We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sherly Gonzalez. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Sherly, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently I’ve been doing different classes and experimenting with my creativity outside of the salon. I have hydraulic lift training and did some automotive classes, tried some pottery and laser cut wood projects. Now I’m exploring glass art! I started with flameworking and now I’m exploring stained glass. I’ve been wanting to try all of these hobbies and many more for several years and I am ecstatic to finally be able to do so and proud of the art I’m creating!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Sherly Gonzalez, 27 and Founder/Owner of The Den Styles for Men. I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist for over 9 years and have been doing hair for about 11 years. I got an early start in my career thanks to a high school cosmetology program. I opened my salon suite on a leap of faith during the pandemic and can proudly say we’re still running and have been for the last 4 almost 5 years! We are taking baby steps to expand to a storefront in the future and would love to offer an apprenticeship type program when the opportunity to expand arises. We have a ton of amazing ideas for what we want to add to TDSFM but you’ll just have to wait and see. Thank you to anyone taking the time to read my story.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
Zorina Foote was my high school cosmetology teacher and over the years has become my mentor in my career. She is one of the most determined, hardworking, humble and honest people I know. She always found a way to make anything she put her mind to happen. She showed me how to find solutions to problems in and out of the salon even when it felt like there couldn’t be one. She believed in me when all the odds were stacked against me. I put my all into my work, and came out of her class a successful hairdresser, now salon owner. Her insane work ethic, charisma and intuition is the reason I am able to do what I love to do and I owe her my life for that every day. She inspires me to put my all into TDSFM and I do what I can to make her and my family proud.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Several times. On Several occasions. I feel every person doing anything that truly challenges them will have a moment or so of wanting to give up. Persevering through always ends in an incredible sense of accomplishment for me. In the beginning of owning my business, I hired an accountant. She set us up and everything was all good from what I understood just to learn 2 years later that everything hadn’t been done correctly and I paid over 9-10K more in taxes than I was supposed to. I was running my business and wondering if this is always how it was going to be and I was scraping by to make restocking happen. When the issue got resolved, my business essentially ran itself no problem and we made some serious equipment upgrades that were desperately needed. This experience made me have several moments of wondering if I made a mistake going onto this path of being my own boss. I try to always believe that even when things get rough, they’ll find a way to work themselves out and I’m always grateful when they do.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
What you see is what you get. I believe there’s not enough transparency in society, however it is exciting and relieving to see that shift a bit, especially in social media. I’ve had customers, friends, and family describe my personality as bubbly and outgoing but I also have times where I prefer my solitude, get a bit distant and quiet. It’s a balance more than anything. There are times when I see a customer outside of the salon and I’m immediately the most socially awkward person in the room. Other times, it’s like catching up with an old friend with years of history and our energies just bouncing off one another. Every version of me is simply just that, me. At this point in my life, I find that authenticity within myself and others is one of my favorite qualities. I joke that I’m a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser and every year that passes I just find myself being more aligned with who I am and who I want to be. There’s always room for improvement in any and all aspects in my life but I’m also content and satisfied with where I currently am and the path I’m forging for myself.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The ways I may have impacted their lives. I tend to put others needs before mine. In the recent last few years, I’ve been trying to be there for myself and my needs like I do for the people around me. I would hope for a lot of funny, crazy, eventful stories filled with laughter and loads of love. I want them to remember how I make them feel more than anything. I take a lot of pride in making others feel good and it’s a huge reason why I love doing what I do. Watching someone’s eyes light up, body language, tone, and aura completely change in 30 minutes from the work I’ve done with my 2 hands is a super power I never imagined I would have.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vagaro.com/thedenstylesformen
- Instagram: Thedenstylesformen
- Facebook: The Den Styles for Men
