Raul Salas

MY PATH TO BECOME A HAIR ARTIST BEGAN 23 YEARS AGO WHEN I GRADUATED FROM UNI (AS WE SAY IN MEXICO) WITH A DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING. IT TOOK VERY LITTLE TIME FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT IF I WANTED TO BE HAPPY I HAD TO DO WHAT I LOVED, WHICH FOR ME, WAS BEING A HAIR STYLIST. I TOOK THE LEAP OF FAITH AND ENROLLED AT COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GRADUATING, I BEGAN MY APPRENTICE PROGRAM AT PRESTIGIOUS SALON. WITH A LOT OF PERSISTENCE AND DEDICATION I BEGAN TO BUILD TRUST WITH ALL OF MY CLIENTS, AND MY BOOKS GREW. WHAT I LEARNED DURING THIS TIME WAS THAT A HAIRSTYLIST BECOMES YOUR CONFIDANT, YOUR SAFE PLACE TO VENT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR FRIEND. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT ABOUT FINDING A TRUE CONNECTION WITH EACH CLIENT. ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT MY CAREER IS THAT IT NEVER GETS OLD. STYLES ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND PEOPLE ARE HAVING MORE FUN WITH THEIR HAIR THAN EVER BEFORE. CONTINUOUS EDUCATION IS A CORNERSTONE OF OUR SALON, NOT AS A REQUIREMENT BUT AS GIFT TO OURSELVES AND OUR CLIENTS. AFTER 15YEARS OF GAINING EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE CHAIR I OPENED MY OWN SALON, WHICH OPERATED FOR FOUR SUCCESSFUL YEARS UNTIL MY MOST RECENT EXPANSION TO OUR NEW LOCATION ON 5TH AVE. GALLERY WEST H.S. CAN NOW HOUSE 20 STYLISTS AND A VARIETY OF NEW SPA TREATMENTS. I WANTED TO BUILD MY ULTIMATE SPACE WHERE I CAN CREATE, TEACH, LEARN AND SHARE THEY JOY OF DOING WHAT I LOVE.