Check Out Angela Orozco’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Orozco.

Hi Angela, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As far back as I can remember I have always been a creative person. I loved working with my hands and imagination. I have always had an interest in art, music, photography. fashion and hair. I was that girl in high school doing the most with my appearance, constantly messing with my own hair and with others. I was cutting my friend’s hair in-between breaks and lunches at school. I had no idea what I was doing but I just knew I was going to be a hairstylist. That’s what I did. I barely graduated high school and quickly enrolled into Fullerton”s Cosmetology program. Life felt like it was falling into place and everything was coming easy to me. I became pregnant at 19, and life took different turns. Things did get really hard for me and it took a big toll on my mental health, I felt like I was falling behind in life. I saw all the girls in my cosmo class become successful hairstylists, and I wasn’t. One of the most important quotes I remember reading during this time is “comparison is the thief of joy” it stuck with me. I never gave up.

I knew who I wanted to be and I wanted to continue following my dreams so I figured out a way to balance being a mom and focused on building my career. I dedicated two years of being with my daughter without working. I was a stay-at-home mom, and I love and appreciate that time I had with her. So coming back into the real world at 22 in the hustle and social media booming was so new to me. I started slow by assisting. to all of a sudden working 7 days a week taking in any client I could get. That is where I learned the most. I took on more education and met a lot of new people along the way. Instagram became the easiest and best marketing tool (beats passing out business cards on the street, yes I did that). My work was catching a lot of attention from a lot of people. I was really proud of myself. I’ll be 32 soon, the past 10 years has taught me so much. I met some of the most important people in my life. Having my daughter Cici so young at a time where I was very naive, taught me that life doesn’t care about your plans, it’s how you handle what’s given to you and continue pushing forward. Giving up is not an option and I will always continue chasing my dreams.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I definitely faced challenges in the beginning of my career. My story is unique, I found out I was pregnant when I was 19 during my last month of cosmo school. I put a lot of what I worked hard for on hold. My daughter was born with Down syndrome, and she also had some other health complications she was born with a heart defect, VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). We spent two years in and out of choc leading up to her heart surgery. I felt really behind in my career but she came first. After her heart surgery, her healthy rapidly changed for the better and she was thriving. I felt comfortable to take on a part-time receptionist position at a salon. I didn’t have a clientele and I wasn’t confident to start assisting just yet. After a while, I did start assisting and then went on the floor as a commission stylist.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a hairstylist and a photographer. I have been a licensed cosmetologist since December 2010. Throughout my hair career, I have dabbled in everything from bridal, hair extensions, mens cuts, styling for photoshoots, etc. I found that my true passion was in hair coloring. Through trials and many errors, I found that I love working on brunette hair and dimensional color. I work in Orange County and there are many talented blonde specialists, being a brunette specialist stood out. I got recognized as being one through social media. Instagram became such a vital role in my career, I gained all my clientele, partnerships and other career opportunities through IG.

Contact Info:

• Website: Angeladoeshair.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: Angela_doeshair

Image Credits
Sophia Sanchez JD Torres Angela Orozco