Today we’d like to introduce you to Hai Hoang.
Hai, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I am an immigrant from Vietnam. I am Asian and Latin and I’m super proud of both of my heritage. My parents and I came to America when I was just a toddler so that we can have a chance for a better life. My parents arrived in the US with 75 cents in their pockets and loved me enough to buy me an ice cream cone that cost 50 cents, which means we started our life here with only 25 cents. Most people would have felt defeated but my parents are the type of people who can see the silver lining regardless of any situation.
My memories of my childhood consisted a lot of seeing my parents work multiple jobs to be able to provide for me and my baby sister while doing their best to be present and there for us. We didn’t have much growing up but we always had each other, so I’ve always been super family oriented. Unfortunately, not having much meant being scrutinized by people who were better off. I was made fun of and bullied a lot as a child. This is why you will always see me stand firm against people who have negative things to say about me or others on social media. I’m a fan of good people and I live to love. I have been rich and I have been poor, I have been on the top and I have been on the bottom – so, I respect all people the same regardless of status or income. Because I saw how hard my parents had to work when I was a child, I vowed that when I grew up, I would make something of myself so that they would know that their sacrifices amounted to something great. It has always been important for me to make them proud.
As I grew up, I laid out plans on how to achieve my goals and I never allowed myself to make excuses or give up. I moved out at the age of 17 and by the time I was 18, I was financially independent and working as a store manager for a billion dollar loan company. I trained people of all ages and got a chance to travel all over the states to set up stores. I took my knowledge and experience and opened my first financial brokerage loan company at the age of 21. I went on to open 3 additional locations fairly quickly but I learned really fast that things don’t always go according to plan. I was blessed with a great family and an awesome boyfriend (now husband) that always encouraged me to go fight for my dreams… so, nothing ever got me down for too long.
Thankfully, with a lot of perseverance and determination, my business to this day still thrives. My husband and I co-own it and I am convinced that we make the most amazing team. At the age of 25, I decided that I was craving for new challenges. I was crazy enough to enroll at Kaplan University for real estate and Ogle for their cosmetology program, on the same day. I would wake up at 5 am every morning to be at Ogle early and stay late so that I could graduate early. Then, I would go home and eat dinner while finishing my real estate classes, which usually kept me up until 1 am. (Big shoutout to my husband for always making dinner during that time and taking such good care of my health, even when I was failing to do so!) It was about the hardest time period of my life, but it was so worth it. I was able to graduate months early from cosmetology school and walked the stage as Valedictorian!
That same month, I took my cosmetology state exam and passed. I also completed my real estate courses and passed my state exam the next month and became a licensed realtor. I had sought out job opportunities ahead of time and secured a spot as an agent with Keller Williams before even completing my course. My family, Jimmy and I got my salon boutique up and running within a week, and the day after I passed my exam, I was taking clients at my new salon. At age 26, I got engaged to the man of my dreams. The same man that has stood there to support me and love me through all the ups and downs. At age 27, I released my cosmetics line and hair extension line. At age 28, I was able to purchase my first house and I am now involved in real estate investment projects and other similar ventures.
At age 29, I married the love of my life and experienced the most special day. The memories of my wedding day and the look in my husband’s eyes as I walked down the aisle is forever engraved in my heart. I have never felt that kind of happiness before! After all the excitement of our wedding settled down, I finally felt like it was time to make a move towards the next step in my beauty career. I had been saving ALL my money for years and I was finally in the position to start looking for a bigger and better location for Hai Society. I am all about risk-taking but this was a huge one and I had to make sure I was extremely prepared and that I had the right team beside me to help me make such a huge step. I looked and looked and after a few disappointments of locations that didn’t work out (which now I am thankful for), I was able to find the location of my dreams! So, here I am, at the age of 30, preparing to embark on the next journey of my crazy and beautiful life.
Our grand opening of the new location will be next month and it will be extravagant! The opportunities continue to pour in and far as I’m concerned, the sky is the limit. Anyone who has ever doubted me obviously has not gotten the chance to see what I’m capable of. I can’t wait to see what’s in store as I move forward in life. But, if it’s one thing I’m absolutely sure of, it’s that I can do anything with all the love and support I’ve received by all the amazing people I’m blessed enough to have in my life. I am a living and breathing example that hard work will always pay off. My goal in life now is to always grow and always inspire. If anyone in your life has ever doubted you, I urge you to just keep going. You are capable of more than you know.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely! The road to success was never a straight and easy path for me. There have been multiple bumps along the road. I am appreciative of all of life’s ups, but more importantly, I am appreciative of all of life’s downs. The easy days are great, but the hard days have helped me grow and shape me into the strong woman I am today.
Hai Society Salon and Boutique – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Hai Society is a one-stop shop for all your beauty needs- I’m not even kidding! We are known for our “transformations”, which are basically the most dramatic color corrections that you probably have ever seen! We offer all types of hair services including our newest addition- our Japanese Head Spa services, makeup services, airbrush tanning, body wraps, facials (including the 24K Gold Facial), Hair Extensions, Eyelash Extensions, Microblanding… you name it, we do it! We even have the absolute trendiest boutique in-house and online! I am most proud of how much passion for the industry is exhibited by my employees and I, on such a consistent and daily basis. We never tire of our clients, they always come first. Our efforts and love for them show in everything that we do! I can’t tell you how many 16 hr days we have worked through and still leave with a smile. You won’t find a more passionate team!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career was securing our new location. I was able to triple my square footage, quadruple my employees and see all my hard work and sacrifices pay off… right before my eyes! I want to be able to help as many people in this industry as I can… I want to change this industry. I have always disliked the competitiveness and catty attitude that I have seen and personally experienced by some industry professionals. You won’t find that at Hai Society. We are a family and we are blessed to have found each other. Women are stronger when we unite to help each other win.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6841 Virginia Parkway
Ste 102
McKinney, TX 75071 - Website: thehaisociety.com
- Phone: 469-215-0704
- Email: info@thehaisociety.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thehaisociety
- Facebook: facebook.com/thehaisocietyofficialpage
- Other: SNAPCHAT: TheHaiSociety
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