We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Uriel Ben-Levi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Uriel, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Having a career as a hairstylist means you never stop learning. There are so many new techniques, products and tools that come out and you have to stay current with the trends. Cosmetology school teaches you the basics but there’s a lot you don’t learn in school and if you don’t have the passion you won’t be successful. I started braiding at the age of 11, I would watch my mother and my sister braid and I picked up the skill. Thats where it started for me. I learn something new about hair with each client that I have. That’s keeps it fun and new and allows me to stay excited about my craft.

Uriel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a celebrity hairstylist born and raised in Harlem, NYC. I am now based in Los Angeles, California. I moved to LA 5 years ago with dreams of doing hair for film and television. Within the past 5 years I have worked on reality television, films, campaigns, video and photo shoots as well as maintaining a relationship with my everyday clientele. I was Key Hairstylist for Black Ink Crew Compton Season 1, I was also Key Hairstylist for the film Sisters recently released on BET+, I styled Janelle Monaé’s braids for her Waterslide video, and I also worked on the 2023 campaign for Nordstrom Rack just to name a few of my credits. I have a few other projects coming out that I can’t speak of due to NDA’s but I’m excited about them so please keep an eye out!
I think what I’m most proud of so far is that I’ve worked hard and gotten this far on my own. I’m not signed to any agency (YET) so every opportunity I’ve gotten so far has come strictly from networking. It hasn’t been easy securing opportunities but it isn’t impossible and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Being a single mom of 2 daughters, I strive every day to show them what it looks like to keep going even when it gets hard to follow your dreams. My girls have experienced the drastic move from NYC to LA, they’ve seen the long hours on set, they’ve had to hear me say not right now to things they wanted because money was tight, they’ve also experienced my happiness when I get booked for a job I really wanted, or when we’re watching a movie or a show and my name appears in the credits. Knowing that my children are watching me live my dream and teaching them to chase theirs is what motivates me to keep going.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing how my creativity affects others. I am pleased when a client leaves my chair happy with the way they look. Looking beautiful and feeling beautiful can improve someone’s day. When my clients come back to me and tell me they received so many compliments or their husband or wife or sister loved their hair that makes me feel good and it brightens my day as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Rielpanache.com
• Instagram: Uriel___levi
• Linkedin: Uriel Ben-Levi

Image Credits
Torey Thompson Dalure