Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lionel Adriano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lionel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
We, in the beauty industry are one of the very few professions licensed to touch people. I want to do just that. I want to touch people. I want them to feel better when they leave my shop. Not just on a superficial level, but the heart and soul. We have the supernatural ability to make people feel better about themselves. I’ve had countless interactions with people whose lives have changed simply by loving who they see in the mirror. I want to be remembered for that.
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.
A little over 10 years ago I was barely a shell of a person. Substance abuse, attempted suicide, homeless with nothing and no one… I couldn’t even look myself in the mirror because I hated what I saw. I felt worthless and broken.
Today? I own my own thriving business: Revolve Atelier with an incredible team, had works featured on CNBC, CBS This Morning, Dateline NBC, TLC, and countless magazines. I also found myself as an extra on a critically acclaimed tv show directed by one of the best in the industry, and most recently had the opportunity to work on a well known celebrity. What a journey life has been… I’ve fallen, been battered and bruised… abandoned, broken… but I never gave up.
I am often asked what changed or how I got to this point and I kept coming back to this one phrase: “This isn’t how my story should end.” As a child the world is filled with wonder and magic… it was just a matter of finding that again and everything else just sort of fell into place. It’s amazing how your world changes when you start with your heart.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Matthew Schreck is my business partner and has always been one to encourage me to maximize my potential. I wouldn’t be here today without him. Funny story is he was actually MY barber. We’d often daydream of creating our own little corner of the word to do what we love and fast forward a few years and we’ve accomplished just that.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Authenticity. Just being who we are attracted our village. We have a diverse group in our work family and we celebrate all our unique traits. We are so much more than just barbers or stylists… we share some of the most incredible moments in people’s lives. We’re there for weddings and funerals, picture days and first babies… leading with our hearts has helped ups build a strong connection with our community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revolve.atelier
Image Credits
Images by myself.