Meet Ernesto Calderon of Novak Hair Studios in Downtown Fort Worth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernesto Calderon.

Ernesto, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I had no plans of doing hair when I began my career path, I was headed to the medical field and then into admission work for a propriety school. It wasn’t until I was laid off from my position at SMU that I even considered it. I got a job as a receptionist at a high-end salon in Dallas. I was having lunch with my dad when he asked what I was gonna “do” for my career and I had no idea. He suggested doing hair or nails and I thought “ok……..OK!” Once I finished school I worked in a friend’s salon for a couple of years and realized I needed more training so I went to work as an assistant to the owner of a big salon in Midland. Within a couple of years, I was promoted to “Stylist Manager”. I hit that glass ceiling pretty quickly so then decided it was time to do my own thing.

My good friend and I opened Salon Adara in Midland and was finally home!! Not long after I was approached about becoming an educator and stage artist for Aquage Haircare. I traveled a lot and worked behind the chair all while running my business. I hit a wall! It was time to slow down. I made the move to Fort Worth to take a chance on love and have never been happier. I left Aquage to educate for Wella Professionals, After about two years I realized I was again stretching myself too thin so I retired from teaching and am focused solely on my work behind the chair. I’ve found an amazing salon home and family at Novak hair studios and couldn’t ask for a better place to be in life!.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been very lucky to have an amazing client base both in Midland and here in DFW but no it hasn’t always been a smooth road. Customer service is a very tough field combined with required skills it can be exhausting. I have experienced burn-out several times during my 15 years of hairdressing. I’ve learned now how to say “no”, it’s not always easy because I want to take care of each of my guests and their hair needs, it’s necessary though in order to maintain a healthy work and home life balance. I’m a much nicer person when my life is in balance!!

We’d love to hear more about your work.
The experience I create for my guests has always been a top priority for me. I’m very fortunate to work in a salon that is equally devoted to the same, they have taken the guest experience to the next level and it’s so nice to be supported in that way. I remind myself daily that people take half days from work to come see me they get babysitters, change travel plans, even drive more than hours!!! I owe it to them to make sure that the focus in on them and that they can step away from their busy lives for a little while and feel refreshed and beautiful when they leave. Can my guests get a better haircut elsewhere? Possibly. Can they have a better experience elsewhere? Not a chance! I am constantly working to improve my craft it’s essential to always be learning and improving the day I lose interest in that is the day I will retire.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Gone to beauty school much sooner! I took out a lot of student loans for school before beauty school and man, they were hell to payback! It all happened in the time it was supposed to but I can’t help but think how life might have been had I known way back when that I would love this industry so much and started cosmetology school in high school. It would have been so much cheaper!! I just know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be at this moment.

Contact Info:

• Address: 250 W Lancaster
  Fort Worth, TX 76012
• Phone: 817-592-4247
• Instagram: @imstilltalking

Image Credit:
Sandro Giorgi

Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.