Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Norling-Martin.
Lauren, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a hairstylist, actually I thought I wanted to be a nurse. After high school, I did a year at the local college to start my basics and head towards the nursing route. I thought that’s what I was supposed to do to be successful after graduation. I grew up in a big household and anytime one of my siblings got sick, I would flee the house until they got better. That’s when my mom told me that “baby, if you want to be a nurse, you can’t leave them when they aren’t feeling well.” and that’s when I realized I was in it for the scrubs.
In high school, cosmetology isn’t one of the highlighted careers. They always steer you towards the lawyer, doctor, something that requires you to sit behind a desk 8 hours a day- none of that was for me. I had certain family members tell me that I could never make a real living being a hairstylist and that it wasn’t a real career. So, I went against the wave and followed my heart. I always had a little niche for doing my friend’s hair, whether we were going out for the night or we were bored at a sleepover and decided to color someone’s hair with box dye (10/10 do not recommend, haha). Once again, my parents know me best. My mom brought up the idea of a beauty school. Instantly all I could think of was Frenchie from Grease singing Beauty School Dropout. I toured a few schools and enrolled at Paul Mitchell, the school Houston. I attended the night school program and about a month in I started work at Qua Salon, my first salon in Houston. I completed my apprenticeship there and continued building my skills and learning from the senior stylists up through graduation. You learn a lot about yourself and what you want out of your career during that first year on the floor.
After a few years, I decided to relocate to another area of town and started working at David Michael Salon in River Oaks. This is really where I put my head down, sacrificed many taco nights and happy hours, hustled and built my clientele. I earned my Bellami certification while working here and was able to start offering new services for my clients. I started working with a cruelty-free hair care company, Monat, and educate the importance of a good at-home hair routine with all of my clients. This salon reminded me of how passionate I truly was about this industry. A couple of years went by and a huge decision was made. My husband and I decided to start a new chapter in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was terrified of leaving the comfort zone of being around my family and the business I worked so hard to build for myself… but that little voice just kept telling me everything would be okay.
Before leaving, I got a job at the House of Color Hair Studio & Art Gallery in Colorado Springs. The talent in the salon was insane. I couldn’t believe that I was about to work side by side with all of these talented artists – more so I couldn’t believe I was about to start at a new salon in a new state as a booth rent stylist for the first time ever with zero clients. That was definitely the most terrifying thing I have ever done. This was the first time I was able to work for myself. My own schedule and all, it was surreal. After a year of hard work, I was able to build myself a client… then COVID happened. A few short months into what was going to be the best year yet, we were shut down for six weeks.
During that time, I was just itching to do some hair. I couldn’t wait to get back. Once I was back, it went time. I wasn’t going to let the pandemic bring me down and certainly was not going to let my clients walk around with funky hair. No ma’am. The owner of House of Color has always wanted to expand and we were finally able to over the summer. Right down the hall, The Suite Society was born. I moved into my own suite with my talented friend, Haley, in July. A few months after moving into the suite, I partnered up with Brazilian Bond Builder as one of their disruptor ambassadors. I am also crushing a long-term goal of mine a little early and I will be referral based only starting this month. After everything that has happened over the past few years, I am so proud of myself for always following my dreams, taking the risks that most won’t and sharing my passion for hair with everyone around me. If you told me over seven years ago that I would be my own boss one day, working with some of the best brands in the industry with some of the best people next to me- I would have laughed.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all. I took a lot of risks by moving salons more than once and especially by leaving behind my business in Houston to start in Colorado Springs. I had my moments where I just wanted to put down my shears forever because I didn’t like the work I did on a client. I’m a huge perfectionist when I’m behind the chair and to me it’s both a blessing and a curse.
We’d love to hear more about StylesByLauren.
I started my own brand as StylesByLauren. I use my Instagram platform daily to share my work, educate, answer anything about hair as well as network with my surrounding community. I love everything color. I have a thing for blonding, though – I love balayage, all the highlights, full-on bleach outs, that’s my jam. I also love working with sewing in extensions. The way they can transform an entire look is so much freaking fun to me. I think what sets me apart is my personality in the salon. There’s probably not a lot of hairstylists out there that will belt out your favorite song with you while you’re getting your hair done. I like to make people feel beautiful and confident before they leave my chair, but I also love to make them laugh.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
FOOD, and culture. I lived in Houston for 25 years and it will always have my heart. Watching the city grow into what it is now has been absolutely amazing. There is so much art, culture and diversity in Houston that you can literally find something new or learn something new every single day. Houston has the best chefs in the game and that is something I definitely miss.
Contact Info:
- Address: 750 W Garden of the Gods Road #120 suite 108
- Instagram: instagram.com/stylesbylauren
- Facebook: facebook.com/LaurenNorlingHair
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