We recently connected with Mateo Lara and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Mateo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was always a creative kid , the arts came natural to me . I have a graphic design degree and at the age of 25 I decided to switch my craft to becoming a hairdresser. Not knowing much about hair it was a risk I took and I’m happy it payed of . I feel st home honestly and things come natural for me thankfully weather it’s color / cutting / styling .

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?

My name is Mateo Lara , I’m a hairdresser at Benjamin Salon in West Hollywood ca . I’ve been in the game over a decade now and still loving it . I Joined this industry once I figured out that graphic design wasn’t for me anymore at the age of 25 , which was what I majored in at California State University of Northridge . The type of services I provide are color services , haircuts , styling outside of the salon , keratin treatments and perms . I’m pretty much a one stop shop . I’ve always wanted to do it all instead of departmentalize and just focus on one service which most hairdres are now doing . I really enjoy doing it all ! I am married now and have been for a few years and my husband Orlando Ortega owns a hair salon in the city of Santa Monica called Luxe Lab Salon . I’m really in it here long term in this industry and happy to do so . What I would like people to know about me is that I trully care about the journey I take my clients on when they are wanting change / look there best or have a special event happening they want to look there best and bring it to life . I’m here for it and I will deliver .

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me when working with clients is as simple as this … making them feel great !
If you feel good you are able to take on this crazy world with confidence. You walk different you know ! You have the confidence to nail that interview , to slay your wedding photos , to land that gig or significant other it’s more than just hair .

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is this Industry from school to salon education or styling techniques is a lot of it has been structured to do it a certain why and that way only , it’s a different time . Color outside the lines and create your own space .

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Mateoitis
• Yelp: Benjamin Salon / Mateo Lara