Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Gossett.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Ever since I can remember, doing hair has been my passion… and I truly don’t remember the exact moment I thought to myself “I want to be a hairstylist”, I just always knew that was what I was going to do with my life. So, right out of high school I got my Cosmetology license and was able to begin my career at the age of 19. The first salon I worked at was an Aveda exclusive salon in Santa Clarita, CA called Rituals Colour Salon. There I was trained by haircutting and color specialists, and was also sent to the Aveda headquarters for extensive classes and hands on training. I was so grateful to be able to begin my career with such an amazing foundation of the fundamentals of color, because I truly don’t believe I would be where I am today without that initial training. It gave me the skills and confidence to return to my hometown of Simi Valley, CA and begin my dream career as a self-employed hairstylist. I have been working in Simi Valley now for 5 years, and am grateful to say I have built up an awesome clientele made up of people spanning from all over LA and Ventura County. I have utilized social media (Instagram mainly, but also Google and Yelp) to maximize the area that people discover me which has allowed potential clients to be much more than just referrals from close by cities. Even more importantly I have created such amazing relationships with every one of my clients…relationships that will last years, it is truly rewarding.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Any self-employed hairstylist will tell you those beginning couple of years are uncertain and stressful. It is a scary feeling sitting at the salon for 8 hours a day and hoping someone will walk through that door. I always compare building a clientele to the “snowball effect”. It will take a while to get going, but every client you get will add to the potential referrals you will get in the future. I feel like the real turning point for my career was when I really focused on building my Instagram instead of relying on walk-in clients. Simi Valley just isn’t busy enough to completely rely on that, and let’s face it… almost everyone looks up a business or service online before deciding where to go.
Although I look back and kick myself for not starting that sooner, you learn to just look ahead and focus on what you can do NOW not what you could have done then.
Sarah Gossett Hair – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I rent a station out of a salon in Simi Valley called Kyle Lawrence Salon, but I do keep my business name @sarahgossetthair so that it is specific to me. I specialize in women’s haircolor, haircuts and styling, although I would have to say that haircolor is my true passion. I grew up painting and drawing, and a lot of the same skills from that carry over into my work. I love the fact that doing hair is an art, and no two hair stylists will create the exact same product. It truly makes what I do “one of a kind” and customized to each client. I love being able to take someone’s vision and turn it into reality…Oh and seeing the look on their face when they see the final result isn’t too bad either!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as having passion for your work and waking up excited to do what you do. I have always lived by the saying “I work to LIVE…I don’t live to WORK”. I believe that working to enjoy life is key, so to me success is working hard, but also taking time to travel and enjoy this life we are living.
Pricing:
- Hair Color (general range) – $100-$350
- Haircut (women’s with style) – $55
Contact Info:
- Address: Kyle Lawrence Salon
1717 Simi Town Center Way
Simi Valley, CA 93065 - Website: www.sarahgossetthair.com
- Phone: 805-823-3186 (text only)
- Instagram: @sarahgossetthair
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sarah-gossett-hair-simi-valley-4?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
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