We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isabella Sementilli a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Isabella, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Yes, I think often times people forget that we’re in the service industry. It’s easy to get a big head when your books are full and you’re making money, but we have to remember that this is a service. I feel lucky that there’s a client in my chair, not the other way around. Genuine love for what I do and respect for my clients sets me a part from the rest.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in a salon, my dad was a hairstylist and some of my earliest memories are running around his salon. I never considered doing hair until I graduated high school and had no plans to go onto a 4 year college, my father told me not to be a hairstylist unless I truly loved it because it’s not a job you can fake. You don’t clock in and out, you’re always communicating with clients, and you are there to provide a service- and he was right. Within the first week of beauty school, half of my class dropped out because it was a lot more difficult than people think. I took school very seriously, and I’m grateful that I was a “try-hard”. I got my license a day before lock down happened, so I was out of a job for a whole year. I eventually got some gigs assisting some of LA’s top hairstylists and slowly worked my way up to getting my own chair, then Isabella Hair was born. I specialize in cuts and hair styling, bringing chic hair and the California “undone” aesthetic together for a beautiful, timeless look.

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

Social media content! It was so embarrassing at first to bring my tripod and film myself doing someones hair, but once I realized the amount of clients I was getting through social media, I got over that very quickly. Putting yourself out there in this very scary world can feel vulnerable-I mean, you’re literally opening up your life to complete strangers who will make their own assumptions about you-but once you cancel out the noise, it’s totally worth it.

How did you build your audience on social media?

So many things! I would say the most important thing is to be consistent with the same type of content that feels right for you. Don’t copy someone else, carve your own path and make content that you would want to watch! People can notice when you’re bot authentic, so therefor it’s always better to just be genuinely yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://isabellasementillihair.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellahair/

Image Credits

Maria Himelfarb- singlejewishmotherphotography