Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Frazee.
Valerie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Las Vegas, NV, the land of glitz glamour, with a side sin. I wanted to be an actress and received a scholarship for theatre at a small college in East Texas. It was during my time in college that I fell into the hair industry. Somehow, I was the hair and makeup artist for the theatre department. I would get myself ready and then help the cast get ready. I realized that this was something else that I was good at and that I enjoyed. I called it my Harrison Ford Plan. He was a carpenter and an actor at the same time. I went to cosmetology school and everything clicked. The scissors felt natural in my hand. I loved the chemistry of color and perms and how I could change the way someone feels about themselves with the stroke of a color brush and the turn of a curling iron. I continued to work in the salon while I finished my degree. After I was done with grad school, we moved to the Austin area. At that time, I was booking acting work, doing hair and makeup on film sets, and I had obtained an acting agent.
Through many trials and errors, I discovered the world of hair education and I worked for a major hair manufacturer. This type of work appealed to my actor side. I could be on stage presenting or standing in front of a room of stylists teaching and entertaining them the same time. It also tapped into my love of science and hair chemistry. I love to know how things work and I learned so much from this company,
As time went on, I bounced from salon to salon every few years, I wanted to find my salon home. Around the time that I thought I had, my mom came to live me. She had many health problems and needed my care. I became one of the many Gen-X kids who was taking care of an elderly parent in their 30’s. She was one of my biggest cheerleaders and encouraged me to open my own salon. I resisted that idea. I was acting, writing, and trotting around the country promoting education and hair products for my company. When she passed away three years later, my whole world flipped upside down. I was lost.
Once again, I bounced from salon to salon. I ended up working in a suite with a friend. Prior to this endeavor, I had begun specializing in curly hair. I couldn’t get enough of it. My business started to grow and by the time I had acquired the salon suite rental, I was working fifty-plus hours a week on top of acting and writing. I had even been in an episode of American Crime playing a hairdresser, I needed a change. I started looking at spaces with the idea of opening a salon. Mom was whispering in my ear, “I told you so.” Through a network of friends, I had the opportunity to take over an existing salon. It was the perfect fit. The Mirror & I Salon was a dream I didn’t know I had and it came true.
We hadn’t reached our one year anniversary when the pandemic hit. We were shut down for eight weeks. During that time, I looked for money, I looked for jobs. I was still educating but that too had shut down. Over the course of the eight weeks, clients bought products and gift cards. I was able to collect unemployment and I received a small grant from Round Rock Cares. I was blessed and lucky.
When we reopened, things came back slowly. I started making videos here and there and participated in online education as much as I could. We stay pretty busy now. Our specialty in curls has helped us grow. We are part of the Dresscode Project, a non-profit organization that works towards a gender-free haircut environment. Our focus is not only cuts and color. Every day we strive to be an inclusive environment. We are an ally for the LGBTQIA2S community. We welcome all people who need a great hair service.
It’s been a journey that and it’s ongoing. I am still writing and acting. Currently, I am filming a web series based on my experiences as a stylist. It’s based off of my one-woman-show that I hope to stage in the next year. Every day is a challenge and I greet it with gritted teeth and open arms. Owning a salon has tested my will and my growth in beautiful ways that I never thought was possible.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing has been smooth about my journey. While I have many successes as a hairstylist and business owner, there have been many challenges. I lost both parents in a three years period. I opened a new business and had to close down for a short time while the world closed up as well. There were days and still are sometimes, where all I wanted to do was close my doors and go find a mountain to live on. Like many of us during this time, I have felt lost. I have felt hopeless but the fighter in me keeps pushing and Mom still whispers in my ear, “I told you so”, on a daily basis. No one prepares you for a pandemic while being a business owner. But I get through it a little bit at a time, day by day and sometimes hour by hour.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Mirror & I Salon?
We are small salon in Round Rock that focuses on curly hair, color, and hair care for the entire family. What sets us apart is our unique approach to hair care. We look to the science and from that, we determine a game plan for each individual and their needs. Curly hair is so unique and we as people are unique. We bring the knowledge of science as it relates to our business and services. We are thorough in consultations and even do them via Zoom if we can. We offer hair care products that affordable and align with our philosophy as a salon. You’re not going to find them in the grocery store. We love education and get it as often as we can, I now educate for an independent hair company, Coastline Education, that focuses on science and skill set. We are not backed by any major hair care company and we teach stylists to be better at their business. We enjoy what we do. We are small but we are mighty
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
We don’t take ourselves seriously at all. In fact, I would say humor is part of our brand. When you see us on Instagram, you may not see that side. We have a tendency to be jokesters at times. That’s something we are trying to show a little more. There are days when all we do is laugh. Most people don’t know that I am a writer as well.
Pricing:
- Haircuts start at $55
- Curly cuts start at $95
- Color services vary $90-$145
Contact Info:
- Email: info.themirrorandi@yahoo.com
- Website: www.themirrorandi.com
- Instagram: @themirrorandiroundrock
- Facebook: The Mirror & I Salon
- Youtube: Frazeecurls
Image Credits
Head shot by Natasha Straley
