Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Ramos.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
To share a bit about myself, I’m the first in my family to finish college with a degree in Visual Communications, I’m also the first kid in my family to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I got to spend a year and a half in the country of Bolivia, the first to go back to school again to get my cosmetology license and I’m also the first generation born in the U.S. This all unfolded one step at a time and the journey is still continuing.
I am where I am today because of the people around me. Their influence and encouraging words got me from my first steps in the fashion industry to doing hair in the wedding industry. My mom was a big motivating factor in applying to fashion school and it was that campus where I finally felt like I fit in even though everyone looked different and had different styles. Going to school amongst creative minds who all had something different to bring to the table was exciting and getting to work with teachers from high-level career backgrounds was inspiring.
As much as I enjoyed it, I needed something with more options and my hairstylist at the time, who’s like a mom to me, suggested I try out cosmetology. I found a school that gave me the same feels I had when I was in fashion school and signed myself up! I struggled at first and doubted my abilities because I never knew how to work with hair, skin, and nails and now I was supposed to know how to do this stuff! With the right mentors, repetition, and practice I started to get the hang of it. It wasn’t until I started working in the salon that I really started learning and my boss was patient enough to teach me the ropes and train me to build off of what I know now. The timing of finding the right work environment took me a while too. I didn’t start working in the hair industry until a year after I was done with school and licensed, but I’m glad I waited because where I work is exactly what I was looking for and the plus side is my boss also has a bridal business for hair services and it was because of that I realized how much I enjoy the wedding industry and it’s been my favorite part about my career so far.
Since working in the industry, I’ve been able to assist and work on photo shoots for local wedding magazines, network with vendors, meet the sweetest brides, worked at lots of jobs on location, I’ve done hair for fashion shows, worked bridal bazaars, traveled for work, continued in my education with other mentors and I can’t imagine what else is in store in the coming years!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
So, has it been a smooth road? There’s a yes and no to this question. It’s been a smooth road because getting hired at the right place and getting to work with a great group of people has fallen into place nicely. It was so right that the interview process was almost insanely easy, but then it hasn’t been easy because the journey is still evolving. One of my struggles, while I was in school, was knowing what to specialize in. All my teachers were telling us we needed to have a focus and master a skill. Well, at the time I wanted to learn it all so I could be well rounded and now that I’ve been doing this for a few years, I’m able to have a better idea of what I prefer doing so I think it’s good to want to keep an open mind and want to learn it all and do it all too because by doing that you’re able to know what part of the job suits your skill better. I wasn’t one of the fortunate ones who knew what they wanted to do during school, but that’s were gaining experience, having a good mentor and even doing internships can help a lot! I wish I would’ve taken after school internships or even done something job related to exposing me more to the work field. Also, learn the power of networking! That has played a major influence on my career and making connections and leaving a good and memorable impression will put you a step up from the others.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I dabble in multiple things, but the thing I get most excited about is the wedding industry and styling hair is what I specialize in. My craft is very hands on so learning to work with different hair textures, learning what products work for different types of hair in different climates is essential for creating work you’re proud of. I’ve been fortunate to have been trained by a good mentor, Haydee Olea, as well as finding other mentors who’s work I’ve been inspired by, like Ulyana Aster and Hair and Makeup by Steph, all three of these ladies create #hairgoals for me! I’d say because of the training and inspiration I get from them, that’s what sets me apart.
I’m also proud of the different skills you can acquire as a hairdresser so you can help other people. One of the most memorable and prized opportunities I’ve had was learning how to shave a head the proper way so I could help one of my most dear friends, who was battling brain cancer, have a freshly shaved head. He couldn’t do it himself anymore because he became completely paralyzed on one side of his body, but his mom was brave enough to ask me if I’d do it and I was brave enough to learn the skill so I could provide this simple service. It was a really nerve-wracking thing for me, but looking back, I treasure that time I had with my dear friend and their trust in me to do that kind of service that ended up getting me out of my comfort zone. It’s experiences like this that give meaning to the work I do and being able to stretch yourself so your work can continue to benefit others.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Some of the barriers in female leadership I’ve noticed are not feeling good enough or qualified to take opportunities. I know I’ve struggled with this and it’s difficult to overcome because you have dreams and goals you want to accomplish, but maybe you’re not sure where to begin or how to begin, fears start to creep into mind about being successful and even wondering if you have the capacity to do what you’re seeking out, maybe there’s lack of support and every other excuse you can think of to prevent you from making a move that could potentially make you happy and to help you to become more of a leading lady. I was recently listening to an interview that touches on this subject and what I learned from it as if it scares you little bit (or a lot) but it feels like it’s the right thing to do, then take the chance because we know there’s no growth by staying complacent and you won’t continue to be a good leader if you’re not growing yourself. It’s easy to fall in the “I’m not good enough” mindset whether you maintain the fort in the home or in the workplace. Bypass the fears and just go for it!
Contact Info:
- Email: dianaramos@mac.com
- Instagram: @bananasfordiana
- Facebook: @bananasfordiana
Image Credit:
Marcos Ramos, Haydee Olea
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
