Meet Melissa Alanis | Salon Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Alanis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
The only reason to give up, is if you come to a point where this career isn’t fulfilling you. Don’t give up on the hard days, don’t give up the second you receive client criticism, don’t give up for anyone else or because it gets hard. Give up if it’s truly not fulfilling you. We are in a passion-driven industry and if it’s not fulfilling us; we can’t give it our all because at the point it feels like just another job an it’s so much more than that; it’s an art, it’s a skill, it’s a passion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart is the pride I take in my work. I’m never settled. I’m always open to grow in my skill whether that’d be technical or communication skills. I take every critique and I grow from it. It was definitely not easy. The studio I have now wasn’t my first studio, but this was my goal so I knew that when I closed my first studio, as sad as I was I wasn’t going to give up. Instead, I used it as an opportunity to evaluate what didn’t work and to try something different and that’s what got me to be the solid salon owner I am today. It’s a journey and it’s not a smooth one but every detour is an opportunity for growth.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend visiting the area I would first and foremost take them to Manuel’s El Tepeyac in Boyle heights! It’s an absolute must! Then we would go for a hike in the Ascott hills of El Sereno. The next day we’d go to Philippe’s Dip Sandwiches then walk over to Heratige Park to do a few laps and enjoy the scenery. We would definitely have to do an ice cream day so one of those days we would stop by Salt and Straw for an ice cream flight. Another day we can go to city walk and for sure stop at Voodoo donuts. That leaves a few days left to take visit to Hunington Library, Kenneth Hahn Park for a view of everything LA has to offer and my absolute favorite park, Hermosa Park in Echo Park and go down the rock slide until we’re sick to our stomachs then sit at the bench right in front of downtown and just talk until the sun goes down.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe so much of my success to my friend Ashley Hernandez of Haus Of Mane in Montebello. Not only did she train me in haircutting way back in the early days, but when she took the leap of faith and opened her own studio, not a day went by where she didn’t push me to do the same. She offered me her space to work in to see how it would be and just a few months later, I opened my own studio.

Website: https://snlhairstudio.glossgenius.com

Instagram: @smockednloaded