Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Miller.
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?
To be completely honest, it probably all started in a bathroom. Surrounded by the mystery of products, tools, and accessories; their different capabilities and their possibilities to change the way one feels about themselves.
To me, that held so much.
I’m not sure when it started exactly, and at the risk of sounding cliché, hair was always something that I did. I did it for me, I did it for my friends, I did it for my friend’s friends, my friend’s parents. Countless hours in bathrooms and bedroom floors.
The end goal was never to do hair.
When it was announced that a cosmetology program was being introduced at my high school, I was a senior. Since the program was designed for juniors to graduate with their license and I was the only senior applying, my parents had to advocate for me and luckily got me in.
The plan here was to get my license and do hair to pay for college.
I got my license, started apprenticing full time in Midtown, and was taking college courses. I was grinding it out and running on all cylinders. When the burnout inevitably happened I was forced to choose a path, and it was one that only hindsight can show to be clearly defined since the beginning.
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?
No job is easy, and being a hairstylist is no exception. Throughout my career, there have been downfalls that taught and continue to teach me lessons in both humility and resilience.
Looking back, the turning point that probably defines my career was this specific challenge: It was one in which I was forced with a decision of becoming a sole proprietor of my business or losing almost everything I had built.
My salon home had abruptly closed. All of our tools, products, supplies, and capabilities locked inside and out of our hands. At the age of twenty-two, I chose to take all the money I had and embark on the adventure of creating something of my own. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what it meant to be completely in charge of running a business. Would I have clients? Would I be able to pay my weekly rent? Could I afford supplies? Taxes? How does this work?
An overwhelming support from previous mentors and co-workers helped make this decision, and I know without that help I would not have my business now. For this, I am more grateful than I could ever express.
The dark days, the big swells, they’re the times I look back on and occasionally choose to sit in. It’s where I’ve found true potential and most of all my honest desires.
No light without the dark, as they say. That’s where the name Luminary came from.
The soft glow that emanates from within.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
First and foremost, I take so much pride in giving people confidence. There is something incredible about seeing a person exude strength and glow from the inside out.
My coloring specialties create blended and natural-looking hair
These are:
– Balayage blonding
– Bold reds, coppers, subtle reds, all reds
– Low maintenance color
My cutting style focuses on creating wearable looks tailored to a lifestyle.
– I specialize in cutting hair that ranges from as short as chin length to as long as it can get.
The main focus I have for each and every person that sits in my chair is that they are heard. I want to make sure I listen carefully to what is being said and wanted. In my chair the most important part of any service is the consultation. I’ll ask 100 questions and show 100 pictures if necessary to ensure that what is being said to me is understood clearly. For example: blonde is truly a million colors, and I want to make sure that the blonde you’re telling me you want is the one I’m thinking of as well. I want to make sure that one inch off of your hair measures the same as one inch to me. Subjectivity is really such a large part of this business and one of my goals is to make sure that we’re aligned and that each client is understood and listened to.
Any big plans?
Future plans include growing Luminary Hair Artistry to provide more specialized and in-depth services to guests. Customer service is always something I focus on and want to continue to grow in. I want everyone to feel empowered and taken care of when they enter and when they leave the salon.
Going into color education is something I could also see for the future.
I’m passionate about color. Color chemistry the way it all works.
I’d love to both be able to learn from others and be learned from.
Plans are always growing and blossoming in my head, and I’m excited for what is to come!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://square.site/book/267D5CHZZAVZM/luminary-hair-artistry-pearland-tx
- Instagram: @lumihair.art
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/lumihair.art
Image Credits
Headshot-Emily Christner Hair images-originals
