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

Anna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My folks moved to the states in the late 70’s from Armenia with a hungry mindset and an insane work ethic to match. Knowing that their college degrees were void in America, they knew that they were going to have to work 10x harder than their peers. My folks quickly picked up a trade that was proven to be lucrative if they were willing to put in the work. They opened a jewelry store in the heart of the jewelry district in downtown Los Angeles. In the 90’s while kids were play with their friends on the weekends, my Parents would drag my siblings and I to work with them on Saturdays. My father would push us to help the customers as they neared the booth, clean their jewelry and introduced us to what it meant to work with the public. At the end of our work day he would pay us for our efforts…. $10 bucks. At 9 years old I learned that if I worked hard, I could earn a buck. At the time I hated going to work with my folks, but now as an adult I am eternally grateful for the grit and work ethic that they instilled in us. It truly set me up for success as an entrepreneur. There are no shortcuts to the top in life. Grit and hard work can carry you toward any goal you have. I have my folks to thank.

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.

I never intended to get into the hair industry, let alone men’s hair! Prior to working in hair, I had a short stint as a real estate agent, as one does when they don’t know what they want to do with their lives haha I remember sitting in my cubical with the florescent lights beaming down on me thinking to myself that there has to be more to my life than just chasing a commission check. In the moment, I made the choice to pack up my things and leave what to me what a dead end job. Later that week, I thought to myself that If I went to hair school I could potentially get into bridal hair and make a killing in that world. I signed up for cosmetology school, and three months into it I recognized that I was screwed… mostly because I really did not enjoy working with longer hair. Then, one day, our curriculum had only ONE day of mens hair cutting education. I will never forget plugging in my clippers and running it through my male mannequins head…it was like fireworks went off inside my soul. I never looked back. Now, its been 10 years and I still love what I do. Don’t get me wrong, there have been ups and downs, but my love for the craft and the industry always bring me back to my passion.

Some problems that I solve for my clients is that I work really hard to be aware in creating a really smooth and safe experience for the people that sit in my chair. There is a discomfort that can come with having to convey what it is that we want and don’t want. I sit at eye level with clients and we talk it out until they feel that they have been heard. I believe that can give any stylist a competitive edge. Once you digest the fact that its not just another head in your chair and that its a human being with insecurities, you will treat the appointment much differently.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn was that having “people pleasing” tendencies is a business killer. Having boundaries are incredibly necessary to the health of your business, because a good business it ultimately reliant on the quality of your business relationships, and relationships only thrive with healthy boundaries. The clearer I became with what was important to me, the more obvious my boundaries where to me. Implementing them was a whole other lesson! potentially the toughest for me. But like most things, practice made it easier.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Three things!

1) Be consistent with what you are offering.

2) Take interest in whoever is in front of you.

3) Understand what problem you are solving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheNativeSpace.com
• Instagram: @TheNativeSpace
• Yelp: Native Space