We were lucky to catch up with Rozie Virani recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rozie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
Working in a creative field, I have felt mischaracterized and misunderstood many times. You always here people say “hairstylists are crazy” or comments such as “just a hairstylist” or even people questioning our work schedule and dollar amounts. Many people in my life, whether they realize it or not have thrown passive-aggressive comments my way maybe thinking I don’t notice, but I’m a very observant person. My job doesn’t look like most people. There is no 9-5, clocking out at a certain time, paid holidays, guaranteed paychecks, and PTO. We are not corporate in the slightest and often, I think we thrive off this vision and idea. Our job is done when it is done. We spend nights, evenings, weekends strategically planning our budgets, appointments, inventory, and advancing our education in our expertise. To some, our job is glamorized by the beauty, welcoming atmosphere, pretty faces, latest trends, and the hottest new tools and accessories on the market. It is not always rainbows and unicorns. We work just as hard as anyone else. We compromise our bodies and our mental states as we put other’s needs in front of our own. We use chemistry, psychology, and our creative process to bring visions to life. With all that being said, I couldn’t imagine a field I would love working in more than I do as an artist, creator, and therapist(had to throw that in there)! I love watching my client’s attitude transform as they walk out of the salon. They feel confident in their own skin again, maybe relieved from having a deep conversation or just to vent on life occurrences. I wouldn’t trade that feeling for any dollar amount. I feel we help change people’s lives. There is also freedom that comes with our schedules, which is an ultimate luxury to me. I have learned to take my morning to fill my cup before I go off to fill others. That fuel looks alot like stretching,a good workout or yoga, meditation, and hot coffee. I truly love what I do and look forward to going to work creating and interacting with my clients. In retrospect, we fuel each other. I’ve learned not to compare what my life looks like to other’s and actually appreciate the insight of those that misunderstand what I do to motivate me even more to achieve my goals and visions.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Rozie Virani and I have been a hairstylist for around 17 years. Since I was a child, I would create hairstyles on my cousins, barbies, and babydolls. I’ve known I wanted to work in the hair industry since I was 5 years old. There isn’t anything in particular that influenced me, I just had this feeling inside me and a gift I couldn’t describe. It kind of just came naturally to me. As I grew into my own person, I followed my dreams. I went to beauty school, as well as business and art school and pushed through working for many artists and salon owners during the time. I learned the basics, variations of artist techniques through lots of classes and continued education, and how different salons ran throughout the years. Eventually, in 2016, I decided to take the chance of having my own salon and brand. When I was in art school, I learned alot about branding and marketing and started dreaming of having my own business. I started visioning and manifesting and ironically when I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts (specialization in Design and Marketing), I started my own salon! It has been a journey I shall say! I had the talent and creativity, but when it came to running my own business, I had alot to learn! I’m still learning to this day! I feel it is an ongoing process, as the times are always changing. It took setting disciplined boundaries for myself to run my own business. I had to learn to use my time and money wisely, When it comes to my clients, I want to create the ultimate experience for them. My time with them consists of talking about their lifestyle, daily activities, and time invested into getting ready every day. This consult helps me determine what style will work best for their needs. I offer a wide range of services from coloring, cutting, bridal hair, event styling, fashion styling, and consulting. I have my favorite product lines such as Morrocan Oil, Amika, Redken, Kenra, and even developed my own hydrating hair mist! I’m most proud of this process of coming into my own, developing my own brand, and making it this far. I don’t just do hair, I paint, design clothing and jewelry, do a little photography, and use the camera of my eye to create a vision. I feel these things set me apart…a true artist and designer’s eye.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, having a creative brain is such a blessing! I am able to see colors and beauty in all areas of life. When I gather with other creatives or like-minded people, we talk about ideas, visions, and growth- a creative playground per say. It is genuinely fun and enlightening to be able to be my most authentic self. I don’t feel the need to complain about work load, deadlines, work hours, or the competition that can reside in other types of jobs. I generally LOVE what I do and everyday feels brand new.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are so many resources out there for artist and creatives! Meet-ups, networking groups, hands-on classes, etc! A few years ago, I discovered a community group called Creative Mornings which helped to ignite a spark back into my artistry. In today’s societal norms of the hustle and the dollar amounts, it was refreshing to find a network that understands what it is like being an artist and/or entrepreneur. Artists need support groups to sometimes give advice to redirect your path. I was blessed meeting colleagues in the hair industry but having a community of other types of artists and entrepreneurs was something I had yearned for mid-way through my career and I’m so glad these types of groups exist these days! Tutorials and the world of blogging has also given huge insights. As an artist, we sometimes hit creative blocks, but when you have the right support system, we tend to come out on the other side reinspired. I say if you are feeling the need for something, go out there and search. Eventually you find your tribe.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hairbyrozie.com
- Instagram: aqua_roze
- Facebook: Rozie Virani
- Yelp: Aqua Roze Hair Studio
Image Credits
@britraephoto