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

Erycka , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Starting out is usually never easy, that may being starting a new trade, a new hobby, a new routine. whatever that case is, it usually requires lots of patience, determination, perseverance and more importantly in my personal experience, resilience. When I first started my career as a hairstylist I underwent a rigorous training program as an assistant with several people. I was fortunate enough to eventually find an amazing mentor who showed me the path and took me under his wing and I know what I know today because of him. He was respectful, kind and invested in my training and growth but unfortunately not everyone that I assisted treated me like that. I think I was about 4 months into assisting, fresh out of beauty school and I was doing a trial with this hair colorist who i admired. she was a woman, she was a minority so i related to her on those things and looked up to her, unfortunately she treated me so inhumane, I will never forget that day. I was called all sorts of names, blamed for breaking a 500 dollar blowdryer that she broke which I was made to pay and mind you I was on an assistant salary meaning I was broke. I was not allowed to use the bathroom, eat or drink and was ridiculed in front of clients. I have never actually talked about this before, its one of those things you put in the back of your mind. I had never felt so small in my life like I did that day. But what I always remember is what this client did for me, she stood up for me, spoke up about the abuse, grabbed my hand and said “you’re worth it, and you’re amazing, don’t ever believe otherwise, don’t ever let anyone treated you otherwise” I never let anyone treat me like that ever again even if when I was an assistant. That client taught me such a big lesson on so many levels, I will never be ok with that type toxic work environment.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

well, my name is Erycka and I’ve been a hair stylist, independent contractor for about 12 years and recently I became CEO of my own company. I received my training by top celebrity hair colorist Matt Rez in one of the top salons in the country formerly known as RamirezTran. I am a color specialist, I really enjoy the beachy, sunkissed and super natural, low maintenance look ranging from blondes, brunettes and redheads. I specialize in color corrections, I really geek out on the chemistry that is involved in coloring. I love the creative process that starts with the consultation, to guiding and educating the client through the process to my favorite part! showing the client the end results. I think what sets me apart is that when a client books an appointment with me I don’t view it as just an appointment. I strive to give an elevated experience where they feel seen and heard and feel connected and are able to let me in their lives. I am my most proud about being myself, staying true to my morals and staying humble to this whole experience. I am not interested in portraying a false reality on social media or a false persona or basing my worth on how many followers I have, I am not chasing any of that. It is all very raw and genuine. I also think it is also important that your clientele reflects your integrity. i put a lot of hard work Into this and it is a one woman show and I hope people are able to see the transparency in what I do.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Honestly word of mouth, I think social media is vital to showcase your work but I think client retention is where it’s at, you can have a huge IG follower base but your books can be empty. Treating every client with the same passion and importance regardless of who they are is something I really strive for. I often hear from clients that they have had experiences where they don’t feel as important on the chair because they’re not social influencers, models or celebrities. I think people are looking for genuine connection and service. so that is my stragedy, creating a customized experience that meets all my clients needs. Clients leaving honest reviews and referrals is how I get most of my clientele.

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

I think one of the lessons I learned and it was not taught to me by anyone in particular but I think its something that stems from a societal aspect, something that is passed through generations of people in the industry is that, the client I always right, no matter what and as I do 100 percent believe there is level of respect, professionalism and honesty that a client deserves and must have, I also believe that as small business owner it is completely vital to set boundaries within those perimeters. I have experienced that what I do perhaps seems not as important as other professions. when people don’t respect your cancelation policies, no shows, your hours of operation, etc these things affect our business immensely in a financial way. Sometimes we are just not a good match and that is perfectly ok.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @eryckaferreti
• Yelp: Ollin Salon

Image Credits
Adam Hamer, Shawna white, stefani Welsh studios.