We were lucky to catch up with Hilda Tov recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hilda, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

As an immigrant, chasing the American dream has been the driving force behind my journey as a business owner. Coming to this country with hopes of a better life for myself and my family, I knew that entrepreneurship was my pathway to success. I grew up watching my parents work several random jobs at the same time, from picking up trash to working in a restaurant to give us a better life, but all this hard work and long hours I didnt get to see my parents all the time.

As a single mother of 3 boys, owning my small salon represents more than just a business venture; it has been a lifesaver in more ways than one. One of the greatest blessings of entrepreneurship is the ability to create my own hours, which has allowed me to strike a delicate balance between running my salon and being there for my children.

The ability to create my own hours and be present for my children while building a successful business is a testament to the opportunities that America offers to those who are willing to seize them. Every day, I am grateful for the chance to contribute to my community, provide for my family, and inspire my children to pursue their own dreams, regardless of their background or circumstances.

With all of that being said, I knew from childhood that I want to work for myself and never wish to have a regular job. I am extremely happy as a business owner and I want to share with everyone, that you can do it with hard work, perseverance, and a little bit of courage, anything is possible in this land of opportunity.

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’m originally from Vietnam and immigrated to America as a refugee in the 80s. I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late 90s as a single mother of 3 young boys and worked as a Hairstylist at a salon. A few years later, I opened up my first small business, Hilda’s Hair Hut near the Lake Nokomis area. I’ve been at the same location, 4154 Cedar Ave, and we are about to celebrate our 24th anniversary and we hope for many more!. I’m a “Colorist”, specialist in hair coloring, and We cut hair for both men and women. We do hairstyling, perms, highlights and eyebrow waxing.

In 2023, I opened up a Banh Mi (traditional Vietnamese sandwich) shop here with my 3 son. D’s Banh Mi is a family business we’ve been working on for over 2 years. We are excited our vision is coming to reality and we are happy to share our culture and to serve our community! We curated a delicious menu of traditional Banh Mi, Noodle Bowls and Spring Rolls. We have an assortment of Vegan options available. We are so happy with the response we have received from our customers and we will continue to curate more Vietnamese cuisine for our community.

I am so grateful for the community for the continuous support. I am proud of Hilda’s Hair Hut 24 years of business, I wish the same for D’s Banh Mi. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to open a family business with my 3 boys, Dylan, Dyon, and my youngest Dustin!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

As a small business owner, fostering strong connections with my clients is at the heart of everything I do. I believe that building trust and cultivating brand loyalty begins with genuine, personal interactions.

One of the key ways I keep in touch with my clients is addressing them by their name when they call or walk in. I strive to make each interaction feel special and tailored to their individual needs and check in on things we previously talked about. By taking the time to talk to them, we build a level of trust and comfort that makes the customers feel appreciated and want to come back.

For new customers, I specifically take the time to ask them questions about what they want and share my recommendation. I try to create an environment for customers to feel like they are being heard and what they want I do my best to deliver. Additionally, I regularly seek feedback from my clients and by actively listening to their input and incorporating their suggestions into my business practices, I demonstrate that their opinions matter and that I am committed to continuously improving their experience.

Overall, by prioritizing personalized conversations, engaging with clients and actively seeking their feedback, I am able to build trust, foster brand loyalty, and create lasting relationships that extend beyond the salon chair. I have customers where I cut their hair from young kids to young adults now. I’ve seen them grow up in front of my eyes, and thats the type of customer relationships I try to have with all.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

On the other hand, my new business venture, D’s Banh Mi, is a little different. With D’s Banh Mi, it’s a new business and different from Hilda’s Hair Hut. Back then, social media was not a thing, and with today’s environment, it’s critical to have a Social Media presence.

We started an Instagram account, @ds.banhmi, and we first started just posting about the new business from renovation to our soft opening. We shared with our community every step of the ways as well as ask for input on some of our ideas. Through that we built a foundation of customers who have yet to purchase anything but have invested interest. After opening, we shared a lot of real images of our items and as well as shared the input of our customers on our story. We try to respond to every comment and messages.

We also take delivery orders directly through our social media, which allows us to communicate directly to our customer and keep them up to date on their order. We appreciate all the local collaborators in Minnesota who shared interest about D’s Banh Mi and provided reviews for their audience. One of our advice is to connect with local collaborators to help spread the word, no matter how big or small.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hildashairhut.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: @ds.banhmi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ds.banhmi