Today we’d like to introduce you to Edith Vindel.
Edith, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, I was seen as what people like to call a “tomboy.” It was hard for me to feel beautiful because I didn’t think that being a “tomboy” was beautiful. I mean think about it, you’re a girl, but you’re not a girly girl. You’re okay with having nice clean styled hair, but your sense of style is boyish with a little bit of girly. It was at a time where having an in-between style wasn’t a thing. It wasn’t until 7th grade when I was able to be who I felt I was and be comfortable in my own skin. My second oldest sister had started beauty school and guess who was the ginny pig? ME. Lol! Not being able to say no to my big sister was one of the best things that ever happened to me haha! I went from trying to be what was “socially acceptable”, to figure out who I was. She colored my hair all colors of the rainbow, and cut my hair in so many styles I felt like a new person every time. Not knowing what I was going to look like when I got off that chair actually excited me. It made me look forward to the next time she needed to practice because I would be getting my hair done and I knew I’d get to rock something new. I got to be a new me and I loved that. I felt beautiful in being different. I remember just thinking, one day I want to able to do this for other girls like me. I wanted to help others embrace their own uniqueness, and let them feel their own kind of beautiful. I like cutting hair but my true love falls in coloring. Imagine being a chemist with a paintbrush! It’s like having a wand in your hand and with one wave of it, the image you had in your head someone is wearing it on their hair.
Shortly after I graduated high school, I enrolled at Bellus Academy. After a year of juggling being a full-time student and a full-time employee, I was officially licensed. I started off as an assistant and after six months of being an assistant, I decided to do kitchen hair in my free time. These days were extremely long days that started with work from nine to five and then after work, I would go from home to home just to make a name for myself. After a year, I decided that kitchen hair was not the kind of environment I wanted for my clients or for myself. I wanted to continue being an educated stylist in an environment where my guest would get the whole luxury and experience of getting their hair done. I spent the next couple years working in multiple salons as an independent stylist and then, finally in 2017, I moved into my own Sola Salon studio in Little Italy. My guest has the luxury of being in an intimate environment to be able to express themselves without feeling like others are listening, or just to enjoy some peace and quiet while getting pampered.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a stylist and new business owner has had its ups and its down. From learning how to build a client to then learning how to retain those clients. I had to understand that pleasing my guest is not just by trying to give them the look they think they want but to do deliver what they need for their everyday lives or what best suits them. I never would have thought there were many techniques for marketing, and one of them which is free… word of mouth. What you put out will be shared by people, whether it’s good or bad. I also made partnerships that seemed like good opportunities, to then being able to pick myself up when things didn’t go as planned. It hasn’t been the smoothest ride but I’m okay with that. Life is about learning and every day there is something new to learn to be a better version of yourself.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
In my salon, I specialize in doing tape-in extensions for those guest who want to add length and volume to their hair. I also specialize in doing Keratin treatments for those guest who want smoother hair or want to lose up to 75% of their natural texture. I love those Keratin treatments also help repair damaged hair while eliminating frizz and reducing daily styling time and then leaving hair shiny. What I’m most known for though has to be my hair coloring. I love transforming my guest into mermaids, or something more subtle like blonde bombshells haha. I take pride in being honest with my guest on the care and chemicals I put in their hair. Taking my guest through the different stages of their hair journey while achieving their hair goals makes the process both exciting for myself and them. I mean who doesn’t want to keep the integrity of their hair? We both have to enjoy it, lol! I treat my guest with the same courtesy I would want someone to treat me. I want the best for them and their hair, so I give it my 110%.
What were you like growing up?
From a young age, I knew I was different than the other girlfriends. I never look forward to getting Barbie dolls for my birthday’s as they would. Instead, I would ask my mom for colorful things such as play-do, the jumbo art set with a bunch of colors so I could color, or that cool color sand you could make a castle out of. I also loved hanging out with the boys! If you were ever looking for me I was either playing marbles or riding skateboards with them. As I got older, I realized I was never afraid to get my hands dirty, but at the same time, I loved getting all dolled up and being girly. Knowing that I wanted to do hair since I was 12 years old, it was easy jumping from style to style so I could always try something new. I had so many different styles of fashion, from what others liked to call, “gangsta”, “emo”, “preppy”, you name it I probably tried it. I loved and love trying new things. I started working out when I was 14, so the gym and music also became a huge part of my life. I saw that with fashion, music, and the gym I would always be able to recreate myself at every stage of my life and that something that still remains with me.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1550 Front St, San Diego, CA Suite 7
- Website: styleseat.com/edithvindel2
- Phone: 6194679126
- Email: edithdavincihair@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edithdavinci
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edithdavincihair
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/edithdavinci
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/edith-davinci-san-diego
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