We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole Saavedra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole below.

Nicole , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

As a young kid, I always knew it was difficult for me to take direction. I wasn’t a child that like to get into mischief. I just didn’t like to be told what to do as most children, but this was deep down in my core. Growing up, I started working at a young age 13 to be exact. I loved working and loved being able to provide for myself and not rely on anyone for my wants and needs. Starting so early in the workforce gave me a drive to do more. I was always late And pretty much did whatever I wanted at all of my workplaces, didn’t get me very far!! But as I got older started learning my lessons, and at age of 23 I was a stay at home mom until about age 26. We had a family of five and only one income and you know in this day and age that’s impossible to survive. I didn’t want my husband to take on more so I decided I could do more. I couldn’t go back into the workforce and have someone tell me what to do especially telling me I can’t run to my children if they’re sick or have to put them in daycare. I decided I would be my own boss and use my artistic skills to do something , much bigger, at the time I didn’t realize how big it was going to be. Just thought I would bring in some extra money to help the family. knowing me with my drive and my willingness to never give up, I just keep on building. In the last 12 years we went from one single Artist to now 11 Artist/stylists and five hourly employees with two spa locations!! I just know I’m not done yet!!! Excited to see how far we go with God on our side, we soar!!!!

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

When I was child, I was very creative. I loved art class and it was pretty good. I never knew that being an artist was actually a career especially being a Makeup Artist in this day and age Makeup Artist are everywhere. Being a state home mom in 2008-2012 Was no easy task. I had three kids home and loved every minute of it but on the outside of that we were dead broke. The economy was falling apart, and it was very difficult to get jobs. And I was definitely not interested in putting my children in day But I knew I had to help make some money somehow. I started with the ad and craigslist had a best friend who pushed me and gave me everything I needed to start and no reason to give up so I put my ad in craigslist got my first bride And the rest was history. I feel that I have more than just an artistic skill. I have a skill that helps me to understand people and hear them styling someone’s hair and doing their make up is more than just the outside appearance people want to feel good on the inside people want to be heard, and people want to be understood , I feel that this is a big part that sets me apart from others. I always tell my clients I’m not doing your make up for me. I’m doing it for you so you have to like it otherwise I’m not doing my job I make them extremely comfortable to be able to talk to me about things they would like to change ad or adjust , I talk to them as they were my best friend from childhood, helping them to open up and find what and feel they are going for. I know everything but it definitely helps with your confidence when you feel confident on the outside. I love showing people their true potential, and my absolute favorite thing is hearing the stories of so many women and the battles that they’ve overcome. Gives me a lot of hope for the future.

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

I have many. From the start, I wasn’t a person who was meant to make it at least that’s what it looked like from the outside and from the family I grew up in and all the triumphs I had to get through, but the biggest one was when my brother got into a motorcycle accident putting him in a vegetative state, he had nothing and had really no one, except for one soul mate. Her name is Ray. She’s the one who helped me push my business and get it started. She also helped me care for my brother day in and day out for for about nine months. We went every day to make sure he was OK we bathed him we shaved him we took care of him and made sure he was safe, but in the end he was in no condition to live a healthy normal life having to put him on hospice was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life all while raising three kids, a husband and two businesses when I hadn’t talked about I started a cleaning business while I was growing my hair and make up business. I told you, I have a Drive, meanwhile, taking care of my brother, running the businesses being a mom being a wife. I get every single thing stolen from me, my car, my cleaning stuff, my hair and make up stuff all of my daughters birthday party supplies, etc.. My car was stolen from a subway after doing a Hair make up trial for a girl who had could not travel due to her daughters health conditions so that day I decided to travel to her before traveling to her. I went to visit my brother and give him a bath we bathed him once a week. After doing all of that stopped at Subway so I could eat something healthy before picking up my children and that was when my car got stolen with every single thing in it. I felt defeated, literally defeated everything I needed to continue. My cleaning business was in there everything I needed to continue my hair and make up business was in there and it’s all gone, thanks to having such an amazing supportive husband. He pushed me and gave me the credit card and said get what you need to do the jobs you have booked you cannot give up you’ve gone too far to give up now pulling myself up and moving forward, I started all over again .

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Lesson I had to unlearn and also a lesson that I’m teaching my child to unlearn my daughter to be exact lol. A mini me if you ever wanna learn about yourself have a daughter lol. I had to learn that this isn’t my world and I’m not always right. And it’s OK to trust others and rely on others. It took me a lot to introduce and trust others to be on my team not only to be on my team, but also to be my husband, lol I was always in survival mode learning to get out of survival mode and trust others, and rely on others was a very difficult task for me. But today I am much further I have a less more deeper relationship which allows me to connect closer to my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: Ncstylingandspa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolechristinestyling?igsh=Nmpqc3JzZ29wemVq&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairandmakup?mibextid=kFxxJD