This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Kayla Valerio. Valerio owns House of Colora six-figure salon business specializing in vibrant hair color.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color. Kayla Valerio.
What was your day job (or other sources of income) when you started your job? side hustle?
I was still a hairdresser and doing hair, but on a much smaller scale. I have been a hairdresser for years, doing side jobs here and there to help me fulfill my dream of opening my own salon one day.
When you started yours side hustleand where did you find the inspiration for it?
I've been doing hair for almost 16 years, working in a mom-and-pop salon and creating a diverse book CLIENTS over the years. I've always been drawn to designing vibrant, bright and colorful hairstyles, but haven't had much opportunity to experiment while working full-time. With a moment here and there, I honed my skills as a live colorist, working with clients side by side. There were many students in that area who wanted to try my aesthetic.
OWN passion because the vivid visuals fueled my inspiration for Haus of Color. These days, I'm only taking new clients who want rich, vibrant colors and styles. These are the styles I love to do, and the work just fills my soul. Today, we are the most vibrant hair salon in the area and customers travel far and wide to us after seeing our work in Instagram and social media.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your hustle off the ground?
Covid changed my whole view of the industry. When I worked alone, it was just me and my clients wore masks. It was honestly very lonely. It made me realize how much I missed being around people and wanted to have my own salon. I dreamed of a space where I could have a team, welcome customers and enjoy a beauty community space.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle and how did you navigate them?
I'm behind the chair full-time, so the biggest change was balancing my day-to-day client work while operations management. At my previous salon, we used a booking system to coordinate the business, but when I went on my own, it was just me scheduling bookings, answering leads and managing the finances. Once my business started to pick up, I knew I couldn't go back to pen and paper.
Choosing the right software to run a business isn't easy, but in order to scale, I knew I needed to add some technology to my mix. Software platform GlossGenius it absorbed me immediately. I've never seen a booking site so beautiful or so cool, nice and fun. Their design aspect immediately turned me off, and I was like, Oh yeah, I'm here for the long haul. I was able to double and then triple our bookings.
Haus of Color has evolved so much over the years. Today, the business has grown into a full-service brick-and-mortar salon, and we have seven stylists and one nail technician.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color
When did you take up the business full-time? What does growth look like now?
I took Haus of Color full time in May 2021. It was very difficult to make things work, considering the pandemic was still very much in effect. It started with one stylist and me, and it has blossomed into seven full-time stylists and one nail technician. It took time and constant effort and long nights and days to do it once dream a reality.
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Salon Haus of Color has become a second home for my team and clients. We have such a huge creative space and I love opening it up to our community, especially our talented and amazing customers.
A number of our clients are tattoo artists and we have created tattoo pop-ups which are popular. There is always a line around the building. During the holidays, Haus of Color hosts tables, and my customers bring their homemade goods and we sell them. I've met a lot of creative people through organizing events. It's been a great way for him build our clientele and our larger community of artists.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Haus of Color
What is your advice to others hoping to start successful side hustles or businesses of their own?
You can find success in doing the work you love. When I started Haus of Color, I made a bet on my creativity and art. I now have a team of talented designers and clients who are as passionate about vibrant aesthetics as I am. It has brought an incredible space, team and clients into my life.