Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Moreno.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kimberly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started doing hair when I was 12 years old. My Aunt told me she had gone to beauty school and thought I would love it. My family never had a lot of money and I didn’t think I would be able to afford Cosmetology school, but when I was 17 I found out about an ROP Cosmetology school, which would be a fraction of the cost. Over 100 people applied and only 12 were accepted into the program. I couldn’t believe they picked me, I was so excited! I got hired in a small salon in Apple Valley right out of school. Usually, when you start in a new salon you would take on the role of an assistant and work your way up–that was not my experience at all. I was thrown into it pretty blind. The curriculum in beauty school didn’t focus much on technique or trends, just the basics needed to pass your state test. I figured I was doing what I loved and I would learn the rest as I went along.
I worked really hard and developed a wonderful clientele, some of whom still drive all the way to LA to see me to this day. After four and a half years, I decided it was time to make a big leap and move out of my small town. I was still living at home with my family and knew that I wanted to live in a big city full of commotion and excitement. I moved 45 minutes away to what I considered at that time to be a busy city. It was busier (and greener) than my hometown so that’s all that mattered to me, I was moving closer to my goal. It was scary moving away from my family but they have always been very supportive and I knew that no matter what they would be there to cheer me on.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Shortly after I moved to a new salon in 2007, the recession hit and devastated the beauty industry as well. While it was difficult to build a new clientele in a new salon during an economic disaster, I eventually got back to where I was booking out months ahead of time. When I wasn’t in the salon, I made sure to seek out continued education and still attend advanced training and conferences as often as possible.
In 2018, my husband Mark and I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a business and opened our own salon, Cut To The Feeling. He’d recently left his career in the music industry and I left my salon of 12 years in Upland. We’d never started a business and had to learn most of the legal/administrative components as we went along, We spent many long nights reading and researching and ultimately trusted our instincts to get us where we are today.
Fast forward to now, February 2020 was our highest grossing month to date and we were laying the groundwork to expand our team when the unexpected hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing I was able to rebuild and come out of the 2008 recession stronger than before gives me the confidence that we will come out of this better and stronger, ready to serve the community in a significant way once we’re on the other side of this.
Please tell us about Cut To The Feeling.
Cut To The Feeling offers a personalized experience and relaxation in an intimate setting without the commotion of a big salon. We specialize in hair coloring and lightening including balayage and color correction. We pride ourselves in being an inclusive salon and our gender-neutral pricing reflects that as well. I truly love connecting with our clients and I’m probably most proud of some of the meaningful relationships I’ve been blessed to develop with them.
Almost half of our clientele live outside of LA and travel between 60-180 miles roundtrip. I think that speaks volumes to their level of loyalty and is truly humbling.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1000 S. Grand Ave #102 Los Angeles, CA
- Website: www.cuttothefeeling.com
- Phone: 213-505-5967
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/cuttothefeelingdtla
- Facebook: facebook.com/cuttothefeelingdtla
Image Credit:
Chris Mounts
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