Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique DiBenedetto.
Dominique, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been doing hair as long as I can remember. I finished cosmetology school at 18 years old; I’m 33 now, so you do the math!!! It is the only thing I know, and it’s like breathing to me. When I started hair school, my family wasn’t exactly excited about the trade I had chosen, and I wanted to show them I could finish something. As it turned out when I was in school, I fell in love with this craft and the industry. I did everything to make ends meet. I worked two jobs, one as a waitress and another as a shampoo assistant to gain experience. I did this all while attending school Monday through Friday 10-3pm. After I finished school in 2005, I still had to hustle as a waitress while I was assisting and attempting to build a clientele. Eventually, I had to choose between my career in a salon or my job as a waitress. I decided to make the sacrifice and dedicate myself to the craft I loved.
Unfourtantley that came to a price, because I had no clients and no money. So I had no choice but to find a way to get clients in my chair. So I went to the mall, Starbucks, anywhere I could find clients. I begged my friends and family to let me do their hair so I can take pictures with my digital camera to build a portfolio. These were days before Instagram and social media, so giving out your business card and word of mouth was the magic sauce. I remember eventually walked around with a 3-inch binder with photos that I printed out at Walgreens and showed it to anyone that would look. And things started to get moving. I started getting requests, and the razor flip phone started ringing!!! I started diving into color and became even more in love with the art, and it became my specialty and spent as much time and effort as I could in learning and experimenting, and now color correction has become my true passion. I worked in a lot of salons, and I learned so much from all the experiences. As years went by I was able to go into business for myself eventually and opened my own salon suite. In there, I was able to finally promote and brand myself and build the business of my dreams.
On a personal note, when in this space, I became a mother to my son, which has been the greatest hardest thing I have ever done!!! So at this time, a lot of growth happened in all aspects of my life. So as a new mom and a thriving business I was able to learn not only to become a better stylist and colorist, but I was able to become an entrepreneur a businesswoman and obtain the skills I needed to go into my next venture and open my salon. This year on May 8th, my dream became a reality, and Aura Hair Co. happened. I wanted to provide and create an environment where stylists thrive and feel safe and are free to create beautiful work and build their business behind the chair with guidance and fantastic leadership. My team is fantastic, and I’m so lucky to have them and to be where I am, and the sky is the limit because there is so much more that I want to tackle. Right now, I’m currently expecting my second baby boy, and I just launched my first hands-on class to be taught in my new salon space!!! I want to give back and teach other upcoming stylist practical skills that they can use and make their business grow!!
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?
Definitely not. I had a lot of personal struggles along this journey. There are two major struggles that will always come to mind in particular 1. The loss of my dad in 2013 it hit me pretty hard I had just gotten married and I was kind of still in the wedded bliss stage and 15 days later after my wedding my dad had a massive heart attack. He had been sick for a while but nothing prepares you for that and I really had a hard time with that loss. I felt stuck and in a rough place for a couple of months and I still struggle with it sometimes to be quite honest. The second which a lot of people don’t really tend to speak about is the struggle I had trying to have a baby. It took three years to finally get pregnant and a lot of fertility treatments that never worked. It almost cost me my marriage. We were both so hopeful when we decided to expand our family and then when it didn’t happen we were still optimistic and then another year passed, nothing, another year nothing. That was a dark time for both me and my husband. The financial, physical and emotional burden of those treatments over and over again with no results but such a strain on what was supposed to be an exciting time. On the upside, we eventually did have our son and he was definitely worth the wait and are so thankful.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Aura Hair Co. – what should we know?
I’m a master hair colorist and I love the challenge of this part of my job. The proper term would be Color Correction Specialist. It really means a lot to me when someone puts their trust in me to give them the look that they have been trying to achieve and I get to be the one delivers. I’m really proud that I have built a reputation of quality, honesty and consistency. I really do have my clients best interest in mind, I dont give push services that they don’t need I keep their lifestyle in mind and really try to involve them in the whole process. My rule of thumb is never over promise and underdeliver, I have found that to be so true and by following that I have gained my client’s trust and respect for life.
Do you feel luck has played a role in your life?
I don’t know if luck has really played a part in this whole thing but if it has, I would say I was pretty lucky. I feel that making mistakes and actually learning from them has played a bigger part for me.
Pricing:
- Color Correction – 150 an hour
- Balayage – 200+
- Speciality Color 250+
Contact Info:
- Address: Aura Hair Co.
3525 West Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach Florida, 33436 - Website: aurahaircompany.com
- Phone: 561-509-0195
- Email: aurahairco@gmail.com
- Instagram: Aurahairco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairbydom22/
- Other: @hairbydom
Image Credit:
Hair photos – Dominique DiBenedetto, Team and Salon Photos – Love Story Photography
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