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

Mia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

My move to America when I was 30 years old was a risk. I had to pretty much start all over. New language, new culture, new everything. It was my late brothers dream to move abroad, and I wanted to fulfill that dream for him.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Mia, a hairstylist in Santa Monica. I came to the US from Japan in 2007 with very little money and a basic understanding of English. It was a very long and difficult road, but in 2012 I finally achieved my dream of becoming a hairstylist. The journey was worth it.

I’ve been very fortunate to learn from some incredibly talented people. Surrounding yourself with people who are so highly skilled and so creative really pushes you to improve. I’m lucky to be able to call them my friends.

I specialize in balayage and hair coloring. It’s always a challenge creating the right formula and approach because each client (and their hair) is different. Helping clients achieve their hair goals, even when it seems impossible, is incredibly rewarding. I love being able to help my clients feel confident and beautiful, and I’m so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life. It’s so much fun talking to my clients and getting windows into different walks of life.

What sets me apart is my endless pursuit of knowledge. I’m always looking for new ways to sharpen my skills. There’s always some new technique, new method, new approach, and when you get the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry, you need to take it! There are so many creative solutions to every problem, it really is so much fun discovering them.

The things I would like new clients to know about me is that I will always give you my creative best, my 100%. I treat your hair with the utmost care. I stay current with the newest trends and techniques, and I will always communicate with you so that we can achieve your hair goal.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

That’s a really good question. I feel that sometimes people can overlook and discount creative professions. And sadly, there are people who treat Asian hair salons as less than. We need to continue to educate people and break these toxic notions that some people are better than others. It’s never ok to treat someone differently because they have an accent, or because they’re from somewhere else, or for any reason. We need to call it out when it happens. And yes, it happens.

Being a hairstylist is a very physically and mentally demanding job. It’s a labor of love. So find the hairstylist that meets your hair goals and show them some love!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Time and effort. It takes time building your creative portfolio. Instagram was always the best platform to showcase my creativity. Lately though I’m having a lot more reach on TikTok. Still, the majority of my clients found me on Instagram and Yelp. Social media is great for more than just advertising, and I use it for connecting with others in the industry, following products I love, keeping up with events, and learning from the best.

Contact Info:

• Website: miaesterak.com
• Instagram: hairbym.a
• TikTok @hairbym.a

Image Credits
Ricky Esterak Moa Shimotashiro