Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Louanne Ferro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Louanne, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
Self-discipline habits for me started at a very young age. I started exploring tumbling classes and then transitioned into the sport of gymnastics before the age of 10. As I grew in the sport, my discipline needed to be exercised as much as my physical body. I became a nationally ranked gymnast by the age of 14 and I wouldn’t have gotten there without understanding that showing up each day (to practice) was the first major part of success. I think we often under estimate the power of just showing up. From there, setting tangible goals, and setting myself up for successful outcomes built my confidence to know that I am capable of great things. Its a beautiful exercise to know that if you can accomplish something small, you are capable to achieve larger goals. Taking these skills into my adult life has kept me disciplined and focused.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have been in the BEST industry (in my opinion) for almost 25 years. When I went to school to become a cosmetologist I knew I wanted to achieve great things but I can’t say I knew what that was. Very shortly after entering our industry, I fell in love with education. I remember going to a hair show and leaving there saying “that’s going to be me one day.” I started working towards that goal immediately and have been working for manufactures for over 20 years. Being able to work with stylist around the world, lead and train educators, and be on the forefront of product development is something near and dear to my heart. It’s a different area of our industry that is so multifaceted that I just adore. Simultaneously, I worked my way from booth renting in a salon to opening my first salon suite with my best friend called LaunchPad. A Salon. We had our space North Park for 7 years and it was a wonderful stepping stone to opening up my boutique hair space, Joy. A Hair Space.
We’re a small salon space in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego that’s big in heart and values. We believe in taking care of people and our planet. We are a certified sustainable salon through Green Circle and have partnered with Evo Haircare for all of our styling and coloring needs.
We believe in approaching all of our services with a science-led, yet creative, approach.
Most importantly we always want you to be YOU, so our mission statement has remained the same since day one:
“We not only want people look good but feel good too.”
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?
1. Set realistic and tangible goals. I mentioned this already but I truly believe when we set ourselves up with goals that we can achieve, we are giving ourselves the confidence that we can be successful. It’s like that quote by Desmond Tutu “There is only one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time.” There’s nothing worse then constantly feeling like you are failing. I don’t believe anyone is a failure. Of course we all have learning moments but setting yourself up with obtainable goals allows you to have the confidence to achieve bigger goals.
2. Time. Growing your brand and business is going to require a lot of your time. Really look at your schedule and carve out realistic time frames in your weekly schedule to put your dedication and focus into your entrepreneurial self.
3. Grace. Give yourself and others grace. Sometimes people will not show up for us and our businesses the way we hoped. Give them grace. Your brand will always be most special to you. Also, give yourself grace. You deserve moments of rest and reprieve. I believe it’s in those moments of peace and connection with our loved ones that we refill our energy to give back to our businesses.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I feel like this ties right into that last part of my previous question. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed. As business owners, we wear multiple hats. Here are some things I do when I feeling overwhelmed.
-Diaphragmatic Breathing. You can do this anywhere, anytime. When we breathe we calm our sympathetic nervous system.
-Moving my body. Sometimes it’s a walk with my dogs and sometimes its a workout but moving my body helps calm my body.
-Nutrition and Hydration. Fueling our bodies with healthy choices allows it to remained focused and happy.
-Therapy. It’s ok to reach out to a professional and share what’s going on with yourself. Having personalized techniques and tools to help you, is in my opinion, highly valuable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LouanneFerro.com
- Instagram: @Joy.AHairSpace
