Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Venus. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Venus, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

I would say so, I volunteer at a non profit once a week and work with kids to teach them new activities and give them attention that they might not receive at home.
A lot of the kids/ teens there are in foster care or low income housing, so they don’t get too many opportunities to do things for themselves.
Volunteering at the West Fresno Boys and Girls Club helped me notice that everyone’s situation is different and a kid can be going through so much but still come into the building with a smile and respect.
One teen in particular, was having a tough time at home but still managed to respect all the staff members, show up to work, helped with no hesitation or frustration and took care of her 2 little sisters while juggling school, all at age 14.
Her actions really stood out to me and I knew I wanted to give back to her in some way.
She previously colored her hair but it was almost fully grown out. We had a brief conversation and I told her “I recognize all of the things you have done for the Club and your sisters and I would love to do something nice for you and do your hair for free”.
The look on her face was so happy and grateful, I knew in that moment it was the perfect decision and she would truly appreciate it.

Venus, 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’ve always been interested in the beauty industry but honestly I never seen it as my career.
Growing up I would love to play with hair, I would spend hours doing my dolls hair, my little cousin would let me do her hair and when i played soccer, my teammates would want me to braid their hair for the games !
It was always so fun to me and I loved how happy it made them.
Now I do hair full time and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
I provide mainly any services that involves hair and hope to expand my knowledge to other areas in the industry.
I help my clients feel comfortable and confident, I listen to their likes and dislikes to help me better understand them and how I can do their hair.
I love to have in depth consultations to go over everything the service will include along with what would look best on them.
I feel like I set myself apart from others by asking questions and getting to know my clients hair personally.
Everybody’s hair is different and you can’t always use basic skills on every type of hair, layers sit different on thin hair than it does on thick hair.
Most stylist in this generation don’t customize techniques and skills to personalize their clients needs.
I’m most proud how far I’ve come in such little time and I can honestly say I’m so grateful to have the best clients, I’ve been so lucky with the clientele I’ve built throughout this past year, the trust they have given me makes me love what I do even more.
From working 3 jobs while being a full time student to being my own full time boss now is something I will always be thankful for.
One thing I would want potential clients to know is not to be afraid to speak up and communicate about their wants and needs. It takes a lot to speak on it but I appreciate when they are honest and it helps be better understand and become better in my field, not only for myself but for my clients.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have a lot of support from friends and family along with my clients, word-of-mouth goes a long way.
I have had multiple clients bring their mom and sisters to get their hair done by me as well.
Not just because I do a good job, but mainly because of the experience I provide.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Growing your clientele is definitely tough, but I try to offer sales and giveaways to catch peoples attention and push them to book an appointment or feel welcome to follow my page.
It’s a process that takes a while, but becomes worth it in the end!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vivalavenus.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivalav3nus?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits

Alfredo Valenzuela