Meet Stephanie Cardenas of Montebello

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Cardenas

Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Attending “regular” college for a year, i felt lost the entire way. i knew i didn’t belong there…so i took a year off of school. After my year off, I joined beauty school, where i immediately felt like i belonged. I knew this was the industry i wanted to be in, making people feel like the best versions of themselves. Beauty school wasn’t a breeze, but i never lost myself. I knew i always had to keep going, because the possibilities with my license would be so worth it to me.

It took me two years to complete beauty school, one year i was attending in person, and the next i was doing “zoom classes” due to the pandemic. imagine doing a “hands on” course, through a screen with 50 other students, in a time where you weren’t even allowed to touch a human being without the risk of illness….like i said, it wasn’t a breeze but i never gave up.

After i got my license i felt like it was the beginning of a new era. the lockdowns had stopped, life was restarting and i was hungry to start my career. i started posting all of my work, on social media and managed to keep busy my first year behind the chair. i was only a part time stylist at the time. i had my 40 hour job as an executive assistant which paid all my bills. i was thankful to have that job because it allowed me to focus on my clients, and allowed me to expand my creativity without the burden of “making rent”. i wasn’t very profitable at first, but the more happy clients that referred me, the busier i was able to be.

After my first year working as a stylist, i quit my full time office job and focused on being a full time hairstylist. Now im 3 years behind the chair, and co-own a salon in Montebello with my mother, The Magic Touch Beauty. I am very grateful for everything that has happened.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, i feel finishing school during the covid-19 lockdowns was an obstacle. It definitely wasn’t the hands on beauty school experience that i imagined. but we were all doing our best at the time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a hairstylist, that specializes in custom color and haircuts. I am most known for my layered haircuts. I am most proud of having my own salon with my mother in such a short time. What sets me apart from others is that i have a true passion to make my client feel their best. I don’t do this for money, i genuinely enjoy every transformation, big or small.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I love TikTok. i feel it’s the new google. anytime i want to learn a new skill, i just look it up on TikTok, and a short tutorial is at my immediate access.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lacosmosteph.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacosmosteph/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lacosmosteph