We were lucky to catch up with Amber Gonzalez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

This is a fun one. What I love the most about today is that anything goes. I see more clients now a days embracing their natural texture and embracing who they are. From the skin they were given to the quirky “cowlicks” and waves they have on their head. Don’t get me wrong, I love a unique cut or a creative color every now and then, but it’s refreshing to see no makeup and wild hair and style that I get to enhance when they sit in my chair. One of my biggest challenges was embracing the imperfections and realizing that creating a shape and personal style is more fun and specific to each person than focusing on the perfect angles and lines. That’s hard coming from a drafting background and I still face challenges, but hair has never been more fun and I can’t wait to go to work everyday. I’m lucky to be in a creative, gender neutral space with such talented artists, whether I am making a big change on a client or the stylist next to me is building a shape, …it makes everyday exciting.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi! I’m Amber, and I have been in the hair industry since 2007. Whether it has been working in a salon in the background or being behind the chair, it’s been a rewarding journey. It all started with a love for fashion and appreciation of art. I began my journey thinking I would end up in the design field but hair caught my attention along the way and it just felt right. I still feel like design gave me the tools I have today to create a unique shape and look for each specific person. The community that you build in the hair world is a rewarding experience and I’m lucky to have found this as my profession. I’m constantly learning from my clients and them from me. It’s not just a service it’s an experience and I honestly can’t say I found that until I was able to go off on my own and choose what worked for me. The space I work in is also an experience itself. It’s like a whole energy walking in everyday and I’ve never been happier with the group of creatives I’m surrounded by. If your looking for a sense of community, Commoner is definitely the spot. I love anything “lived in” and natural, Natural texture and low maintenance color. It keeps the hair healthy and I’m not trying to ruin what you have but just want to enhance it and make you feel confident when you walk out the door.

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

Community is my biggest strategy. I wish I could say I was good at social media, but I could use some work. Most of my clients are word of mouth. I’m never trying to push anything on anyone. I have a lot of friends and families and some co-workers. I feel like everyone is connected and sharing stories. My husband is also a barber and we share a lot of couples and families, so it’s always interesting running into them outside of our work space because it feels like family.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding experience is changing someone’s day or confidence. At first I was really nervous to do this as a profession because I would always ask “what if I mess up”!? But today just seeing the looks on someone’s face or a hug out the door is the best feeling, because you never know what that person is going through outside the salon. Knowing I can help my clients feel good about themselves or change their life in some way is really rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: Pinproperweddingco.squarespace.com
• Instagram: @amber_atlhair

Image Credits
@jessibeth.photo @yellowbirdvisuals @carolynmariephotography