Life & Work with Krystal Montiel

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Krystal Montiel.

Hi Krystal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
Hi, first, thanks for having me; this opportunity is greatly appreciated. My name is Krystal Montiel, and I am a licensed Cosmetologist going on a little over 15 years. Believe it or not, after high school, I was attending a local community college with hopes of entering the radiology program. A majority of students in my classes were already CNAs, medical assistants, or working in the medical field, and after hearing some of their stories of working in the hospital, I decided that that environment wasn’t meant for me. I ended that part of school after one year and didn’t know where to go from there; it was my dad who told me why I didn’t go to school for hair; he remembered me braiding my sister’s and neighbors hair in box braids and noticed I always had my hair and makeup done. He might have been exaggerating a bit with this story, but he told me one day he had a dream that I was cutting his hair in our kitchen, so I told him, “ok, I’ll look at some schools and see what I think” I went and visited Ogle Beauty School in Fort Worth with my mom and sister, and the rest is history. I worked At a small salon for almost 2.5 years, then moved to a corporate salon in another area to further my skills, my first salon job was more like a barber shop, which I loved the fast-paced feel of it but wanted to dive more into color, so I moved To a corporate salon and after working a few months, I was already booked for a few weeks out. Within two years of being there, I moved up to master stylist, the highest-level stylist there, and decided that it was time to go out on my own. I knew I always wanted to have something of my own since a majority of my family are business owners closest being my parents, and with my dad’s dream and my husband’s encouragement, I got a suite in the same shopping center as the corporate salon, this made my anxiety lessen a tiny bit since it was in the same area, but the unknown if people were going to find me or follow me def played a role in some sleepless nights but thankfully everything worked out. My husband has always supported my dreams and moves, so I’m thankful that he was there to encourage me. Now more than ever, I’m motivated by my daughter; the thought that she can look up to me and see her mom as an entrepreneur and wants to be a business owner herself one day makes every obstacle I’ve faced worth it.  

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?
When starting any business, obstacles come for sure. Moving from a corporate salon where customers can come in and book with you as a walk-in on a slow day to waiting for people to make appointments was scary in the beginning, but I knew What I was capable of and knew I would Do anything to make it work. My clients are amazing, and once I moved Out on my own, they all referred me to everyone, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. Covid was tough. Also, I’m sure, for everyone as well, being in an industry where we are in close contact with people and at the beginning not knowing exactly what COVID was scary. When we were closed, it was worrying bc. With no money coming in, how did I pay my rent? Thankfully, the owners of the salon where I rent my suite really helped us out (us, as in over 40 professionals), and I’ll always remember that. Thank you, Rick and Lisa, for having our backs. My clients came through for me as well, prepaying for services, which helped a lot. It definitely affected my business for at least a year since we couldn’t have more than one person in our rooms other than ourselves, and then there was a shortage of supplies along with the markup for cleaning supplies. I believe that if you stay positive and patient and work hard, you can overcome anything.  

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a cosmetologist specializing in dimensional balayage and color corrections. Lifting dark hair to blonde and keeping the integrity of the hair while keeping it seamless is something I’m very passionate about. What sets me apart is my ability to educate my clients on the process of their service and color theory so they understand why I do The things I do. I show them along the way and explain every detail so they are 100% involved with their service, all while keeping the integrity of their hair and delivering an exceptional experience in the salon. I pride myself on my clean and relaxing environment and my attention to detail.  

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
While a few come to mind, I would have to say my resilience. At the beginning of my business journey, I went through a lot in my personal life. I had to be emotionally and mentally strong to keep my business going on days when I wanted to quit. I was determined to not let that affect what I had worked so hard for, and thankfully, with perseverance and determination, I was able to overcome that season of my life and ultimately came out with a stronger ability to bounce back from challenges that came along the way and pursue and hit my goals as I make them. 

 Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vagaro.com/us04/amarahairsalon
• Instagram: Instagram.com/krystalmontiel_hairartist
• Other: https://linktr.ee/amarahairsalon