Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyn Arenas.
Evelyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was 21 years old when I finished cosmetology school and one of my first Jobs was cutting men’s hair at my aunt’s beauty salon. My aunt had a lot of business but it was mainly men’s haircuts, something I was not really excited about. Little by little, I began to build a clientele of my own doing women’s cuts, updos and my favorite hair coloring. All of this was something my aunt did not approve of, her business thrived from men’s hair cuts as her and her other stylist did those like clockwork but I knew I could never be passionate about them. Eventually, my aunt decided to have a talk with me which is when she informed me she was letting me go, she felt I was holding her business back and thought it be best I took my services elsewhere.
Being fired left me devastated both emotionally and financially. Before being fired, I was living paycheck to paycheck and this was a huge reality check. I didn’t want to go back to working a 9-5 because I knew this would once again give someone the ability to fire me whenever they wanted. I cried and prayed and asked God for a sign. I began driving around the city and I was looking for any vacant space to be able to start my own business. As I drove around, I knew anything would be a great opportunity but to be completely honest, there was still a huge sense of disbelief because all I had was a thousand dollars to my name.
After a couple of hours of crying and thinking of my next move, I was left with a headache so I decided to stop by a convenience store for some Advil. What I didn’t know is that that headache would lead me to find the very first location of Chevuex Salon. The lot I pulled into had a couple of vacant spots available, the landlord happened to be on the premises and let me know each available spot was $2500 a month. As I was getting ready to walk away sad because that was completely out of budget, the landlord offered to show me a very small location they were using as a storage space. I asked her to see it and how much she wanted for it. The place was so small she didn’t even have a price for it. She hesitated on giving me a price but eventually she said I could rent it out for $400 a month. I decided to go for it! The following week I took $600 dollars and invested in 2 styling chairs, mirrors, a shampoo bowl and basic salon inventory and began working. I had no money for ads but neighborhood clients began coming by. I gave $5 hair cuts and began building a steady clientele. After a year of hard work and dedication, my business grew and I was no longer able to fit all of my clients in my little salon.
This growth pushed me to look for a bigger location in the same neighborhood to give all my loyal clients the full customer service they deserved. I can honestly say, the neighborhood really uplifted me and put me in the position I am in today.
Even though my clients helped me grow physically in my business, they are also responsible for my maturity as a business woman. My clientele began to expand through word of mouth. I was no longer only seeing the neighborhood families, I was beginning to meet people from different walks of life. This helped me learn to be relatable and it helped me grow in my mindset when I found myself mentally connecting with people of different ethnicities, religions, etc. I began to understand the importance and impact of diversity in our lives.
These relationships not only helped me develop maturity but they were also extremely pivotal to the development of my passion. My passion grew as I realized that yes, money was important to my livelihood as it’s what helped me live and pay my bills but it was about much more than that. I began to become passionate about healing the people who sat in my styling chair.
Ten plus years of running a business also teach one responsibility. I learned the responsibility of bills, the responsibility of providing quality work and the responsibility of helping people feel their best.
I recently remodeled my business and was able to finally have the shop of my dreams. I’m very grateful to be where I am and I know that setting goals, staying dedicated as well as remaining focused has helped get me here.
To this day, I continue to be driven by my ambition, I always have a plan, direction and something to look forward to.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been everything BUT SMOOTH! Some of the challenges have consisted of fear of meeting rent since there was no initial business plan. I learned to be a businesswoman with no prior knowledge or formal education on the subject. I’ve also struggled with making time for myself to learn what a business scholar should know while owning a business.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cheveux Salon – what should we know?
I own a Beauty Salon in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. We specialize in everything beauty for women, from hair coloring to make up as well as eyelash extensions. We are mainly known for our hair coloring and excellent customer service. I am most proud of the connections and relationships I have been able to build with my clients who I’ve come to view as more like family. What sets Cheveux Salon apart from other salons is that you can walk in and know that you will have a great experience, we talk, listen and always have a good time.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family deserves credit for always being supportive and believing in my vision. My co-stylist who works by my side to give the best service as a business and my clients who continuously chose to spend their money at my business and financial support its growth.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2155 W Florence Los Angeles CA 90047
- Website: https://www.vagaro.com/cheveuxsalon1
- Phone: 3233453269
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheveuxsalon323/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cheveux-salon-los-angeles
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