We spoke to social media sensation and Salon‘s June cover girl, Larisa Love, for a closer look into her career journey and daily life.
Salon: What is the secret to achieving the success you have so early in your career?
Larisa Love: I wish there was a secret, but it’s more about how badly you want it. You can do whatever you want, it’s just about how much you’re willing to sacrifice and in the long run it all pays off. You’re probably going to have to miss out on some things in the beginning but eventually, all that you want will come together.
SM: What is one of the biggest misconceptions about success as a hairstylist?
LL: People see these successful hairdressers on Instagram, but they don’t see the struggle. In reality, we all struggle. We all started from nothing and we had to build our brand and ourselves. Many people on Instagram seem to think that all we have to do is post our work and the clients and money will come. It doesn’t work that way, you have to build it from scratch. You start with one follower and one client, and slowly fill your book and grow your brand. The more followers, the more brands will want to work with you. There’s no real secret; it’s just starting from the bottom.
SM: What is the biggest mistake hairstylists make on social media?
LL: I think a lot of people tend to copy other hairstylists. Also, doing something different that doesn’t look good—a client is not going to ask for it. People want beautiful hair, whether that is vivid colours or more natural shades. Don’t copy; be unique and be yourself. Authenticity will take you a long way.
SM: When it comes to the type of work you do, how have you developed yourself as a brand?
LL: One way to make yourself stand out is your look. Even though I wear hats, they’re always different colours and styles and they change a bit. Another way is to think about the type of hairstyles you want to be doing. Be who you are, but you also need to evolve with yourself. Stick to who you are from the beginning.
SM: How do you keep your life in balance?
LL: When you truly love what you do and are successful, you probably don’t have balance. I wish I could say I do yoga, but that’s not true. When you work really hard, you’re never going to have that balance. I don’t think I’ll ever find it and I would be okay with that.
SM: What does a typical day look like for you?
LL: I live about eight minutes away from my salon and my assistant has my coffee for me before I get into do my clients. While I used to work 12- to 14-hour days, now I see three to four clients a day. After work, I usually have my trainer come into my home, I’ll go out for dinner, sleep and start it all over.
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