Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Connor.
Hi Renee, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi! I’m Renee. I am a hairstylist through and through. Personality; hairstylist, career; hairstylist!
Since the time that I was a small child I wanted to be a hairstylist. Cutting my Barbie’s hair and learning to braid on my moms. In high school, I was the girl that did all of my friend’s hair for prom, pageants, and color-guard team.
After highschool I fought and fought with my parents to go to trade/cosmetology school instead of college. I felt it was my passion and college just wasn’t for me and that was their dream. Finally they caved.
I started my career the slow way. Working my way up from a mall chain in my teens to finally hitting a decent upscale salon at twenty-six years old.
At twenty-eight I felt like I was finally making a living wage and free from financial hardship when I heard the news that the salon that I was working at was closing its doors in two weeks, the week before Christmas.
Devastated and worried about Christmas, my bills and my clients; I decided to put my big girl panties on and follow my dream. Opening my own salon.
I signed a lease for a one chair suite the next day. By Jan 2, 2017, I opened my doors. My space! My rules! My clients! No one to worry about but myself.
Eight years later I am happy to say Salon Elysian by Renee @Salonlofts is thriving! Who knows what’s next? Maybe a larger scale salon is in my future.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My parents always were hard on me about my career choices and what they would be proud of. They brought books home on career choices and disapproved of my yearning to get into the hair industry. I’m so glad I didn’t listen!
I moved out when I was 23…making 22k a year. I didn’t care. I was my own boss now.
I started working at a chain salon taking client after client but never making my quota.
Learning and guiding myself, I learned that commission salons were the way to go. That was until I lost my job due to the salon closing.
That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and open my own business. Now I’m thriving!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love my Salon! I love that it is all my vision and ran the way I like it to. I feel like I’ve climbed my own ladder without anyone else telling me I had to.
I love that I feel like every client in my chair feels like my friend. I know their stories and they know mine.
I love my new clients. But, I also love the oldies but goodies that have watched me grow. They have been with me through moving across town, being single to getting married and just life obstacles in general.
And I love my husband for supporting me every step of the way.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I wish someone would have guided me on the fast path. I wish I would have walked into the best salon in town and been an apprentice from the start. But, I do think having to be resilient has made me who I am today and maybe wouldn’t change anything!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salon.elysian.by.renee?igsh=ZDQ3ZnVrbnZxZXNn&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AjKvMbvrJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
