Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Gusto.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hair has truly been a part of my life since I was a little girl.
The goals I had of being a hairstylist, far outweighed my small town in Ohio where I grew up. After beauty school, I moved to LA at the age of 19. Not knowing a soul and not sure where I was going to work. I kept a positive attitude and excitement for where I was headed with my career. I did a lot of researching on some of the top hair salons in LA.
That then led me to an assisting job with hair stylist Jen Akin. That was my first real assisting job in LA, it truly was mind blowing all the endless possibilities there were for me out here. Then I got the opportunity of assisting hairstylist Dominick Serna from the Chris McMillan Salon. Putting in long hours of assisting, doing my own clients on the side and hairstyling on numerous set jobs, I got a chair as a stylist at the Chris McMillan Salon.
I specialize in cut and styling. I also work on set for editorial photo shoots, getting clients Red Carpet ready, and traveling where ever work takes me. It truly feels like a dream to be where I’m at in my career in a small amount of time!
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, you have in your mind on how you want everything to work out. Nothing ever really goes as planned, which in my case was a blessing in disguise. I definitely went through a number of bumps in the road.
Which looking back all just made me a stronger person. I remember the difficulties of just being brand new to a big city. I had to take on not only working towards building my hair career in LA but as well as adjusting to the new city.
Also, the struggle of finding work. I wasn’t going to just settle for anything. Although there was some stress in the back of my mind, like, how am I going to pay rent, eat, etc.?
It was very important for me to find the right assisting job and then to find the right salon to work in versus the money. I knew money would come as long as I was happy and making the right steps in my career.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a hairstylist at the Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills. I specialize in cutting and styling. If you are someone who’s looking for a big change, I’m your girl! I love changing someone’s look. I also do hair on set for photo shoots, music videos, commercials, red carpet events, etc. As well as traveling to NYC, Denver, and Cleveland making guest appearances taking clients. I’m non stop, and I love it! I’m so proud to have come so far in such a short amount of time. Being a freelance hairstylist, the opportunities are endless. I’m doing something different every day, which keeps every week so exciting…
What sets me apart from others is my work ethic and care for my job. I’m dependable and responsible. I’ll fly from one city to another cutting hair, to flying back to LA to go to a shoot, to working a 10hr day in the salon, to getting a client ready for a red carpet event and so forth. I take a lot of pride in my work and professionalism. I always envision what I want, and work my butt off for it.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Along with fashion, hair has seemed to always repeat itself historically. I see hair trends from the 70s, 80s, and 90s making they’re come back. Trends that we see today will eventually die out only for a new trend to begin, but give it ten more years, and we’ll see it on the red carpet again. With technology evolving so rapidly, hair tools will become more user-friendly, and hair products will be made with cleaner ingredients,
Pricing:
- Women’s cuts $225
- Men’s cuts $100
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kelseygusto
Image Credit:
Yasmine Kateb, Trevor Flores
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
