Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Gaspar.
Hi Karina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started my journey completely lost, Never knowing what I was passionate about nor exploring hobbies my fears of failure were all I knew. I made a list of things I cringed at but more importantly, I made a second one with all the things that felt like I could breathe.
I value the concept of happiness over anything else in life. Going to work where we spend a huge chunk of our days needed to be liberating, freedom, rewarding, & a gift. Unfortunately for me most of the lucrative & stable careers that I could think of offered only that, financial stability. No passion… excitement. It was more anxiety, animosity, & cringe…
The creative field really was the only path that felt natural to me. Although I briefly attended classes to in the medical field since helping people was fulfilling in theory… again I reverted to my list. Working in a hospital with heavy responsibilities over another human’s health kind of setting was not my idea of a lifelong love & passion type of career.
Hair chooses me, I say that so humbly because I wouldn’t of ever gone down this path at first sight. Looking over my list of desires Cosmetology quite literally checked off all my boxes.
It is an artform a science to understand how form, shape, chemicals & color work together transforming my client’s image. Interestingly enough perhaps the most incredible part is how it transforms their own perception of self.
Since I began this career this was the most enticing part. Entrepreneurship, with the tools Peter instilled on the creative & business spectrum I felt confident to branch out alone.
I did not have a full book of revolving clients however when you treat people with respect, honor their boundaries, and explain what is possible. Offering other options just overall genuinely caring for whos in your chair & setting realistic expectations. People feel this & want to support. Even if I am not more talented than the next person, my passion for the craft my clients feel nurtured through the process. They are a gift to me, Their trust in me is with honor each & every visit. New or established clients.
They fuel my life, with sharing their own life struggles & triumphs. An exchange of energy happens I cannot explain. I am forever grateful to each person whom spent money & their valuable time with me. The goal is to open a full salon where the environment will be calm, positive, and nourishing to stylists & clients.
I am not where I want to be quite yet but I am exactly where I need to be. Showing my daughter to rebel against the odds of adversity channeling your frustrations into a place of growth & beauty within self, I tried to cut this short hahaha but I am very excited to have been noticed by voyage & thank you to anyone whom took the time to get a piece of me. -Karina
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I will always be in debt to Peter Spann my German mentor whom gave me all the tools needed to be the stylist I am today.
An Aveda concept salon is where I began my career, however seeing how saturated the big salons were I knew if I was going to learn I needed a master stylist to give me full focus & zero slack. It was a tough decision since the big name salons have a name built with a revolving door of new clientele ready to be fed to you.. at a smaller salon whom isn’t well known you won’t have that kind of exposure. Though how could I stand out with my skills if I wasn’t learning directly from a master stylist day in and out.
I choose knowledge over quantity. Peter is well known & respected in the industry. He is globally educated & a six-plus figure stylist. They say “find someone who where you want to be & follow the blueprint”.
After a few years of working with Peter, I knew it was time for this birdie to fly. I become so comfortable with him but also hungry for more. I left to work at another salon in the Montrose area seeking new challenges, & that’s where I finally was able to see just how much I truly knew without my hair dad to care for me. Working with a master stylist of 30-plus years one feels so small at entry-level. Being amongst other professionals doing it as long as myself was refreshing because I could see that I was creating hair just as beautiful as theirs.
Although it was nice to be with other creatives as myself I had grown accustomed to working in a more intimate setting. One-on-one with my clients vs a room of over 30 people.
Analyzing my retention rate & how all the clients I worked with were supportive of my craft leaving me amazing reviews on the salon’s Google page. Inspired by the feedback & with the demands of being a single mother flexibility began to outweigh my fears of tackling the task of being a business owner.
I opened my doors to Gaspar square in January 2020!
Thennnnn the pandemic happened! hahaha. Wow, this was challenging. Lucky for me small studios were actually quite attractive to new clients looking for an alternative to a big open salon with more chances of exposure.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Haircuts & Balayage! I am a Master Color Expert certified with Wella & Balayage Specialist with countless hours of training with Wella Loreal & many more. I’ve developed a diverse skill set to deliver unique & personalized highlights & cuts with optimum hair care as the number one priority. Every creative has a Neish that they have cultivated over many failures & years. I took on the task of the effortlessly timeless beauty type where balance is key.
Not one element standing out rather complimenting the overall creation that is our natural features. Taking time to understand my clients day to day. Considering their perception of beauty. While offering direction with alternatives to bring together color & cuts tailored to what makes them feel radiant.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
As my business began right at the start of the Pandemic in January 2020 I am ecstatic at still being here operating in the Houston area of my dreams, I am accepting new clients & consultations are always complimentary.
Pricing:
- Balayage starting @ 253
- Classic Highlights starting @185
- Women’s Haircuts 78
- Custom color @ 95
Contact Info:
- Website: gasparsquare.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gasparsquare?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzvyjaEcAjHOYQwG84dRkQg
- Other: https://g.page/gasparsquare?share
Image Credits:
Karina Gaspar Zoe Tucker
