Daily Inspiration: Meet Nicole Zubair

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Zubair.

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first started doing hair in highschool, but obviously had no idea what I was doing. It got to the point that my friends and family would also ask me to experiment on their hair. Once highschool was coming to an end I knew going to college was not for me – so I decided to pursue going to cosmetology school. I went to Paul Mitchell in Temecula, and that’s where I continued to discover my passion for hair. While I was in school after completing class after class – something just felt right and I knew becoming a hairstylist was meant for me. I started off working in the Inland Empire and then I eventually ended up at Carlton Hair in West Covina as an assistant and also completed their assistant course before finally taking clients of my own. 12 years later I now work at Agencé Salon in San Dimas.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I first started my career I felt like I couldn’t speak up about certain situations I felt uncomfortable in because I cared so much about keeping my job – especially as an assistant. I unfortunately had a bad experience at one of my first assisting jobs. The owner I was assisting made a comment to a client I did not agree with, and it personally hit home for me as well. I struggled internally if I should speak up, but my friends and family know that’s not like me – I always stand up for myself. I finally decided to speak to my boss about the conversation that made me uncomfortable – which then led to me getting let go from the job. In the end I have no regrets because I stood up for what I believe in. Without all these ups and downs I have experienced through my career I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
On a day to day basis my schedule can look like doing a full color and extensions transformation or a day full of simple root touch ups and haircuts. I don’t want to necessarily say I specialize in anything specific because I love doing multiple things, but when I first started school I really fell in love with haircuts; and I do still feel this way even today. Haircuts are an instant transformation and I love seeing clients reactions after. I’ve been nominated for BTC One Shot Hair Awards and my first nomination was actually a haircut!

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the small town vibes at the current city I work in, but it’s also close enough to big major cities as well that clients are willing to make the drive. But, with a small city one of the biggest downfalls is that we don’t get much foot traffic for walk-ins – it’s more of a word of mouth referral to get a new client to walk through the door. Thankfully since I’ve been in my career for so long and I’ve consistently been working around the same area, a lot of my clients have referred me to their friends and family which I appreciate so much!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @n.ingramluck