Today we’d like to introduce you to Briseyda Portillo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello, my name is Briseyda Portillo, and I am the owner of a Houston beauty salon called Unfold Beauty Bar. I graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in general business and a minor in management. I got my first job at the age of 14 and have been working ever since. At one point, I had three jobs while attending college. I guess you could say I enjoy staying busy. I always knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry but could not pinpoint exactly what until my last year of college when one of our projects was to create a business plan for a pretend business, little did I know the pretend business turned into a reality. The concept I wanted for my business was to create a very feminine environment, a different perspective on your typical nail salon. Our guests are always in awe because of the decor and that truly is heartwarming. I can tell they feel like queens ready to get pampered.
Building my business was definitely not the easiest. I struggled a lot because while I was building the salon, covid became a permanent thing. I was unable to open for about a year, so I was paying rent without making any profit. It was very unfortunate and very discouraging to be honest. But we managed to pull through and we have serviced so many beautiful people.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been smooth, many people want to be their own boss but the truth is you will leave your 9-5 to work 24-7. You go to sleep and wake up thinking about your business. How to improve certain aspects or what else can you bring in to attract more clients. I feel like you never stop learning and you cannot close your doors to new ideas or knowledge intake from other business owners.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Unfold Beauty Bar?
We specialize in nail and hair services. Services include acrylic nails, pedicures, keratin treatments, hair color, hair extensions, hair cutting and styling. What sets us apart from others it is definitely the vibe, we have pink walls and cherry blossom trees with majestic chairs and neon signs. Some clients call it a “girls dream” because of how girly it is in here. I am most proud of our layout for sure especially when you notice you have inspired other salons in the area to have a similar layout, it makes you feel like you did something right.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Our salon name was born from the following quote: “jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall” this quote relies on taking the risk, taking the jump, just going for it, even if you are afraid and as you come across obstacles you will learn to fight through. Owning your own business requires you to be brave even when you don’t feel like it, because your business relies on you no one else is going to show up for you.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@unfoldbeautybar.com
- Website: Vagaro.com | unfoldbeautybar.com
- Instagram: Instagram.con/unfoldbeautybar
Image Credits
Lori’s Perfect Shot
