Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Varnum.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was raised in central Florida and never ever thought I would be where I am today, here in downtown Los Angeles, working as a hairstylist. I always thought I would go into medicine and started pursuing that track in college. But once I realized, I wasn’t very passionate about it, I changed paths and ended up graduating with a Bachelors degree in Advertising and Public Relations. I thought this would fulfill my desire to be creative and solve problems, but being chained to a desk from 9-5 every day turned me into a depressed shell of myself. I needed to make a change and find a career that let me use my hands, be creative, be social, be active, and solve problems. What could possibly check all those boxes? Well, it turns out that doing hair was what I had been missing the whole time. I had never even considered hairdressing as a career that I could do. But why not?! So, I went back to school again. This time, I graduated with a cosmetology license.
I like to think that this career chose me. When I was in beauty school, I reached out to a stylist I admired on Instagram, never thinking I would even get a reply, and lucky for me she let me be her assistant. She brought me with her when she opened up her own salon, and we wound up working together for almost two years. During this time, she and her business partner instilled the technical foundations I needed to succeed as a hairstylist. But more importantly, they pushed me to come out of my shell. One day at the salon, a stylist from Beverly Hills came in needing a clean up before he made a TV appearance. She stayed in touch with him and when she heard I was moving to Los Angeles, she let him know, and he just so happened to be looking for an assistant. It was otherworldly getting to work in one of the most well-known salons in Beverly Hills. Being able to experience the flow, the clientele, and be in the same environment of Instagram famous stylists was like a dream. But ultimately, I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me. After a few months, I decided to part ways and see what else the universe had in store.
Shortly after, I found a lovely boutique salon across the street from where I was living in DTLA and worked there for a year. I was given a lot of freedom and grew tremendously as a stylist. I reached a point where I felt that I needed to be part of a larger team. I wanted to add other elements to my work like editorial photoshoots and advanced training. I’ve just joined a beautiful craft salon in Silver Lake called Gamine Beauty. It’s such a great fit with tons of room for me to further my skills and build upon my dream clientele.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My journey had many potholes, dead ends, one-way streets, and no turns on red, haha! But there’s also been some pretty amazing stuff mixed in there too!
I was engaged and in a terrible relationship in college that really harmed my health, but after breaking it off, I wound up marrying the man of my dreams.
I thought I would be stuck in my first career, forever unhappy, but then decided enough was enough and went back to school! Now, I am in a career that I love and am passionate about.
I thought I was never going to finish beauty school (I wound up going to three different schools!), but I am too stubborn to give up on my dreams.
I had to go back to cosmetology school AGAIN when I moved states and retake all the exams. But that’s what it took to be able to work in California, so I got it done, and now I’m licensed to do hair in two different states.
I advise you, whatever challenge you might be up against right now to keep going! Sometimes, you just have to DO things, push through, and persevere no matter how much it sucks or how unfair it might seem. And never be afraid to ask for help if you need it. There’s always someone out there that can provide assistance, even if it’s a complete stranger. You will be surprised who comes to your side when you really need it.
Also, don’t settle! Trust your gut feelings because they are usually right. If a job, relationship, friendship, doesn’t seem like its the right fit for you, move on. You don’t have to keep toxic things in your life.
What else should our readers know?
My favorite services to do in the salon are big transformations. Whether that be a significant haircut or complete color change. I love making your vision come to life and helping your exterior reflect how you feel inside.
I also specialize in textured cuts, razor bobs, shags, and balayage. I enjoy being able to cut and color hair which adds variety to my day and keeps things fresh.
Something that might set me apart is that I love opportunities to collaborate. I want to do more work with local businesses regarding cross promotion and styled shoots that we could both benefit from. Why not help each other out and bring attention to our businesses through a creative means?
I believe building relationships and community are super important, and that’s why this year, I created a local meetup for hairstylists, salon owners, and students called Cut and Color Club. I felt that the community element in this industry was lacking. It has been a struggle to find like-minded stylists who are passionate about the craft and open to sharing their knowledge. So many stylists have the mentality that they struggled and so should you. But why does it have to be that way? We should be supporting each other, making things easier, and knowledge more attainable for each generation of stylists. We should be able to make meaningful connections and collaborate, find mentors, find mentees, and make the world less scary for those just entering this field.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
My parents always allowed me to express myself and make my own choices, whether that was through my hairstyle, or my clothing, or my group of friends. They never judged me or stopped me from doing sports that weren’t feminine, or from taking drum or guitar lessons. Allowing me that freedom of expression, that freedom to be creative, helped me to realize who I was at a young age and gave me the confidence I needed to navigate this world. My mom was always active in the community, especially during my grade school years. She took many of the photos at school events and helped put together the annual yearbook, manually cutting and pasting things together on pages to make scans. She was always supportive of me, my brother, and our friends and offered help to anyone in need. I really respect that, and looking back I definitely think that my upbringing influenced characteristics that help me achieve my version of success.
Pricing:
- Haircuts $75
- Balayage $175+
- Partial highlights $175+
- Full highlights $200+
- Corrective color $100/hr
Contact Info:
- Address: 2845 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
- Website: Gaminebeauty.com
- Phone: 213-413-8808
- Email: kristavarnum@gmail.com
- Instagram: @martianfollicles also @cutandcolorclub
- Other: martianfollicles.com
Image Credit:
David Varnum, Krista Varnum
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
