Today we’d like to introduce you to Secret Salon Hair and Makeup Team.
Secret Salon team, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Half of them met in hair school, the other half have been picked up along the way. They all share a passion for hair styling and makeup and between them have taken care of hundreds of San Diego weddings. The main attribute that Alice von Simson looks for in her teammates is a great personality and an understanding of the great honor it is to service brides and their families.
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?
We have been lucky enough to have a pretty smooth road. Of course, it takes time to build up a clientele and as we primarily provide wedding services we do not benefit from repeat customers as a regular salon would so it is an ongoing process. Starting a business like this required picking up a range of skills including web design, SEO, book-keeping and marketing in order to keep the startup costs down. As a creative person these didn’t come easily to me but keeping my eyes on the prize which was getting to pursue my passion full time helped me to get through the business books!
The first thing I would tell anyone looking to enter the industry is to go to school! Ideally get a cosmetology license which will give you the broadest scope. You will get twice the amount of wedding, TV and film work if you can provide both hair and makeup services and a cosmetology license means you can also do nails, cuts, color and take care of your client’s skin. The second piece of advice I would give is never to turn down a job when you are starting out. Even if it doesn’t pay, you will gain experience and could make a connection that leads to more (paying) work. My third piece of advice is to find a team like ours to work on. You can gain experience in the wedding industry without having to deal with the business side, plus working alongside more experienced stylists and artists is a great way to learn.
My final and most critical piece of advice and this applies to any career is to always be early. It costs you nothing and starts off the interaction with your clients on a positive note.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Secret Salon – what should we know?
We specialize in beautiful updos, hairstyles and makeup. Our airbrush makeup is the jewel in our crown and I have worked for an airbrush makeup company on their pro team and as a spokesperson for several years which gives us the edge on the competition. We have access to the very latest formulas and techniques as well as top-notch training.
We are most proud of our reviews. Each five-star review represents a ton of hard work from everyone on the team to ensure the bride has a fantastic experience. We care very deeply about this as we consider it a great honor to have been chosen to provide beauty services on such an important day.
As well as bridal work we provide hair and makeup services for television, commercials, corporations and fashion shows. Our clients have included Ugg, Walgreens, Valley View Casino and Axe.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
My girlfriends are a constant source of inspiration to me. Abby Gagne of Abigail Gagne Photography, in particular, keeps me on track. With are both mothers and have similar businesses and challenges. Keeping the right balance between business and family is very important and anyone who gets that right is inspiring to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MySecretSalon.com
- Phone: 760 687 5475
- Email: info@mysecretsalon.com
- Instagram: my_secret_salon
- Facebook: facebook.com/secretsaloncarlsbad
Image Credit:
Alicia Q Photography
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