We were lucky to catch up with Audrey Valdez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Audrey, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Absolutely. To both questions! Personally, I think I thrive best being on my own but that doesn’t mean it is without challenges. At times it can be a lot more work and a lot harder. I would be lying if I said the thought of a typical 9-5 doesn’t sound appealing at times. However for me, the benefits of having my own business out weight the tough times. Being a business owner in an appointment based field can be isolating. Well meaning people tend to want to use you as their on-call stylist, so there is a bigger need to have strong boundaries in order to prevent burn out. Being very intentional in how I spend my time is imperative to being successful. When I am not focused on my business, I am pouring everything else into my family so its important to shut work off when needed. If I had a “regular job”, I wouldn’t have to worry about much of that but I also wouldn’t be able to take the school holidays with my kids. I am able to accommodate my schedule to theirs and being there for them is more valuable to me than anything else. I love the relationships I have been able to build with my clients. I love brainstorming and always trying to come up with new ideas for them. I love continuing to learn and grow. The feeling of having made someone’s day and making them feel pretty makes it all worth it. Over all, its incredibly rewarding and I am so grateful.

Audrey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I originally got into this industry thinking it would be a way of putting myself through college. I have always been creative and loved people. I quickly realized it wasn’t a career I wanted to leave so I poured everything into it. I worked at a salon for 8.5 years learning as much as I could before deciding to go out on my own. I have always envisioned a slower paced, more personal experience for my guests and I have been working hard towards creating that. I love all the details that go into creating beautiful healthy hair along with a healthy scalp and I love educating my clients on that. So many people just don’t understand their hair type and are doing all the wrong things. When they start hitting their hair goals because of advice I have given them, its the best feeling! I use Davines and Innersense products in my shop and I swear by them! I have a goal this year of starting towards a certification in trichology to help people on a more clinical level as well.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I am currently in the middle of How To Win Friends and Influence People. Its a great book for life in general but also really helps anyone in business. Boundaries by Henry Cloud is a book that has impacted me the most and one that I think all people pleasers need to read! The Four Agreements is another fav! There are so many. I love audio books when it comes to self help. I love to listen as I get simple daily tasks done. Profit First, The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need, Rich Dad Poor Dad were all great financial books.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I went through phases of trying to get a clear vision on what I wanted. At first I thought I wanted something bigger. At least a receptionist, maybe an assistant and another stylist. I quickly learned that I was not ready to be managing people. I didn’t want my business to be taking so much away from what I was able to put towards my family and having employees was doing exactly that. Having an assistant meant working at a faster pace and was putting more distance between my clients and I. I didn’t like losing that connection with them. They didn’t like it either. I needed to figure out how to re-shift my business so that I didn’t need to rely on employees. I needed to get organized and set up better systems. I have since slowed down my pace and shifted to online booking as well as stream lined in other ways to free up more time. I have found other ways in which to bring value to my clients experiences and am always trying to add to that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.levatehairdesignstudio.com/
• Instagram: @LEvateHairDesignStudio
• Facebook: L.Evate Hair Design Studio
• Yelp: L.Evate Hair Design Studio

Image Credits
All of the photo credit go to Miss Priss Photography with the exception of the two “after” photos I took myself.