Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelique Myrick.
Hi Angelique, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi there. I would love to tell you a little bit about my story.
I was born and raised in Holland. As a young child, I wanted to become a veterinarian because I loved taking care of animals and all things sweet.
My passion for taking care of others, the beauty industry, and, in particular, hairstyling started in my early teens. I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to well-being and beauty products.
I loved the idea of taking something I do naturally—taking care of others and turning it into a career. So I made it my business to learn as much as I could from the best schools and mentors I could find. I worked in a hair salon even while being in high school. I’m so grateful to my very first employer, who loved to tell his clients to ” let Angelique shampoo and condition their hair.” “She works wonders!” he would tell them. I think that first boost of encouragement was so helpful and something I try to pay forward now to those starting something new. We all have to get started somewhere.
And to be honest, to go back to my 15-year-old self, I craved independence. The idea of making my own money and not have to be dependant on anybody was certainly another motivator why this profession was very appealing to me. Until this day, my family is still amused by this memory of wanting to break free.
After high school, I went to college, where I took business, health care/ beauty, and hairstyling classes—a unique combo.
With the support of loved ones, I was a very young entrepreneur at 22 and who owned and operated a successful salon from 1996 through 2003 in Holland.
I’ve worked very hard and loved every minute of it, and because I was doing something I loved, it didn’t feel like work. I feel very blessed in that regard.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest challenge was moving to a new country where I didn’t know a single soul and the culture is so different. I met my American husband while on vacation in Sicily and decided to immigrate to the United States.
Selling my life’s work: ‘my hair salon’ was a tricky thing to do. Leaving everything behind is not easy at all. I was still very young, and the experience in this country was new, and if you have to start all over again, that can be a daunting endeavor.
Slowly but surely, I started to rebuild my clientele and social life back up. And when motherhood came into play, it even accelerated more as I met even more like-minded people.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In 2010, I opened my home-based salon, and Los Angeles being such a global melting pot of a city, my clients were from everywhere and all walks of life. As an immigrant myself, I strived to create something that felt familiar in a city that can sometimes feel just a bit too vast and overwhelming.
My salon is quiet, cozy, and calm. I believe my clients can sense that, and it becomes a bit of an oasis, a respite from the busy city. I remember the frenetic energy of larger salons; you wait around, not knowing who would wash or dry your hair. It’s a very impersonal affair, to be honest. We get enough of that in our day-to-day life, and I love that I can hit the pause button on that for my clients when they come over. And really, it’s that they are ‘coming over. It’s like stopping by to visit a good neighbor, but then you get to leave with a stylish haircut and color too. When they sit in my chair, I start by serving them a cup of tea, we’re listening to calming, ambient music or some other kind of music that sets the tone for their time with me, and I can sense their stress and tension subside. And given the very stressful times we’re in right now with the economic uncertainty, giving my clients that space to feel productive, cared-for, and relaxed is one of the more essential aspects of my work. A home-based hair salon setting is excellent to combine with motherhood, especially in times of the pandemic where I’ve been helping my son with his homeschooling.
I came up with my brand name, “Los Angelique,” about ten years ago. It just seemed like a perfect fit to combine my name with the name of the city I now call home. Los Angelique is an ideal name for all the services that I am providing and my love for creating my products – haircuts for both men and women, color, and highlights, along with hairstyling and makeup services for any occasion, including weddings and awards shows. I recently added a skincare line based on feedback from my clients and my own experience with various cosmetics and beauty products.
I find it hard to answer what sets me apart, probably because I don’t feel apart from anybody else. The same thing goes for if I get the question of my targeted audience: I do not have one. If this is your very first haircut, or perhaps your last, we are all on this life journey together. I like meeting people from all walks of life. People say I’m reliable, grounded, and value people’s time. Those qualities are appreciated and valued.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I had the good fortune of being born into a family that supports one another and finds great joy in others’ successes and hearing about one’s journey and passions.
My Mom and Dad were people who had a positive outlook on life, and worked hard, and enjoyed what they were doing. My mother was an elementary school teacher and loved to teach young ones. She worked with various innovative pedagogical methods. She was quite ahead of her time in the 1960s. I appreciate the same qualities about the elementary school teacher we have today for our son. She is very adamant that we should: “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn” And, I just love that quote!
My Dad owned and operated a bakery that he took over from his father. In later years, he worked as an advisor for a branch organization that represented the interests of other entrepreneurs. When retiring from the corporate world, he became a psychologist and a financial advisor, just because he liked it so much! Both Mom and Dad did various kinds of Humanitarian and volunteer work when they retired.
I think it is essential to surround yourself with people who can lift you and are supportive. In any relationship you are having, it is important to celebrate each other’s successes and journeys and pay it forward. Also, it doesn’t hurt to tell yourself that you are A-okay.
When you start with whatever profession you are in, finding a mentor who loves to teach and wants to see you doing well as well, a mentor who teaches how to roll with the punches to overcome obstacles because that will inevitably happen.
I love keeping up with other stylists and their work. It’s great that we all can share the content of each other’s work through social media. There is so much talent out there to be inspired by, but also, don’t be afraid to take chances and, as difficult as it is, try not to compare yourself to others!
I’m very proud to announce that my niece in The Netherlands is following in her Aunt’s footsteps. She is becoming a very aspiring hairstylist and a make-up artist herself. I’m sure we will collaborate someday.
Contact Info:
- Website: losangelique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/losangelique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losangeliqueTM
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LosAngeliqueTM
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/los-angelique-valley-glen-3
Image Credits
Derek Dodge Heidi Cox Katy Leigh Villari Angelique Myrick
