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

Laila, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Something I have always said in this life is, “The most successful people in life are the ones who just keep going.”

I truly believe that anyone can be successful if they are willing to KEEP GOING. When someone tells you no, or things don’t go according to plan – when it becomes “harder than you thought it would be” – if you find the will and the courage to just keep going, you will find your way to success. The road might be bumpier or longer than anticipated, but I truly believe that if you keep pushing yourself past the limitations your own mind has set on itself, you will find the success you are looking for.

Having faith in yourself to know you are capable enough to figure things out, no matter what is thrown your way, is also an important tool in carrying on when things get challenging. The amount of times I’ve said “you’ve got this, just find a solution or a new avenue to make it happen” – and believed in my abilities to do just that – is a larger number than the times that things actually went according to plan. Get creative, use all of your resources, and KEEP GOING.

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 have always loved doing hair. I was always the one styling my friends hair in school for dances, and staying on trend with the latest hair styles, or showing my friends how to use a curling iron. It was always a passion of mine, but to be honest, I never thought I could make it a serious career path and build an entire business around it. I have always been more traditional in my thought process and knew I needed to go to college, get a degree, and have a “real career”. So I did just that.

After graduating UNLV and working in the event industry for two years, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled or passionate about anything I was doing. I thought to myself, “Is this really what I want to do for the REST of my life??” I finally built up enough courage to do something that was risky (in my mind), scary, and uncertain. Starting over at the age of 25 felt like a really big move. But it was the best move I have ever made. I followed my gut in that moment, and have followed that same instinct on multiple occasions since switching my career path, which have all led me exactly where I was meant to be.

After graduating hair school, I worked 7 days a week for a year a half, assisting an amazing hair stylist and learning everything she could possibly teach me, while building my own clientele at the same time. After that, I worked on building up my clientele for the next couple years while perfecting my craft in both hair coloring and extensions. With a lot of hustle and hard work, after three years into my new career I was making six figures and envisioning a future where I could own a salon and create the environment I was craving in the industry.

I have always loved being in a hair salon. Ever since I started getting my hair done when I was 12, I loved the feel of walking into a salon. The lively energy, the smell of all the hair products, the stylish way everyone dressed. I was always so fascinated by the industry and the way it FELT. That was something I wanted to emulate when I opened my own space. I wanted clients to walk in and feel like they wanted to spend time there and couldn’t wait for their next salon day. It was important to me that my space looked and felt high end and luxurious, while equally being warm and inviting. We offer high end services at the salon with an amazing group of talented stylists. Everyone has mutual respect for one another and the energy is extremely collaborative. We all cheer each other on in every possible way, whether it be through social media support, talking through color formulas in the break room, or educating one another on new techniques or products we love. The love and positivity felt throughout the group at Hair House Social is exactly the environment I dreamed of creating.

I have always been passionate about education and bringing people together in a positive and constructive manner. I wanted my salon space to be a hub for hair education and networking amongst our industry. Hosting classes in this space has been another dream come true. Watching hair stylists come together from all different salons and cities, and find common ground from this amazing craft that we all share is truly so fulfilling.

Apart from creating an environment for stylists to thrive and be inspired, I wanted to create a space for clients to feel calm, relaxed, and regenerated. I want them to feel completely transformed and inspired when they leave the salon. A lot of our stylists do amazing transformations, whether it is taking someone from black hair to blonde hair, or taking them from a short bob, to long, beautiful extensions – clients always leave the salon feeling more confident and excited for the rest of the day or night. I think being a successful hairstylist is about more than just the work you put out. It is about how you can make someone feel while they are sitting in your chair. By being a sounding board, an ear to listen to, a few words of encouragement, and a beautiful blowout to tie it all up in a bow – you can turn someones entire week around and keep them coming back in your chair for that feeling for life. That is what all of the stylists here at Hair House Social do, and that is how we create this positive, loving, and warm environment for everyone who walks through the door.

I would say I am most proud of this beautiful space I have created that is both luxurious and functional, and the amazing team that I have chosen to represent this brand. Everyone emulates kindness, humility, and supportiveness.

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team is probably the hardest skill to master. I have always wanted to be a relatable and approachable boss, while maintaining a level of respect and boundary for being the enforcer as well. I believe in setting the expectation very high when hiring my employees. Before I even offer the position, I lay out my list of high expectations for the role. Whether it is in tasks they are responsible for, or general attitude and behavior in the workplace, I make sure they are aligned with the values and standards I am trying to uphold in my place of business. I believe if you set the expectation in the very beginning, and you set them high, then there is a level of respect for the business they must have right off the bat. It also leaves you more wiggle room for small corrections over time, Hire slow, fire fast. If someone in the business is causing any type of drama, or not representing the brand in the way they were expected to, don’t keep them on longer than needed just because it is a hard conversation. Doing the hard things fast will save your business from soaking up any negative energy or bad habits.

I believe maintaining high morale comes from recognition and appreciation. I believe in checking in with my staff often and providing feedback, whether it be good or bad, I always let them know what they are doing well, that I appreciate, and what they could be working on or doing differently in the future. I never want anyone to feel like they are “in trouble” or uncomfortable in their workplace. Keeping things positive and constructive is always the goal. And truly, a compliment or recognition of something they are doing well goes a LONG way.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Be a good person. Do what you say you are going to do and SHOW UP. Show up to events, show up to classes, and show up for people when they need you. I think being a good person is the baseline of success. Your reputation is everything in this life and maintaining a good reputation will help you in business. The amount of green lights I have gotten along this road, simply because of the network I have created over all of these years – and every person can consistently say the kind of person I am – is truly why my business has grown so quickly and so beautifully. I have built trust over the last 15 years of my life in every group of friends, every job I have done, every client relationship I have ever had.

Be a good person. Build trust. Keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hairhousesocial.com
• Instagram: @hairhousesocial

Image Credits

Bethany Paige Photography (Salon Photos/Headshot)
Kiffyn Dykstra Photography (Two action shot photos)