We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Evalyn Lopez- Benoit a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Evalyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

I am incredibly grateful and happy with my journey as a business owner and through this process of finding team members. I started with a team of just four staff members, including myself, and through hard work and determination, we have now grown to a team of 16 talented individuals. When I made the decision to open my own salon, I knew that I could rely on my own skills and dedication to serve clients until I could bring on additional stylists.

However, something amazing happened when I started marketing the business as “coming soon.” Two exceptional stylists expressed their excitement and interest in joining my salon when the doors opened. It was an incredible honor to have individuals put their faith in me and my vision, even before experiencing what we had to offer. These two stylists had previously worked with me in other salons, and I have always admired their professionalism and the high-quality work they deliver. I knew that they would bring immense value to our team.

As time went on, and we were the add to hire more staff, I realized the importance of refining our interview process to ensure we find candidates who align with the salon’s values and can consistently provide excellent service. Typically, I conduct multiple interviews. The first interview serves as a meet and greet, allowing me to get to know the candidate and understand their aspirations to ensure they align with the available position. The second interview is a hands-on style interview, where I can witness their skills in action and assess whether they can deliver the quality of work we strive for in our stylists.

This evolution in our interview process has been instrumental in attracting talented individuals who are not only skilled but also share our passion for delivering exceptional service. I am proud of the team we have built and the positive impact we continue to make in the industry.

Evalyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’d like to share a little bit about my journey in the beauty industry. Since the age of 15, I have immersed myself in the beauty world. While still attending regular high school courses, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in Cosmetology school. Deep down, I knew that I didn’t need a traditional college education to create the life I envisioned for myself.

After graduating, I immediately began my career and was determined to invest many more hours honing my skills and perfecting my craft. As the industry evolved and trends shifted, I recognized the importance of keeping up with these changes and understood that continuous education and staying updated on marketing techniques, especially with the rise of social media, were crucial for my growth as a stylist.

One aspect that brings me a lot of pride is the opportunity to share my knowledge with aspiring stylists. Being able to mentor them, teach them new techniques, and help them become the best versions of themselves is truly fulfilling.

I firmly believe that what sets me and the stylists I work with apart from others is the level of service we strive to provide to our clients. Witnessing the joy on my clients’ faces as they walk away from our salon, smiling and loving their experience, is the ultimate reward. It is a testament to the dedication and passion we pour into our work every day.

I am grateful for the opportunity to continuously grow in this ever-evolving industry. Together, as a team, we will keep pushing boundaries, delivering exceptional service, and making a positive impact on the lives of our clients.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The entire journey of being a business owner builds resilience! From being the first one there and the last one to leave, to fixing unexpected maintenance emergencies, working on your “days off” to work on marketing and the backend of the business, and so many more experiences that require unfaltering dedication to make your business a success and set you up for a long lasting journey.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The time that stands out the most to me was during 2021 when the businesses and the economy were in an unstable position. There were continued business closures, and an uncertainty across many industries which made it very difficult for so many stylists and salons to thrive. This was the time I chose to open my first salon, and the reason was very straight forward. I was in a position where I could either continue to remain in the same, or pivot into a new chapter of my career. I will also add, there was nothing wrong with my previous position as a stylist working for a different salon, other than feeling I needed to grow and expand my reach to other clients and stylists in the industry looking for the same salon experience as myself. This need for growth is what helped push me into pivoting into opening my own space and creating the vision I had. If you aren’t changing then you aren’t growing!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bonitamanhattanbeach.com
• Instagram: @bonita.manhattanbeach
• Facebook: bonita manhattan beach
• Other: other IG @bonita.marinadelrey tiktok @bonita.manhattanbeach

Image Credits
Benjamin Paul Benoit