Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Taylor Sanchez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Taylor, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
In the hair industry imposter syndrome is so prevalent. I honestly think it stems from learning how to do things so quickly in an ever changing environment. Sometimes imposter syndrome, for me, feel like “holy cow, I didn’t know I knew how to do that,” and of course the ever common “there is no way that I deserve to be here right now.”
Over coming imposter syndrome is something that I have to do every day, week, month, its never ending. It’s something I’m not sure that will every go away completely, but there are somethings that help me look at what’s happening and being able to say “yes, this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.”
One of the main things that gets me most of the time is the fact I own my own salon and I am constantly booked solid. Sometimes it just blows me away that this many people not only want their hair done, but they want me to do it! A lot of ways I handle imposter syndrome is just a lot of positive self talk. Which, I know is always easier said then done. I like to look at my work and pick out some of the things that I love, I ask myself “what makes this hair cut/color/etc. hit the mark?”
As important as it is to always be your number one hype man, something that has worked for me to overcome large hurdle with imposter syndrome is to look at the style and see what I can improve one. Everyone always has something they can do better. No one is perfect at everything. This helps me create a game plan, find education courses, or even help me see that things aren’t always as they seem. The hair could be great and look beautiful, but coming up with game plans on how to make my foiling system more efficient or even my salon experience better really helps kind of bring me back down to earth. And give me that “this is exactly where I am supposed to be” feeling.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve been in the hair industry professionally since 2018, and there is no better place to call home! For as long as I can remember I’ve been the one to help all the friends get ready for proms, weddings, you name it. I was always so hands on in the artistic world that this move just made sense to me.
Now fast forward to now, and I am in my own Salon Suite. I have been located at my suite for two years now! It honestly doesn’t even feel like it, times flies when you’re having fun right? Being here allows me to be and stay committed to my education, sustainability and being the best salon home for all walks of life.
It is so important to me that every person that sets foot into my salon feels not only comfortable with my services, but me as a whole! There is nothing worse than showing up to a salon and knowing that maybe the ‘vibe’ isnt just quite right. Because of this I run a salon fully committed salon to being a place where all members of LGBTQIA+ community and allies are able to feel relaxed, safe, and most importantly; themselves. While the salon is registered with Strands for Trans, it doesn’t stop there. All consultations that are held in person or over the phone are very in-depth considering all things not only surrounding your hair, but your lifestyle as well.
Sustainability is my number one value when it comes to beauty and the way we live our lives. I work hard not only in my home life but also in my salon to align myself with products, companies, and equipment that do the best that we can for the earth we call home. Sustainable beauty is one of my top priorities, which is why the top two brands I use are all 100% cruelty free, made with recyclable materials, and aren’t filled with “filler” products. Everything that is in the bottle is meant for your hair and helps keep it healthy.
Here at Hair by Taylor Sanchez, we offer all sorts of services. While I still travel for weddings, (I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Chicago for one!) I offer full and partial blonding services, haircuts, extensions and our newest and most popular Revitalize service. Where you can pick a treatment of your choice, like a hydrating jelly mask, relax with a complementary drink, while you get your hair shampooed, treated, and styled.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
There is a lot that goes into hair salons, and doing hair itself but I think some of the most important things are sometimes the smallest ones! Looking back, I would have to say that having a truly clean salon, enhancing your salon experience, and not pushing product were some of the main things I kept in mind and it has really made a difference.
Of course the main goal is to have a clean salon, but there are thing that guests notice that maybe we get used to. Hair is of course the big one, I know it seems silly but if you’re anything like me hair doesn’t bother you at all. But to some people that could be totally different. So doing small things like fully wiping down your chair and fully wiping and sanitizing your sink in between guests can make a huge impact. Sometimes guests don’t even know what they’re seeing when they see things like that but they see it and always think to themselves “wow, this looks great!”
Enhancing your salon experience doesn’t need to be crazy or extravagant. It can be as simple as having coins for them to use the vending machine in the back (if your salon/suites have one). Some of my favorite things I like to keep in the salon for my guests are chargers for their phones, water, champagne, or sometimes I will have freshly baked cookies for them to snack on! The smallest gestures always go the farthest, once I figured that out it blew doors wide open for me. It doesn’t always have to be food or drink related items either, you can give out some free samples of the heat protector they were unsure of, or a nice scalp massage before you take them back to wash, the options are endless!
The last thing that helped launch my personal business forward was not pushing product. I know, it sounds crazy. But it’s what helps make people feel more comfortable and enjoy their session more. In today’s age of social media and the internet, guests have products shoved in their faces all the time. When the come to the salon they are there to relax, so in my opinion that is the last place someone is going to want to sit and listen through a product selling speech. Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t talk about my products at all. Because I do. But its never the formulated “this is what I used on you, this is what it does, etc.” We talk about it as if you’re at a friends house and trying some of their serums or oils. We just talk about the smells, and what its made out of, and an extra bonus what the sustainability factor is. People want to love the product themselves, not to be told this is what you need and you have to get it.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
In this industry you meet a lot of people along the way, some of the friendships you make in school sometimes last you a life time. I was lucky enough that such a connection happened. When I was in school all the of educators were of course wonderful and helpful, but there was always one that stood out and went above and beyond. Now here we are four years later and I can still go to this mentor to not only ask for advice, but if an issue comes up they are just one phone call away willing to be available.
Moving into a Sola Suite can sometimes be scary, especially when you are a new and ‘baby’ stylist. You don’t always quite have the same kind of teamwork as you do in a 6 plus person salon. When I first moved into my suite, I only worked 2 days a week, and on the days almost no one was there. I was new, and sometimes mistakes are made. Having a mentor that I could reach out to, to bounce ideas off one another on how to move forward and make the experience the best for my client was honestly such a game changer. I have learned so much about guest experience, hair, and owning a salon all together from her. I am so thankful for her everyday!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hairbytaylorsanchez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorsanchez_hair/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairbytaylorsanchez
Image Credits
Hannah Sessions Photography, Lexx Creative, Bindu Kodwany Photography, Sam Rae MUA Photo
