Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophia Victor.
Sophia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My earliest memory of my first Hairstyle is wearing Box Braids. Growing up in Liberty City Miami, Braids was what I had seen most! It just was so hard to find someone to braid my hair consistently. I specifically remembered this beautiful lady named “Bam” who had a very bad drug addiction. She had her ups & a lot of downs but when she was clean, she was my hairstylist. I loved how she did my braids! Her work was very neat & little to no tension was applied to each strand. Sadly, she just hit rock bottom & just roamed the streets. I am the eldest child of four girls, so I had no choice but to start practicing how to braid on them because I figured it’d be so expensive for my parents to bring us ALL to the salon every week. At the age of fourteen, I begin to build my clientele. I started braiding some of my neighbor’s hair, their kid’s hair, classmates, fellow church members, & the list goes on. I’ve been doing this for 10+ years & I can honestly say this was a gift from God because there were times that I gave up & said I didn’t want to do this anymore. But when he speaks through someone to you, you listen! I went to Beauty Schools of America at the age of 18 & graduated at 19. I’ve found my purpose, my passion, & put my skills to use non stop! I’m a licensed braider who started an Llc here in North Miami, FL & have successfully been running for two years now. I consider myself a Protective Hairstyle Specialist because most of my work consists of styles that can be worn for 4-12weeks long protecting your natural hair from heat damage & breakage. I love being able to help others boost their self-esteem & also grow their hair!
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?
There was a point in time in my life when I completely stopped doing hair to focus on school. Being a full-time student at Barry University with no income is HARD. I prayed to God every day asking him to show me what it is that I’m supposed to do. Old clients & new customers would constantly call me asking to set an appointment but I would always decline. God was trying to show me that I needed to put my gift to use! It was a major struggle trying to do hair while being in school. Some nights I barely slept because I’d be up working all night. After one year, I had to make the hardest decision of my life. Dropping out of college to pursue my dreams of becoming a Hairstylist. It was hard! My parents were very disappointed in me but they didn’t understand that every time I tried to get away from doing hair, I was brought right back to it. I cried almost every night, but I grew enough confidence in myself & had faith in God that I’ll be able to make a living out of it.
Alluring Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m a Protective Hairstyle Specialist. I specialize in Protective Styles such as Box Braids, Cornrows, Weaves, Wigs Units, & Natural Hairstyles. I am very proud of how hard I’ve worked to become the stylist that most natural women come to, to get a Protective Style by. I work with all hair textures; from very straight, to 4C Hair! That’s what makes my business different from others. Every single one of my clients leaves Crowned an Alluring Empress after being serviced. I refer to their hair as “Crowns” because we all are Empress’s & Emperors. I want my clients to carry themselves as such!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Officially becoming a CEO of a company.
Pricing:
- Alluring Empress Braids $200 & up
- Best of Both Worlds Braids $135 & up
- Two Rows of Braids $145 & up
Contact Info:
- Address: 12355 Ne 13th Ave Suite 304 North Miami, FL 33161
- Website: Www.alluringstudio.com
- Phone: 8502845510
- Email: sophiav@alluringstudio.com
- Instagram: Alluringstudiollc
- Facebook: Alluring Studio llc
Image Credit:
Mariah, Mellisa, Cierra, Anaya, Sanaya, Sharon, Kelsey, Shonique, & Ashley
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