We recently connected with Grace Cottell and have shared our conversation below.

Grace, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think success is so subjective, especially in how people view it personally. I definitely feel like my success is being happy, comfortable, & stress-free doing what I love to do. Others might see it in the form of a dollar amount or a nice car and a big house. All of those ideas almost seem interchangeable to some & as someone who’s lived in a nice house with a comfy life but also at a point was homeless for years struggling and trying to figure out where to go next-it’s definitely a perspective and varies person to person. I see myself as successful now because I know where I’ve been compared to where I’m at now as a person (and as a hairstylist) and it makes me super proud of myself.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So I am a hairstylist and I specialize in all types of hair color & haircuts! I definitely always saw myself working in the beauty industry whether it was doing hair, makeup, skincare, nails, you name it. I ended up doing a lot of hair and makeup throughout my life before getting my cosmetology license and well after so it always seemed to make me the happiest and it stuck for sure. One thing that makes me most proud is how determined I was to do what I needed to get where I wanted to be. I attended beauty school fresh out of high-school, then started assisting at a salon directly out of beauty school.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Right now the best source of new clients is definitely social media and keeping your portfolio updated. I’d say a good chunk of my clients come from seeing my Instagram or if one of my clients post my work. Hashtags are definitely your friend when it comes to reaching specific audiences too, I make sure to add a bunch so my posts reach the people that are looking for them!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One time I always think about when I was still in beauty school, I was super close to being finished with my hours. I was having a really hard time at home and unable to focus. My cosmetology kit got stolen once, I took out a loan to get it replaced and then it got stolen again. So about 3 more student loans and a 2 month leave of absence later- I felt so defeated and wanted to give up. I eventually made it back to school and I kept going because I just wanted it so badly and I know now that I made the right choice.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @gracecottell

Image Credits
@_leialoha on Instagram