Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Jiménez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

When I went to beauty school, I never wanted to be fully behind the chair. However, I was given a cookie cutter formula of what it is to be a cosmetologist. From beauty school, to an internship at a high end salon, to becoming a hair stylist on the floor. That all seemed so anti-climatic to me. It was putting myself in a box, and as much as I tried… it just wasn’t for me. After experiencing micro-aggressions at a boutique I was interning at, I left the country to go back to my roots. I began to intern for a top stylist in Cali, Colombia. Her salon was different, and I thought that the concept was genius. It was a salon on the first floor and on the second floor it was her apartment. Seeing how her husband and her made the space their own was truly inspiring. It was a feeling of community with her clientele that I had never experienced before. They all knew her kids and when they came home from school, everyone who was getting their hair done would greet them. It was something that I knew I wanted if I ever did hair in the United States. Once returning back home and after getting intertwined with the creative community here in Chicago, I decided to open up my own live-work space. One where the salon is in the front and my living space is in the back. This was a risk that was a bit controlled, because there was virtually no overhead. If things did not work out, I was simply paying for a glorified apartment. I knew I wanted to run my own schedule and as photoshoots became more of a bigger portion of my work, being able to have the flexibility to manage my own schedule was ideal. I had projections of moving into this space in June of 2020, way before covid. Despite the complexity of the pandemic, I still leapt towards my dreams. Nothing was going to stop me, and I am so glad I did. The pandemic weirdly enough helped my business. As I was only one individual (and a yorkie) people began to book because of the lower risk instead of going to a bigger salon. Once they experienced the tranquility of the space, they were hooked. I have had a pretty solid retention rate, and I’m so grateful to my community for making it happen.

Karen, 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 am a licensed cosmetologist, who began to cut her own hair at the ripe age of 13 after experiencing a terrible hair cut. I mean, this was middle school we are talking about. I was made fun of and lost trust in hairstylists after that unfortunate circumstance. However, I discovered a natural talent and love for cutting hair. I began to cut my friends hair and when I was 16 I was ready to get a professional cut at a salon. The stylist asked me who cut my hair, and I sheepishly told her that I did it myself. She beamed and told me I was a natural and should heavily consider going to cosmetology school. So, as soon as I graduated high school, I did just that. 10 years later, I have honed my craft that entails cut, color, styling, and makeup. As someone who views her craft as art, most of my clientele are artists/creatives. From head paintings to makeup for editorial or commercial work, I provide a pretty wide range of services. I’m most proud of this creative work, and the projects that I’ve done alongside Chicago photographers. Énez Beauty is all about attending to your needs in a relaxed environment, which my studio space provides. I like to take my time with my clients, and transformative looks fuel me. I believe the fact that my space is a live work space and gives that hygge feel, is what really sets me apart from others. People walk in and immediately feel comfortable, as if they are with a friend. Yet, the professionalism is still there.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn to adhere to the standards of beauty that is Eurocentric. As a Latina, I had a hard time growing up being hairy, being brown, and in my particular circumstance, looking Indian. I was afraid to wear gold, as it was something that made me look even more Indian and I wanted to look Colombian. However, with age I learned that there is nothing wrong with this. Indian women are so beautiful and gold looked beautiful on me. I learned that society’s standard of beauty does not have to be my standard. I began to embrace myself, and became more confident. This is something that one can sense, it is easy to tell when someone is not comfortable in their own skin, and with the gain of confidence I was able to assist others who wanted to feel a sense of beauty that adhered to their assets. Whether this is a curly cut that helps make the curls bouncier or makeup that assists in making the person feel beautiful, but yet themselves. I want others to feel confident in their skin.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One book that really assisted me is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. It was a book that my mother handed to me, she was always entrepreneurial. She insisted that what you think and say, reflects your reality. Due to this book (and my mother) I was able to understand that I can truly do whatever I want, and any limitations are my own. I was able to jump at the risk of having my own business and knew that any loss or “failure” is just an opportunity for growth. When I approached her with my initial fears of opening my business, she stated “You quite literally have nothing to lose. Money is just that, money, It comes and goes. What is the worst that can happen? Losing your business? It’s not like you’re losing your life. You can just start over with more knowledge than before. That is the ultimate power.” I understood then that loss does not necessarily have to equate with failure unless you choose to think that way. It can be a lesson, any setback is just that. You learn and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: enezbeauty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enezbeauty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enezbeauty/

Image Credits
Dennis Larance Alexandra Pombo Steven Piper Bianca Garcia