Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Manfredi.
Elaine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been in many different fields from HR, to Employee Benefits, to Telecommunications and Customer Service in the past until a devastating layoff. It was then that I realized I wanted to do hair. That was almost 16 years ago. I started in a small private salon and from there I went to a high-end spa and then booth rental in Florida. When I moved to California, for a short time (about 8 months) I worked in the corporate world again until I realized that I simply could not stare at a computer 8 hours a day any longer and I returned to the cosmetology field…yes, I came back home. I am now an entrepreneur in my own salon suite. Salon suites are the latest trend in cosmetology. Our founder, Gina Rivera of Phenix Salon Suites wanted to make life better for the cosmetology professional, and she has managed to do so very effectively. I had always wanted my own hair salon, but this opportunity allows me to do so but without all the headaches with permitting, etc. I have my own autonomy in my little suite and my clients love the idea that my time is devoted to them and only them during their appointments…what is it they say? We are also unintended psychologists? so privacy with my clients is priceless.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a hairstylist is not a cake walk by ANY stretch. In the beginning, like everyone else right out of school, I was REALLY SLOW, so I had to quickly kick it up a notch. And building a clientele is no easy task, especially with so much competition out there. When people in other fields go to work every day, they know that at the end of the week, they will be paid for the hours they work. In this field, the income fluctuates greatly, which makes it challenging to plan your financial life. And normally, we don’t get any employee benefits, so when we take time off, so does our pay for that day/week. For me, my biggest challenge is the fact that I have moved to a different state twice, which means I had to start over twice. So that was a big struggle, but I have the entrepreneurial spirit and know what it takes to market myself and do proper branding, so I’ll always make it.
Please tell us about Intrinsic Hair Design by Elaine Manfredi.
I am the type of person that isn’t satisfied with “being like everyone else”…. I have to be different. It’s just in my DNA. When I opened my business in February 2016, I wanted to set myself apart from other salons by focusing on bringing out each client’s intrinsic beauty (thus the name Intrinsic Hair Design). Let me explain. I believe each of us has our own kind of beautiful. It’s not the same for everyone. I don’t believe in “cookie cutter” beauty. I try to encourage my clients to embrace what makes THEM beautiful, not what makes a Kardashian beautiful. Having been in customer service for so many years, I feel the consultation is the most important part of a service. It is really important to know what their lifestyle is like; how much effort and time are they able to devote to their hair? What challenges do they face with their hair? So many questions to ask. But it is the only way to bring out THEIR TRUE BEAUTY. I specialize in hair color, especially for clients with the ever-popular grey hair. Hair color IS a science (as my clients have told me they observe) and formulating hair color appropriately is a science and an art. I am known for being able to accurately formulate hair color to match the clients’ needs. I believe in being completely upfront with my clients about a service and we discuss it at length so we are on the same page. I don’t believe in jumping right in. I set myself apart by also focusing on the comfort of my clients. I believe in going out of my way to make them actually look forward to their experience with me…I want it to be their escape from the stresses in life.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My Mom was an organist in our local church. She loved playing the organ. She had a big Wurlitzer organ with a giant “Leslie” speaker.
When I say giant, I mean giant…. about 5 ft high and 3 ft wide giant! She played everything from church hymnals to The Flight of the Bumble Bee (I know, I’m dating myself showing I remember this song) …Picture this…it’s a warm summer night and all the windows are open in a small neighborhood where everyone knows each other. You hear the sound of the music from the “William Tell Overture” or “Man of LaMancha’s The Impossible Dream” coming from this tiny little old house being played on this beautiful organ with so much enthusiasm, you can’t help either singing along or just stopping what you are doing and listen. Or if you are in the house, watch this beautiful wonderful talented woman playing this music with her feet hitting those pedals and fingers hitting those keys with such strong emotion. (I’m tearing up as I think about it). I was only about 8 years old at the time but I can still remember it like it was yesterday. I think that’s where I got my passion for making people smile…. she made me smile every day….it still makes me smile.
Pricing:
- Hair Color Retouch from $60
- Highlights from $50 – $125
- Cezanne Keratin Smoothing Treatment from $220
- Haircut Blow Dry from $45
- Corrective color from $250
Contact Info:
- Website: www.intrinsichairdesign.com
- Phone: 760-590-3459
- Email: smartblonde43@gmail.com
- Instagram: @elainemhair
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intrinsichairdesignbyelainemanfredi/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/intrinsic-hair-design-by-elaine-manfredi-vista
- Other: https://business.google.com/b/110527126180156668621/dashboard/l/08378764865091653100
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