, oh my goodness, that's my daughter, you know, and then she called me and she was excited, and I got excited. And also when people trust you with their most personal um and moments of their lives, like graduations, weddings, yeah, even funerals. I've done funeral hair. Yeah, it's it's really yeah, it's really emotional, and it makes you feel like you've built trust and you accomplished something. Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:23

Well, how has only um your salon changed you as a person? Wow.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Um it teaches you discipline, uh responsibility, and resilience because like success doesn't it's not just about talent, like you have to be consistent. So you need to make sure you're professional um and the customer. You know the customer's not right. The customer's always right. Um and the patience part is being able to listen to a person's wants and needs and being able to transform that into what they can to their dream, like you're trying to help them accomplish their dreams.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Yeah. So you're basically a therapist.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

So was there anyone in your journey as an entrepreneur who move motivated you and like helped you keep going?

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Well, my clients, my clients were very were a very big part of me becoming an entrepreneur and opening up my own salon. Like they would see like how I was working as a manager, and you had to step away from the chair constantly. Right. And I had one client get up and say, Hey, call me when you open your own salon. And then once I did open my own salon, people were all like they would word of mouth tell their friends, and they were uh very supportive. And my family, my family was always very supportive. If I needed help, my daughters, my friends would come to the salon and help shampoo or do whatever I needed done. It was, and then I had lots of entrepreneurs in my family already, and I wanted to make them proud.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Yeah. So some motivation, that's like community.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Yes, yes, okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

So what's the mistake you made that taught you in a very important lesson?

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Undervaluing my work. Never sell yourself short just to get a client or just to make some money. And always know your limitations. So if you're not skilled in something, don't tell a person yes, you can do it just to get that money in because it'll backfire on you every time. So always be honest with your clients. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

In your opinion, what entrepreneurial mice do you believe were the most important to be a successful entrepreneur for those who want to become make their own business?

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Okay, consistency, yeah. Um success isn't just like one big moment. It's not like, oh wow, like that's not like a snap. Like it's gonna take time, right? Um, adaptability. Um, you need to stay with the trends um because they change. Uh you have to evolve with the times. Right. Um, don't be stuck in your ways. Yeah. Um, and long-term thinking, like businesses aren't built overnight. You uh you need patient. Yeah. Lots of patience. And be persistent.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Persistent. Don't give up, right? Lastly, what is one piece of advice that you would like to share with um undergraduates, like to help them start a business or succeed in it, like okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Start with like developing um a skill with a strong work ethic. Yeah. Yeah. Um skills and discipline and your consistency, those are the things that turn your ideas into a business.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Yeah. Start what you have, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

You recommend a yes, whatever your dream, you know, but you know, you might have to get a job. Right. Make that dream come true. Yeah. Right. So you still have to, you can't just step out the door and just be an entrepreneur. Right. Yeah. You still have fundings. And then stay committed long enough so that you can make that dream come true. And then don't turn away the people who have already been there. Don't turn their vice down. You don't have to follow it, but at least listen to it. It might be something you can pull from later. Yeah. I got some um closing statements. What is it? Okay, your vision will never fit fully inside of someone else's business. At some point, you have to build the space for it yourself. And um, so when it comes to hair, hair is personal. When a client sits in your chair, they're trusting you with their confidence. So if you respect that trust, loyalty comes naturally. Uh, success in the industry isn't about being the most talented person in the room, it's about showing up consistently and getting a little better every day.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Yeah. Well, thank you for having us. I really appreciate this. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

No, I'm really.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yeah, that's really inspiring for the rest of your story.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Oh, thank you.