We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Lucero recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Being a creative artist has saved my life countless times. Allowing myself the freedom to create a schedule, a life, and a lucrative career has been the most amazing parts of my career. I’ve been doing hair for 10 years and have fully embraced every part of it. I’ve tested the waters with each part of this industry and have finally gotten to owning my own 6 chair studio space. We are an inclusive hair space, allowing folks to come in, feel safe, feel welcomed, and just be themselves. We are gratuity free, so we don’t have to rely on our clients tipping us to survive. It’s been a truly beautiful transition into this part of the industry and it’s been a challenging switch, but so rewarding and humbling. .

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Doing hair for 10 years now, I have slowly developed a core belief on how I want to run my career and business. I have learned that there isn’t just one way to thrive in this industry, but so many beautiful ways that people can be apart of what we do. My business goals are to give people a new opportunity in a different aspect of what our industry means. We believe that we are professionals, and should not be seen less than. Our industry has been ridiculed for so long, thinking that we are “only hairstylists or barbers” has become outdated thinking. We provide professional services that change people’s lives and help uplift communities. I opened Lucero Hair and Wellness in 2020 as a single independent studio, without knowing how we would grow! In February 2023, I finally opened our 6 chair hair studio. Our goal was to create an inclusive hair studio that would be accommodating for anyone who come in and receive a service that truly fit them. We are a “Gender free” service studio, meaning we charge by time without labeling every service. There are no “men’s haircuts”, “women’s highlight”, or whatever puts a binary on our creative artistry. We are constantly learning and adapting to the needs of our local communities and hope to constantly be a space that accommodates those in need. We strive to give back as much as possible and truly believe that the beauty of our professional skills can be used for so much good. We use natural product lines, recycle our used containers and hair, and are always looking for ways to give back to the earth and others. We are determined to continue with our striving success, outreach, and creative skills by bringing more influence and beauty to the people around us.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I was 20 years old, I went to jail for a year. It was the lowest I have ever been in my life. Nobody thought I was worth much and struggled to have any joy in life. I met another person in that space of loneliness and despair who encouraged me to cut his hair, because I was gay. So I immediately wanted to feel safe and gave in. I started cutting everyone’s hair with just a comb and a razor blade. Never did I think it would become my career. When I was released on month 9 due to working outside of the dimmest place ever, I could not get a job. I went to a local hair school and started serving tables. I thought, “Maybe I’ll just get any easy job at a simple haircut place.” That changed when I was a finalist for Premier Orlando in the student category. I decided then that I would truly put everything into this career, and after 10 years I can say I have gone against all the odds of what everyone, including myself, thought I could achieve.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I have felt what it had been like to be discriminated against. I was ridiculed for likening boys and having more feminine personality traits, but I knew that I was different in a good way. I chose to open Lucero Hair and Wellness to be a space where anyone could feel seen, heard, and accepted. We don’t care if you’re transitioning and need help, identify as a different identity than others think, or just want a unique look that someone else won’t give you due to your perceived gender, we want you to leave feeling like you’re true self.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.Lucerohairandwellness.Com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucerohair_andwellness?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-lucero-b6200bba?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
Ricardo Quintana Preston Powell Nicolas Amaya