We are spotlighting the winners of Beauty Launchpad’s 25 Under 50K contest, sponsored by Platinum Seamless.
Get to know Amber Baranzini (@amburgerofhair). She is a hairstylist and owner of Salon Aurora in San Diego, CA.
Q&A:
Beauty Launchpad (BLP): What is a fun fact about you?
Amber Baranzini (AB): I collect rare houseplants.
BLP: How did you get your start in the industry?
AB: After beauty school I decided to be a makeup artist. A few months later, I wanted to see if I liked doing hair behind the chair, so I got an assistant position and have been doing hair ever since!
BLP: What is your proudest accomplishment?
AB: It would be opening my own 8-chair salon.
BLP: What is your current favorite hair trend?
AB: I specialize in blonding which is always on trend in my book.
BLP: What is a tip you have for your fellow stylists who are looking to grow their following on socials?
AB: It is important to stay true to who you are on social media. Consistency is key, but don’t get caught up in the numbers. For me, educational posts do the best.
BLP: What advice would you give to the younger version of yourself just starting out in the industry, looking back on your whole career?
AB: All of the late nights, hard work and dedication will be worth it.
BLP: What is a valuable hair tip that you want to share with your fellow stylists (whether it’s a business tip or something related to styling/working with hair)?
AB: Take hair models! This is important to build your portfolio on social media and focus more on what you want to specialize in. A lot of stylists at the beginning of their career take on every client because they aren’t fully booked yet, leaving them doing a lot of work they don’t necessarily love. Taking models lets you practice techniques and spend extra time on styling/photographing them for your social media, which – let's face it – is how 99% of clients find new stylists these days. This will turn into more clients focused on what you actually want to be doing!
BLP: What inspires your work?
AB: I find inspiration in so many different ways. A few things that come to mind are going to classes to further my education, having an assistant and being able to teach them everything I know and then watching them grow into their own and entering my work into hair awards. Scrolling on social media is another great place. I find inspiration by seeing all the other amazing work out there.
BLP: What is something that keeps you passionate and motivated in the industry each day?
AB: When I was in cosmetology school in 2014 at the age of 18, I was in a bad car accident. I broke my lower spine and suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury. When I woke up from that surgery, my doctors told me I may never walk again. When I had asked about doing hair, they told me I need to figure out a Plan B for my career. This is what keeps me motivated when I wake up to keep going and to give it my all every single day behind the chair.
BLP: What changes would you like to see the industry make in order to grow/change/evolve/be better than it was before?
AB: I would like to see more stylists supporting one another in real life and especially on social media. It’s sad to hear stories of old bosses or old co-workers treating each other poorly. We all do hair for similar reasons. We are like minded stylists. Life is hard enough as is. Let’s be kinder to one another.
BLP: What is a career goal you have for yourself?
AB: I just hit one year since the day I opened my own salon. I would like to see my salon flourish and stay in business. Aside from that, my personal career goal is to start educating more.
