We were lucky to catch up with Hilary DeGidio recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hilary, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I knew before even going to cosmetology school that I wanted to focus on curly hair. From my own personal experience struggling with my curls, I knew that there was a huge unmet need for curl stylists. Starting out as a stylist I worked in salons where I had more personal freedom to just go to work for scheduled shifts then clock out and go home. I did not want to be responsible for an entire salon enterprise! After working for others for 3 years, I felt like I could offer more than I was able to do as a commission employee. I was primarily motivated by wanting to spend more time with my clients without time constraints from management. I was terrified of doing the “wrong thing” or making a mistake. I did have the sense that having my own salon space would be successful, I knew that the demand for curly hair stylists was huge, and the people already in that niche market were thriving and booked out. I realized that there is no “perfect” business, so I took the leap. I wasn’t fully prepared, but no new business owner truly is! I’ve made tons of mistakes along the way, but my motivating motto is “you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”. I’m constantly shifting practices to see what works for myself, my business, and my clients. Starting August 2019, I was cautiously optimistic. Almost 5 years later, I am so thankful that I decided to become independent!

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

I became a hairstylist to learn more about curls, how to cut them, and how to care for them. I offer curly cuts exclusively now. I always cut curly hair dry, and then wash and style while educating the client on how to care for their hair at home. The haircut is just one part of the solution for my clients- knowing what to do on all the days that they style their hair, not me, is equally important than the time they spend in my chair! I put extra emphasis on education and how to care for your unique hair with your unique lifestyle. I think what sets Curls By Hilary apart is the extra time I spend with my clients to talk about how to care for their curls outside of the salon, with written instructions. Potential clients should know that I provide a one-on-one experience! I don’t double book clients or have employees handle part of the appointment. Clients are paying for my time and expertise, and they will receive my undivided attention while they’re in my chair. I also do my best to honor your time, and will focus on what you need. Whether that’s treatments, detoxing the hair, educating on styling, or listening without judgement to whatever you’d like to share with me. Every person and every appointment is unique and I always strive to help each person with their individual needs.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had to do a huge pivot in 2021! I had been experiencing elbow pain for 4 years, that was rapidly worsening. After meeting with a fantastic orthopedic doctor and surgeon Dr. Timothy Griffith, we decided that surgery was my best option to reduce my pain. Shifting from seeing as many people as possible to canceling all my appointments to have a surgery with a 3-4 month period where I needed to heal without working was a difficult choice. Ultimately I knew that my pain level was unsustainable and I really didn’t have a choice. Based on the findings of my first surgery, I wound up needing a total of four surgeries, all with 3-4 month recovery times. and knowing I would continue to experience post-op pain for 6-9 months following each surgery was absolutely a wrench in the machine of salon suite ownership! Financially, it was challenging. Emotionally, it was heartbreaking! I had spent so much time and energy becoming Curls By Hilary, shifting to focus on myself and my physical health came with lots of changes and stressors. I had to change my perspective to putting myself first, rather than clients first. Maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle is difficult for everyone, but especially so for business owners. I would always encourage business owners to remember that their business only exists if they are capable of operating it!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My education! I have taken multiple DevaCurl cutting classes and appear on their stylist finder list. Being on their list of stylists has generated hundreds of clients for me. Consumers are savvy and utilize online directories to find people skilled in whatever service they are looking for. Word of mouth and referrals has also been huge for me. For example, in 2019 one of my clients shared about her experience at Curls By Hilary in the Suwannee Area Mom’s Club. Soon my phone was blowing up from others in the same group looking for help with their curls or their children’s hair. I still have people finding me through other members of the Suwannee Area Mom’s Club.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curls-by-hilary.square.site
• Instagram: instagram.com/curlsbyhilary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curlsbyhilary/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/curls-by-hilary-sugar-hill

Image Credits
Brand photos by Kat Bonilla Photography