Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Villasenor.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a hairstylist. I started getting my hair colored when I was in 2nd grade, thanks to both my aunt and my cousin that are hairstylists as well. I was very shy growing up but I was always able to express myself through my hair. At 14, I started working my summers in the salon with my cousin as a receptionist. I knew then that was exactly where I was meant to be.
I started my hair journey when I was 17 at Baldwin Beauty School here in Austin TX. Although I was the youngest one in school at the time, I still managed to graduated in less than a year. After getting my cosmetology license, I started working at a chain salon and instantly started to gain a loyal clientele. I fell in love with the feeling of helping people’s confidence manifest through their hair!
By the time I was 22, I was managing that salon with a full clientele and I was doing more color than ever in a salon that usually is known only for haircuts. A friend of mine came to me and told me that a local salon had an open chair for rent and wanted to know if I was interested. I took this as a huge sign because my husband and I had just started to grow our little family around that time, working the corporate salon hours as a manager was not ideal for me as a mother. I decided to just trust my instincts and go full on self-employed. I never looked back after that.
I worked there for 5 amazing years. I gained even more clientele and so much confidence within myself and my business. I also had the amazing opportunity to participate in RAW Austin’s showcase in 2018. Not long after, we hired an apprentice, Sydni Reeves, who is now an amazing stylist that I work side by side with. She quickly gained a solid clientele and we instantly clicked with each other. After about a year or so COVID hit.
We were forced to shut down for a couple months and quickly realized we wanted something more. Although we knew it would be a little crazy to move salons in the middle of a pandemic, we decided to team up and open our own mini-salon suite here in South Austin. Despite the pandemic, it was such a seamless transition for us and for our clients. Its a been a little over a year since we moved into our suite, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! We put our heart and soul into our new space and being an Austin native, I’ve never felt more at home.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
In the 10 years that I’ve been behind the chair, It has not always been a smooth road. Being a wife and mother of 2, it has been difficult juggling my focus between my home and my business. I really had to believe in myself and the decisions that I was making in hopes that my clientele would grow with me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My passion is learning who my clients are and helping them express that through their hair. I specialize in doing anything from a lived-in balayage to a bold blonde or a bright funky color. I also love working with extensions, the confidence they can give you is unbelievable. I love a good transformation, and I am always up for a challenge! What sets me apart from others is my natural passion for hair. I believe it really shows through my work as some of my clients would refer to me as a Hair Magician.
How do you define success?
Success, to me, is defined by the impact you make on other people and your surroundings. My goal is to help my guests feel great about themselves, not only on the outside but also from within.
Contact Info:
- Email: courtneydoeshair221@gmail.com
- Website: https://courtneyvhair.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyv_hair/
Image Credits
Ericka Dixon
