This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Kayla Valerio. Valerio is the owner House of Colora six-figure company specializing in vibrant hair colours.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color. Kayla Valeria.
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you began working on the side?
I used to be still a hairdresser and did hair, but on a much smaller scale. I have been a hairdresser for years, working part-time here and there to assist me fulfill my dream of opening my very own salon one day.
When did you begin your side business and where did you discover the inspiration for it?
I have been doing hair for almost 16 years, working in a mom and pop salon and building a diverse book of clients over the years. I’ve at all times been drawn to designing vibrant, brilliant and colourful hairstyles, but working full time, I didn’t have much opportunity to experiment. I honed my skills as a live colorist for a while here and there while working with clients on the side. There were a lot of scholars in the area who desired to try my aesthetic.
My passion for vibrant looks became the inspiration for Haus of Color. I’m currently only accepting recent clients who want wealthy, vibrant colours and styles. These are the styles I like to do, and this work simply fills my soul. Today, we are the leading hair salon in the area, and customers travel to us from near and far, viewing our work on Instagram and social media.
What were the first steps you took to interrupt away from the game?
Covid has modified my entire perspective on the industry. When I worked solo, it was just me and my clients wore masks. Honestly, I felt very lonely. It made me realize how much I missed people and I desired to have my very own front room. I dreamed of a space where I could have a team, welcome clients, and enjoy a beautiful community space.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in building your side team and how did you overcome them?
I’m in a full-time role, so the biggest change has been balancing day-to-day client work with managing operations. At my previous salon, we used a booking engine to coordinate business, but when I went out on my very own, I only dealt with scheduling bookings, responding to potential clients, and managing funds. When my business began to grow, I knew I could not go back to pen and paper.
Choosing the right software to run your business is not easy, but I knew that in order to scale my solutions, I needed so as to add some technology to my mix. Software platform ShineGenius I used to be immediately hooked. I’ve never seen a booking site so beautiful, cute, kitschy and fun. Their appearance immediately intrigued me and I assumed: Oh yes, I’m here to remain. I used to be capable of double and then triple our reservations.
Haus of Color has evolved a lot over the years. Today, the company has grown into a stationary salon offering a full range of services, we employ seven stylists and a nail technician.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color
When did you are taking over the company full-time? What does growth appear like now?
I began Haus of Color full-time in May 2021. It was very difficult to make all the things work considering the pandemic was still going on. I began with one stylist and myself, and it has grown to seven full-time stylists and a nail technician. It took constant time and effort and long nights and days to make this once dream a reality.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
The Haus of Color salon has change into a second home for my team and clients. We have a wonderful creative space and I like opening it as much as our community, especially our talented, amazing clients.
Many of our clients are tattoo artists, so we created popular tattoo pop-ups. There is at all times a queue around the building. During the holidays, Haus of Color is on the tables, and my customers bring their homemade products and we sell them. Thanks to organizing events, I met many artists. It’s a great solution to build our clientele and our larger community of artists.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color
What is your advice for others trying to start a successful side hustle or their very own business?
You will be successful by doing a job you’re keen on. When founding Haus of Color, I focused on my creativity and artistry. I now have a team of talented stylists and clients who are as passionate about vibrant aesthetics as I’m. It has brought an amazing space, team and clients into my life.