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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Kayla Valerio. Valerio is House of ColorA six-figure salon business specializing in vibrant hair color.
Image courtesy of Haus of Color. Kayla Valerio.
What was your day job (or other source of income) when you started your side hustle?
I was still working as a hairdresser, doing hair, but on a much smaller scale. I was a hairdresser for years, but I also had side jobs here and there to pursue my dream of one day opening my own salon.
When did you start your side hustle and what inspired you to start one?
I’ve been in hair salons for about 16 years, working in a family-owned salon and getting a variety of clients over the years. I’ve always been drawn to vibrant, bright and colorful hair designs, but didn’t have much opportunity to experiment while working full-time. From time to time, I honed my skills as a vibrant colorist and worked with clients as a side hustle. There were a lot of college students in my neighborhood who wanted to try out my aesthetic.
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My passion for vibrant color was the inspiration behind Haus of Color. Lately, I’ve only been taking on new clients looking for rich, vibrant colors and styles – it’s what I love and it fills my soul. Today, we’re one of the top vibrant hair salons in the area, with clients coming from near and far to visit us after seeing our work on Instagram and social media.
What was the first step you took to start your side hustle?
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed my perspective on the industry. When I was working alone, it was just me and my clients had to wear masks. Honestly, it was very lonely. I realized how much I missed being with people and I wanted to have my own salon. I dreamed of a place where I could team up with a team, welcome clients and enjoy a beautiful community space.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in starting your side hustle and how did you overcome it?
Now that I’m in a chair full time, the biggest change has been balancing the day-to-day work of serving clients with managing operations. At my previous salon, we used a booking system to coordinate the business, but after going independent, I was only responsible for scheduling appointments, responding to leads, and managing finances. Once my business started to take off, I knew I couldn’t go back to pen and paper.
Choosing the right software to run your business is no easy task, but we knew that to scale, we needed to add technology. Software Platform Gross Genius I was immediately captivated. I had never seen such a beautiful, cute, kitschy, and fun booking site before. I fell in love with the design right away. Oh yeah, I’ve been here a long time.We were able to double and even triple the number of bookings.
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Haus of Color has evolved a lot over the years, and today we have grown into a full-service brick-and-mortar salon with seven stylists and one manicurist.
Images/Photos Courtesy of Haus of Color
When did you start your business full time and how is it growing now?
I started House of Color full time in May 2021. It was extremely challenging to get things going considering the pandemic was still very much in effect. It started with just me and one stylist and has now grown to seven full time stylists and one manicurist. It took consistent time and effort, long nights and days to turn what was once a dream into a reality.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Haus of Color salon has become a second home for my team and clients, we have an amazing creative space and I love opening it up to the community, especially my amazing talented clients.
Many of our clients are tattoo artists, and we’ve also set up pop-up tattoo stores, which have proven popular; there’s always a line around the building. During the holidays, Haus of Color sets up a table and clients bring their handmade goods to sell. We’ve met a lot of creative people through hosting events, which has been a great way to gain more clients and expand our artist community.
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Images/Photos Courtesy of Haus of Color
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a side hustle or their own successful business?
You can find success by doing what you love. When I started Haus of Color, I bet on my creativity and artistry. Now I have a team of talented stylists and clients who are as passionate as I am about vibrant aesthetics. It has brought an amazing space, team, and clients into my life.