Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Paige. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Elizabeth, 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?

When I am with my clients and creating I experience more joy than I did at any of my “regular jobs”. Since the age of 15, I have always been in the service industry. Becoming a business owner has allowed me a sense of freedom I never experienced in the past. It is so much more rewarding to be providing a service that is your own. I think with a “regular job” it is easier to be off the clock and enjoy clocking out and leaving the work behind until you return. It has taken me awhile to set healthy boundaries.
Before I ventured out on my own leaving the corporate hair world behind, I actually considered getting a job making salary to support the needs of myself and my daughter. I think there is a sense of security knowing the income is a guarantee & the time off is as well. I knew it would take a minute for everything to fall into place on my own, but when they finally did it has been most rewarding feeling.
It’s nice being able to make my own rules. The beauty industry is always changing and no two clients are the same. I appreciate that every day I gain new knowledge based on my experiences. I am so grateful my clients allow and trust me help them feel their best. Which in turn is what also fuels me and my business.

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?

I am a hairstylist in MN. I entered the industry after spending years doing my own hair from a young age. Eventually I started experimenting on others, thank you t0 my friends and family. I eventually went to beauty school thinking I knew everything about school and business. I realized I was incredibly wrong. After a year of beauty school and a 6 month apprenticeship I definitely had a better understanding but it wasn’t until I was on my own and made mistakes that I really began to understand myself my strengths and what my true talents where.
Behind the chair I provide hair services ranging from your regular maintenance appointments to color corrections, I love helping my clients achieve their hair goals, whether we can achieve it that day or over time. Haircutting was my first love but I am now most fulfilled when providing balayage, lived in color, and foiling. Wella professional color has been my go to color line for over past decade. I provide eyebrow services as well, I believe that they go with completing a look. To make the hair more manageable at home I do provide keratin smoothing treatments, as well as extensions. I love styling my clients for their life events as well, whether a night out, an important meeting or a wedding.
Based on client feedback I believe that they are grateful for the amount of time I spend customizing a look to fit them. I
think it is important to have the clients do some homework and find some inspiration of what they would like to achieve. Based on the consultation we come up with a plan tailored around their goals to achieve their dream hair.
I am most proud of the amount of time I have put into my craft, it has given me the ability to show up with confidence when taking care of my clients.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Fortunately, word of mouth has been really successful for my business. Offering a consistent, high quality service has allowed me to utilize my client base as a “walking billboards”.
I also joined many different online forums within my community and use social media to post my work, my pricing, my openings, and alway offer complimentary consultations to make sure I am the best fit for the clients goals.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think the biggest lesson I have had to unlearn is that you have to work nights and weekends as a hairstylist to maintain a profitable business. I think right away when you are trying to gain experience and grow your craft it is best to be available during high traffic times. If I didn’t have my daughter I would have always continued working nights and weekends. I believe I missed out on a lot of things because I had always been instilled with this fear that this is when clients needed you available but after setting my hours I desired for myself I realized you will find clients that fit your needs. In turn they are receiving a better experience because you are more aligned with yourself, more fulfilled, and less burnt out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://na0.meevo.com/CustomerPortal/login?tenantId=10297
• Instagram: @elizabethpaigemn
• Facebook: Elizabeth Paige

Image Credits

main black and white image and
the last two photos (one styling and one in front of sign)
Andrew Dorothy
@odysseyimpressions