Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Rodriguez.
Claudia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started in my cosmetology career in my home country, Mexico, about 15 years ago. In the beginning, I was very insecure about starting my career as a cosmetologist, but my sister pushed me to do it and even enrolled in cosmetology school with me.
When we got certified, along with the support from our parents, my sister and I opened a salon in our neighborhood. It wasn’t long before our clientele grew and our business was thriving!
However, after a few years of having a successful business, life happened for both my sister and I. We were both getting married and were moving to different cities in Texas and as a result, we closed our business.
When I immigrated to Houston in 2008, I had to renew my license and I felt as if I was starting all over again. There were different brands that I had never used, different prerequisites that I had never heard of, and everything was just different.
After getting certified, for the next six years, I worked in several salons in the Houston area. That’s where I slowly gained experience with different brands and learned new techniques.
After becoming a mom, I decided to take on that role full time. My clients would call me and ask me to do their hair, and after much insisting I started taking in my clients and doing their hair from my home. After a while, the word started spreading and my clients were referring more clients, and I knew I couldn’t continue working from home.
That’s when I took a leap of faith and rented my own studio, where I’m currently working from. Here, I have seen Gods hand move in a new way and I’m excited for what is still to come!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been far from smooth! When I was getting married, I knew everything was going to change. I had become comfortable in the business that my sister and I had built, having the support of my parents close to me, and I was going to have to leave that behind to start my own family. That was only the beginning of my challenges.
When I moved to Houston, I had to renew my cosmetology license and learn new techniques that I had no clue about. To top it all off, I didn’t speak a single word of English. The learning process was extensive, and to this day, I work on learning new, arising techniques and furthering my knowledge of the English language.
Although I know, have a good base of clients, that didn’t happen overnight. I have gained many clients, but I have also lost many. I have learned that to further your business, you must stay confident in yourself and your work.
Claudia Styles – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My title is Hair Stylist, so I love doing all types work; highlights, balayage, styling, cuts, etc. However, I believe that I specialize in customer service. My ultimate goal is to make the customer happy and to leave my studio feeling like the best version of themselves.
Before I start working on a client’s hair, I ask them what they want and from there, I assess how long it’ll take to reach their hair goals. Whether that be in one sitting or several sittings, I want my clients to have exactly what they ask for, while maintaining the health of their hair.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment in my career thus far is opening my very own studio. For years I worked at booths in different salons and I could only dream of owning my own. I knew I had the potential, a decent amount of clients, and I knew that all I needed was to take the leap of faith.
I’ve been at my studio for nine months now, and I have grown in so many different ways! I couldn’t be more glad with the decision I made.
Contact Info:
- Address: 16742 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479
- Website: www.vagaro.com/claudiastyles
- Phone: (713) 206-6453
- Email: claudia_styles@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_claudiastyles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Claudia-Rdz-544785832686473/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/claudiastyles-sugar-land
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