Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivien Lee.
Hi Vivien, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The American dream is often seen as a one-dimensional path, but for me, it was a 26-year journey of grit, scissors, and a business plan. From a young age, I was obsessed with style, a passion that pushed me through school and into the world of cosmetology. Opening my own salon was the ultimate test. It wasn’t enough to be a great stylist; I had to become a great businesswoman. I taught myself to balance the books while balancing a client’s intricate highlights. The day we expanded, the sound of the sledgehammer wasn’t just construction; it was the sound of my ambition coming to life. I built more than just a salon; I built a thriving business, a cornerstone of my community where I could empower women. My passion is not only in the transformations I’ve created, but in the walls I knocked down—both literally and figuratively—to achieve a lifelong dream.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting from scratch was the toughest part. Working nights and putting myself through school, and sometimes even going hungry made the beginning of my business an uphill battle. But it taught me to build something from nothing.
I learned through studying how to become successful to create on the job was a real pathway to starting my own business. This informal education was just as valuable as the one I was getting in school.
The hardest part was keeping up with hair trends and staying focused on the future so I could finally get out of someone else’s salon and open my own. That determination is what made it possible to turn my vision into a reality.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Starting from scratch was the toughest part. Working nights and putting myself through school, and sometimes even going hungry made the beginning of my business an uphill battle. But it taught me to build something from nothing.
I learned through studying how to become successful to create on the job was a real pathway to starting my own business. This informal education was just as valuable as the one I was getting in school.
The hardest part was keeping up with hair trends and staying focused on the future so I could finally get out of someone else’s salon and open my own. That determination is what made it possible to turn my vision into a reality.
What matters most to you? Why?
always wanted to be a painter like Leonardo Divinchi, Vangoh or Monet when I was young. I noticed an affinity for creating masterpieces in transforming women’s hair with my hands and a hair brush, my biggest hobby now is painting.”
Balayage techniques as freehand painting
Balayage, which is French for “to sweep,” is inherently an artistic, freehand coloring method. Unlike traditional foiling, which produces uniform highlights, balayage allows for customized and organic results by mimicking how the sun naturally lightens hair. You can think of each section of hair as a part of your larger canvas, where you apply principles of fine art to achieve the desired effect.
Varying pressure and saturation: Just as a painter varies the pressure of their brush to create different shades This technique, combined with varying the saturation of the lightener, creates a soft, natural-looking graduation of color. Every day, using techniques to transform women’s lives using their hair as my canvas is what I love. To create their best look. Adding hair extensions to blend the custom designs to perfection.
My success was not a stroke of luck, but the deliberate outcome of an unyielding drive. I earned every inch of my progress through relentless hard work. There were no free passes or easy shortcuts; each step was a test of my own making, forcing me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and forge my own path. I learned from every mistake and failure, staying up late sacrificing, pushing through exhaustion and tears, because for me, failure was never an option.
Pricing:
- Balayage color partial/start $195
- Balayage color full/start $295
- Toner/start $135
- Hand tried extensions /start $1200
- Keratin bond extensions/start $1500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hairextensionsvivien.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voguehairextensionssalon?igsh=MWV2YmJ3dWppc3lmMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ApNqRVaML/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Twitter: https://x.com/voguehairexten1?s=21&t=qVi3SSryUEgJ6y-8GT2JRw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@voguehairxtensions?_t=ZT-90aW2nMcA5W&_r=1
