Check Out Brina Hernandez’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brina Hernandez.

Hi Brina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
I started attending Cosmetology school at the age of 18, which was about 6 months after graduating high school. I took school very seriously and was determined to follow my dreams & get out of my small town to eventually make a name for myself as a hairstylist in Los Angeles. By the age of 19, I had graduated cosmetology school, passed my state board exam to earn my license, and landed my first job as a hairstylist’s assistant in West Hollywood. I worked in West Hollywood for about 2 years and assisted 4 different stylists at very well-known salons, such as Sally Hershberger Salon and Andy Lecompte Salon. I like to call these my “hustling” years because I was commuting 3 hours a day in total coming from Palmdale and was working really long hours just doing everything I could to learn as much as I could from every artist around me. Then, on my off days, I was doing my own clients from home in my tiny bedroom at my parents’ house. I even washed my client’s hair in the sink/bathtubs. After those 2 years I decided I wanted to plant my feet in the Valley instead. I also was ready to start building my clientele out there and could finally start to see my career shifting from being just a hairdresser’s assistant to a successful full-time stylist. Fast forward about 6 months later, I finally found my salon home. I moved out of my parents’ house, moved down to the valley, and found the Butterfly Loft Salon. I originally found them on Instagram because I followed a few other hairstylists who worked there, and I just fell in love with the place. I started as an assistant to get my feet in the door and quickly became a full-time stylist on the floor. I stayed consistent with my social media presence and really grew my clientele off word of mouth. I had many friends growing up and a lot of them also had moved to the valley for college, so doing hair for college Sorority girls is really where things started to blossom, and I got my name out there. I now have been at Butterfly Loft for almost 7 years, and it has been absolutely amazing for my career. I have grown so much as a stylist and still continue to grow every day. The stylists I work with are all so talented and the owners of our salon – David & Alexis Thurston, have always believed in me and pushed me to never give up on myself. They have given me countless opportunities to do more in this industry, and I couldn’t be more thankful for their support. I absolutely love my job; I love being creative & being able to make people feel confident and beautiful every day. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not! There have been many struggles during my journey. The biggest one I would have to say is when the Covid Pandemic hit in 2020. As a hairstylist, I am self-employed, so when this happened, I really started to second-guess my career choice. It was hard having our salon being shut down 3 times in one year. We basically only worked 6 months out of the year and never really knew how things were ever going to get better. Although this was tough, I just had to realize I wasn’t the only person going through this, and there was no way I was going to let go of my career and dreams because of a setback like this. I had to stay positive and really leaned on my coworkers during that time, we were going through it together and the support from them definitely helped me get through it. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Hairstylist, and I specialize in dimensional blonding! I believe I am known for my seamless blending in hair color. I am most proud of the fact that I know I can relate to any client who sits in my chair and make them feel 100% comfortable, no matter who they are or what they are going through. My job is to make them feel beautiful and that is always my goal! I believe what sets me apart from others is not only my seamless work but my personality as well. I try to always be my most authentic self with my clients so that they can feel comfortable being that way with me as well. I am, of course, a professional- but I think client/stylist relationships are important, and with the right boundaries, you can get to really know your clients and give them a safe space, which then makes them turn into loyal clients for life. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Yes! My advice for anyone starting out in this industry is to just learn as much as you can! Take classes after graduating and assist a stylist who you admire! We will never know everything, so I think it’s important to always stay educated on the new trends. Also, make sure to always stay positive, and even though you will make many mistakes as a new stylist, just keep your mind focused on your goal and keep pushing! 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/brinaraehair