Meet Miguel Negron

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Miguel Negron a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Miguel, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

What an excellent question! Ever since childhood, upon moving to the U.S. I recall feeling very inadequate, shy, introverted and apprehensive about trying many things including sports, presentations, making new friends, amongst other activities. Too often I’d put others first because I didn’t consider myself worthy. As an adult, I realize others around me noticed my potential but I struggled to see it. Even my E.S.O.L. Teacher in school insisted I’d get further upon exiting the program although I asked to remain in it as it was a comfort zone for me. In retrospect, I let so many opportunities pass me by due not believing in myself. One day I heard a term I had not heard before but for some reason felt curiosity towards it as I like learning new things. Upon reading the definition of the term: imposter syndrome, I immediately felt it echo within. I couldn’t believe it! Something that described me so well and I found myself struggling with all throughout life until that point actually had a name to it! My first step towards overcoming imposter syndrome was identifying it. My second step was asking for help. Specifically, I prayed about it. Any time I felt a challenge where I doubted myself or felt I was not enough? I would remind myself: this is an opportunity waiting to happen. I even have a phrase I repeat frequently: “Blessings come in disguise.” Recognizing these challenges and forcing myself to take risks was the second step towards helping me overcome imposter syndrome. Third thing I started to do to overcome is to motivate myself by nurturing my positive thinking. This was through motivational sermons, stories, and books such as “The Power of Right Beliving,” by Joseph Prince. This book changed my life! Overcoming imposter syndrome is not a walk in the park. It creeps up every now and then. Being able to recognize it and drawing from these building blocks I mentioned help keep me from sabotaging myself from the next best thing waiting to come my way!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Miguel Negron, I am from Corozal Puerto Rico, and have lived in Central Florida since 1994. Growing up, it was very common to see friends and family (males and females) constantly caring for their appearance, getting haircuts, grooming their eyebrows, shaping their beards, trying new looks, etc. I would not call it vanity, more of an effort or lifestyle to always look presentable. Today I laugh at the fact that I religiously styled my hair with gel for instance. Since I thought it quite common, I had not pondered building a career by stepping into the beauty industry even though I had developed an eye for it, particularly for hair. Anytime a coworker, family member, peers at school, teachers, altered their appearance by doing something new with their hair I would immediately take notice of it wether it was a cut, color you name it! I’d like to believe life continued to throw hints at me to focus on it as a career through different experiences. Details like someone once giving me a pep-talk on how owning a salon makes for a great business. This particular salon owner had noticed I had a keen eye for hair and became aware I was attempting a business major in college at the time. One day in 2010 I found myself very depressed working as a Teller in the drive-thru of Regions Bank. I was speaking to myself and asking God: “Is this all there is to life? Owning a house I can barely afford the mortgage to, living paycheck to paycheck unable to afford a decent savings to marry my girlfriend, unable to fix my car because I cannot make ends meet?” Days later I watched someone on TV say: If you want to make money, find a good job, but if you want money to follow you, find your passion and turn it into a career. That quick remark resonated with me so deeply that I still remember it today. Once again I prayed about it then presented it to those closest to me for advice. They supported my decision to make a career move by earning the certification via night school as I still worked full time during the day.
That year and a half of night school was therapeutic for me. I truly appreciated getting to uplift individuals by personalizing their look. Seeing the guests contemplate the change, genuinely smiling at the results was significantly gratifying to me and still is until this day. The most iconic looks stem from someone taking the time to personalize someone’s image. I have found much success applying that principle of personalizing the service—be it cut, color, highlights, treatments, extensions, or a combination of those mentioned—to always deliver dynamic and lasting effects as well as best guest experiences! Life itself is a school. Experiences teach us what to do and at times what not to do. After obtaining the cosmetology license I eventually found myself working on commission doing what I enjoyed most and continually surpassing my goals and dreams, getting to the highest pay-rate the company (Ulta Salon) offered by being top tier due to volume of services and most importantly being able to achieve other aspirations I later discovered to truly enjoy such as traveling to other countries, furthering my education, even mentoring other aspiring stylists. Mastering the art of color and highlights to enhance someone’s appearance became my passion and indeed the money followed eventually earning a six figure income. One day I found myself in a leaders meeting at my church, this time not asking God—better yet thanking Him—for granting me the opportunity to build a career throughout 9 years. Then I did it again… I asked: “Is there anything more? Perhaps going independent?”
I realized I had gotten very comfortable, and the original dream of being an entrepreneur had been shelved. So I said “Lord give me a green light, and I got it, right then and there! That part of the story I like sharing in person (so come see me, I’d enjoy sharing more of my story as I get to do your hair!). Summer 2024 I finally took that leap of faith and formed my own business. As a creative, I now get to build a brand simultaneously running my own business at a personal studio in Winter Garden Florida. It’s been a learning experience to reconnect with a dream that had gone dormant for some time. Hence the name of the place: The Real You. It speaks to discovering a better version of yourself, exploring the possibilities, all the while trying something new for a change. Matter of fact, that’s the website: TRYit.glossgenius.com TRY it is acronym for The Real You. It’s an invitation to uncover a better version of yourself , your new image awaits!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I consider right believing to be one of the most influential quality I could have ever obtained to help me carry forward. What I mean by this is to learn to recognize these pessimistic thoughts that often steal opportunities away and counter arrest them with opposite thoughts. I call these negative thoughts “stinking thinking.” Often times when I had to face a new endeavor or challenge, I would find myself defaulting into pessimistic thoughts such as; I wouldn’t be able to do it, I didn’t have what it takes, or it was too much work amongst other degrading thoughts. Simply put, I needed to align my thoughts in favor to my hopes and dreams. I then asked myself: “If I did attempt this, how would I go about it?” I would do this and start replacing one thought with a different thought and in doing so, expanded the possibilities, brainstorming for options, all the while improving my thought process. This right believing would be obtained from podcasts or watching motivational speakers such as Joel Osteen on YouTube, perhaps reading an inspirational book such as The Power of Right Believing by Joseph Prince. Even further, taking the time to do counseling or therapy. It’s about finding out what works best for you. How does that famous song go? “Don’t stop, believing.”

I am not certain where I obtained the fear of failure, but what I am certain is that it has led to self sabotage. I read somewhere that you will never feel loved if you’re always putting your best foot forward and there’s no room to miss it at times. On the contrary, it is through those shortcomings and imperfections that you truly find out who’s really with you when things aren’t going their best. Being exposed to this area of knowledge, more specifically, that I am loved even through the worst of a mistake has really freed me from pressure, allowing me to shake off the dust when I fall and continue pressing forward. It has helped me accept challenges when originally I preferred to preserve myself from the shame of not succeeding. It also put in perspective what (and who) truly matters. Know this: You are valuable. When you were being conceived, you outperformed over 1 billion other sperms, and it was you who made it to the egg. Perhaps a lot has happened to make you feel less than—making you think this lie that you’re a failure to be a reality due to circumstances—but the truth is much bigger than your reality: You are no mistake. By nature, you are already a fighter and an overcomer.

Lastly I’d say listening has been a skill I’ve adopted and attempt to work on in various areas and ways. What I really mean is pay attention. Too often we fall prey to simply hearing and not actually listening. There is a difference. By hearing something, you can likely repeat it and have the same results. On the other hand, when you listen in, you are more prone to having more optimal results than when you simply hear. Listening has helped me become a more effective communicator by being able to interpret more in depth what is being conveyed. For this particular skill, I must credit my wife. I believe women already come with a sixth sense called intuition but I must say my wife is next level discernment. Observing her has helped me improve this area of listening. Ironically, she’s pretty quiet. Overtime I learned that this is because she’s mostly listening. By paying attention and thus listening, you are actually putting other critical thinking skills to work. Talk about reading the room! Where it gets tricky is when you’re overthinking. It’s important to take a step back, process the information and reinstate what is being said to make sure you didn’t misinterpret. In the beauty industry, for instance, during the art of consultation, paying attention to detail is what sets individuals apart.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Are you ready for this? This is possibly the most cliché response you’ll ever read: The most influential book that has helped provide impactful nuggets of wisdom, and thus played an important role in my development has been The Holy Bible. Before you simply stop reading, at least allow me to finish this segment. Here’s the truth, the Bible is full of foolish, imperfect, weak and undeserving people who at a particular point in time completely turned it around. People like you and me! The wise learn from the experience of others. As I read stories about people who I identify with based on what they went through and yet somehow were able to not only get by, but become mighty through their process, furthermore transcended by making right decisions, obtaining council, or simply facing their problem serves as encouragement for me to endure or seek help in order to step into possibilities I hadn’t foreshadowed. I don’t come from much. My first pet was a one eyed chicken I rescued. Due to language barrier I found myself navigating school mostly on my own as I learned a new language. My parents filed for bankruptcy before I finished Highschool. I kept my first car from 2003 until 2023! That’s half my life! I learn that there are moments in time that shape who you become. All it takes is discovering those possibilities. I never thought I’d become who I am nor that I’d own a business one day, pickup the hobby of traveling remote destinations around the world, and be blessed to the measure I am today knowing there is more. The only reference or guidance I ever had came from the stories I encountered reading or listening from The Holy Bible who’s characters were full of flaws but allowed themselves to change for the better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TRYit.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: @Knewyoustyles
• Facebook: Miguel Negron
• Other: Email: hairbymiguelbsns@gmail.com

  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hairbymiguelbsns

Image Credits

Johnnier Rodriguez