We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Arreola. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.

Kimberly, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

During cosmetology school, I knew I wanted to work for a salon that would offer continued education to allow me to further my knowledge in my career. While attending the Aveda Institute, they had a career day where several salons came to set up booths which allowed us to introduce ourselves to their teams and learn about what their salon had to offer. On a separate day, we were taken around town to different salons to tour and get a feel for the real salon environment. So out of those two days and of all the salons that I got to meet with, my heart was set on Toni & Guy! Their fun styles, their intense apprenticeship, I wanted all of that! I’d always heard how their apprenticeship wasn’t easy, but in my mind, if something was too easy, it didn’t challenge me to be great. The amount of talent I’d seen amongst their hairstylist was just incredible and I wanted to be a part of that! My dream came true and I began working for them later on! About 6 months into working there, I was offered a management position. Not only did it pose a challenge on me because I was still green as a stylist and still going through their education program, but now I was having to also take on another role that I had no experience in. It came with a lot of change not only in work, but with friendships as well amongst my peers. Other stylists I had started with at the same time and had grown friendships with were now treating me differently in a negative way and taking advantage of my position now. Anyone that knows me personally, knows I can be a little shy and timid at times. So having these hard conversations with stylists to resolve any issues was a whole new world for me. Not only that but, my boss was also not supportive and would call me names. With that being my first salon experience, it tore me down but also taught me the type of boss I didn’t want to be or even just as someone with a position of authority. It definitely helped me grow a thicker skin! So in the end, it helped me grow as a person and for that, I am grateful for the experience.

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.

For those that don’t know me, my name is Kimberly. But you can call me Kim! I’m 32 years old, married with 2 pups, & have been in the industry for almost 13 years. I was about 13 going on 14 years old when I realized I wanted to be a hairstylist. I can even remember the exact moment it came to me! I was getting my hair and makeup done by 2 stylists for a photoshoot, and I remember just observing them so intently. They we’re truly enjoying what they were doing. But, I was also feeling more and more beautiful as they glammed me up. The way I felt when they were all done was like a breath of fresh air. I could see how happy they were with their work and I felt amazing with what they’d done as well. The feeling I felt though, was one that I wanted to pass on to other people. I wanted to make people feel beautiful and help them glow from the inside out. (Hence the name I later chose for my salon, Glow Beauty Lounge.) After working in a traditional salon for 6 years and building my clientele up, I took a leap of faith and ventured into a salon suite. Although it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, it was also one of the best decisions I could have made. I’d had much training through Aveda, Toni & Guy, Bumble & Bumble, and several other big names. It was time to have creative freedom in a place where I could offer my clients more privacy in a comfortable setting. A place where they can be themselves and relax. In the beginning, I was working 24/7. Rarely a full day off. But I began to get a little burnt out. So, I had to learn to discipline myself and set boundaries for myself and for clients by having a set schedule. It made it much more enjoyable to be able to have those boundaries in place.
It’s hard to pick a service that is my favorite to do. I offer Brazilian Blowouts, balayage services, color corrections, and women’s and men’s haircuts. All of those are fun but I think it’s a toss up between Brazilian Blowouts and color corrections because of the big transformation you see from beginning to end!

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

Let me tell you, social media and word of mouth has been a big help in building my clientele. In my first few years of being in the industry, social media wasn’t as big of a deal as it is now. Hashtags and geotags are a big help too! Aside from that, being able to build relationships with my clients has helped spread the word to new clients. I have a genuine love for every person that sits in my chair, even if it’s only once. I enjoy getting that time to connect with each individual.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Social media has not only been a source of being able to reach new clients, but also being able to engage with current clients. I’m able to not just share pictures of my work, but also share promotions, announcements, and sometimes just a funny relative meme to share a laugh with my audience!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @glowbeautyloungesa
• Facebook: Glow Beauty Lounge SA

Image Credits
Kaethe [email protected] Norman Bare- Bareface Photography