We were lucky to catch up with Carissa Mendoza recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carissa, thanks for joining us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business
Almost right out of school I took an apprentice role. I was struggling to find a salon that would provide the education and opportunity for growth that I was looking for. I had the opportunity to work one on one with an individual and I took it right away. There are many pros and cons to working in a situation where you are learning from just one individual. While I am very successful and created the life for myself behind the chair; in the real world that apprenticeship is what caused the most hardship. It provided many opportunities where I could make connections that I was able to take advantage of to grow as a stylist. However, I was working for someone who did not value the same things and did not approach business and human relations in a way that was meaningful for me. When I came out of the apprenticeship I managed a salon for the same mentor. They once told me that I was great at managing people because I was consisted with how I handled people and problems. However, the told me that one person struggled with me because I was younger, female, less experienced, and very talented so it would be best if I (for lack of a better explanation) strokes this persons ego and made exceptions when dealing with them. That moment what I was told I needed to be less, make myself smaller, and not be as good at the job I was asked to do was the moment that confirmed I was not in a place where my mentor cared to help me grow as a business person or as a stylist. I started to work on myself, my brand more intentionally to be able to separate from them and the business I helped build and create a better one for myself and my clients.
Looking back I now realize how important it is to take on an apprenticeship that not only is led by someone who poses the skills you wish to learn but also has similar values and approaches business as well as life in a way that you connects with you and that you respect. It is really important to take the time to find someone you can align with and feel positive about connecting your business to. You can still learn what not to do from someone you dont align with but if you are going to learn how to model a business from your mentor it is very important to make sure that person acts in the work place and outside of the work place in a way you find value and respect.
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?
My name is Carissa Mendoza and my business is Carissa Mendoza Hairdressing. I specialize in one on one relationships with my clients where we work together to create cuts and colors that reflect who they are as an individual and match with the personality and lifestyle. I love to take a holistic approach to create low maintenance looks for my clients. This involves using low-toxic color lines and product lines. I use a color brand from Australia called O&M which is free from Ammonia and PPD. These harsh and toxic chemicals are found in most color lines and can cause irritation among other issues from people. I also use non-toxic products to keep my clients and myself safe through out the whole process.
Recently I have also started to specialize in scalp health and hair growth. I have worked with clients experiencing hair loss for many years and for many reasons but after the pandemic the amount of people reaching out about hairloss more than doubled. This sent me down a path of research to discover all the ways I can help people regrow hair. I am now absolutely fascinated by the scalp and learning how to regrow hair. Last year I became a Master Certified Hydrafacialist and I offer Hydrafacial Keravive treatments for hair growth. I love this treatment which uses specific targeted growth factors and peptides along with exfoliation of the scalp to help with healthier fuller looking hair. I believe Keravive is one of the best things you can do for your scalp whether you are experiencing hair loss or not. Your scalp is its own biome and is often neglected. Fun fact: the scalp ages 12x faster that other skin on your body and is only 0.02mm thick. It is in need of way more care than we give it and we can achevie healthier fuller looking hair with the right protocols.
I am beyond proud to provide a holistic approach to hair care for my clients. I take into consideration all factors including family life, work life, home life, diet, trauma, and more to come up with the best style, color, and scalp health protocol for my clients to have their best hair. It is your crown and deserves special attention. My consultations are my favorite part of the service. I love to get you know you and work with you to find out what you need to feel your best. I am happy to sit with you and just give suggestions if you are not ready to even start the process.
Scalp and hair growth especially excite me and I want to help as many people as possible grow healthy fuller looking hair.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Honesty and vulnerability. We spend so much time on social media creating an idea of what we want people to believe about us and our business and sometimes that leads us to forget how important the actual connection is with each individual. I share relevant information about my own hair journey, knowledge I’ve gained, and business goals, objectives, and values with my clients. They know where I stand and what is important to me. Through this I have built and entire clientele that may not have the exact same ideas or beliefs but we value one another fully. I truly enjoy each person who sits in my chair and every individual I do business with. Other hairdressers and entrepreneurs often ask how I “got” my clientele for the very reason that I really enjoy everyone and even though the job can be draining it is not my individual clients that drain me. It is a simple answer I only surround myself with business people and clients that fill my cup and I pour into each of them as well. I take ownership for mistakes and a nurture each relationship because I want to grow healthy client relations. This is the most important part of my business and makes showing up each day worth it.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
For me it goes hand in hand with how I built my reputation. I would not say I am super active or as active as I probably should be or expected to be on social media but I was consistent when starting my business and made sure to only share the type of hair I wanted to do so that I attracted clients who aligned with my vision. From there I build solid foundations for stronger client relations. That in return led to growth happening through a lot of word of mouth. I do have multiple clients receiving services at the same time in my suite and since a built a clientele based on similar values and aligned with the same business principals I believe my clients also enjoy being surrounded with on another. I often have clients exchange information and utilize one another’s businesses. I love helping people make these connections as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carissa-mendoza-hairdressing.square.site/
- Instagram: @_carissamendoza
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Carissa-Mendoza-Hairdressing/100063930428485/