Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Mitchell.
Dominique, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my hair career at the tender age of seven years old. I enjoyed playing with barbies but I was always trying to style their hair. I moved onto braiding hair and doing my younger sisters’ hair. I really loved doing hair but eventually took a different path after high school. I went to college to study business technology. I did an internship during the summer at a software company and realized a 9-5 office job wouldn’t make me happy. I went to Paul Mitchell the school Rhode Island after college and never looked back. Cosmetology school introduced me to my creative side. I finally found a place that I felt right at home, surrounded by people just like me. I graduated school and tried moving to New York. I wanted to be trained by the best, so I went on many interviews at different salons in New York but never received a callback. I gave up my search, went back to Boston and found a job in retail for about a year.
I thought I could do hair on the side but slowly realized retail wasn’t for me and I missed being in a salon atmosphere. I found an assistant job at a salon in the south shore, I did that for about 6-7 months and left to work at Supercuts. I’m a hands-on learner and wasn’t getting that by assisting. Supercuts was cool but started to feel like a job. The beautiful thing about the hair industry is that its constantly evolving and I didn’t feel like that working at supercuts after a year and a half. They always instilled in us at Paul Mitchell to love what you do. Whenever I lost the love of hair I knew it was time for a change. I left supercuts after finding a great position at a new salon in Braintree called Da Noi. It was perfect!
I started off with one or two clients per week, sometimes per month and eventually became the salon’s top stylist, next to my boss of course. Maria really helped me transition into being an independent hair stylist. After two and a half years of working at Da Noi, I came to a fork in the road. I was ready for a change but was afraid to leave what I knew. with a little hesitation, but support from my friends and family I opened my own salon studio at the age of 25. It was just me, perfect, comfortable and I had all creative control. Fast forward to almost three years I’m at a new location, new vibe, bigger space to allow growth of my brand. I never thought I would be a business owner, let alone have my own salon but I do and I’m so thankful.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Without failures, you will never learn the lesson. You must fail in order to succeed. This is a valuable lesson I learned early in my career and I’m still learning now. Steve Harvey talks about taking a leap of faith. We all know taking that chance on yourself is scary but aren’t you worth it? He talks about when taking the leap off the cliff you’ll fall first because your parachute won’t open right away. You’ll fall and hit a lot of rocks. Youll be bruised and cut up but eventually, you’ll soar. You just have to jump. My journey to where I am now wasn’t easy at all and I’m not even halfway where I want to be. entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. I don’t say that to scare you away but I say that to be honest. We live in a world now where everyone wants things to happen overnight for them, instant-gratification. But it’s not realistic. Things take time to grow, it takes you knocking on many doors and getting them slammed in your face or having to do things for free just to get your name out there. My biggest advice I could give someone starting out is to start exactly where you are. Don’t compare your journey to someone else. You want to start at the bottom, you want to learn and have room to make mistakes. The top is less forgiving. Also, don’t give up. Even though things aren’t happening quick enough or you aren’t where you want to be, keep going. This is the time where you prepare for your big break. where you make the connections, get a system down, and build a strong foundation for your business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with DMA by Dominique Mitchell – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a salon owner and hairstylist. I specialize in color and healthy hair of all textures. My brand is more than hair, I help women to discover their beauty from the inside out. Coming into the hair industry I always thought this is it, I’m going to travel the world, do hair behind the chair and on stage. Its become more than that as I approach my third year of having my own business. I’ve discovered so many things about myself that I didn’t like at the beginning of the journey and now I’ve discovered a whole new love for myself. My clients are truly amazing. They have grown with me, loved me, cried with me and laughed with me. I owe them everything. They continue to support me and my craft. The best I could do is help them as they helped me. As I grow and shift, so does my business. I have become a major advocate for spiritual healing work and plan on combining both hair and healing soon. It’s important for me to help women see their beauty not only on the outside but most importantly on the inside. I haven’t seen anything like this is Massachusetts which makes me believe God put this vision and gift in me for a reason. I can’t wait to share it
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
My life has become non-stop so I find myself listening to podcast more than anything! I listen to them on my way to work, at work and home. I never really have time to watch tv or listen to the radio. Although I love music and it plays a major part in my life. I have come across so many great podcasts that help me with my day today. For spirituality, motivation, and inspiration, I love Super Soul Sunday and Joel Olsteen. They really speak to my heart when I need it the most. For the business podcast, Tony Robbins, Garyvee, and The school of greatness have been top plays for me. For women empowerment, Hey, girl by Alex Elle is my favorite. There are so many more I could name but I encourage you to search for a podcast that speaks to you.
I have a long list of books that I’m reading right now but haven’t finished! I tend to do that, such a bad habit. I usually reach for books that will inspire me, help me grow spiritually, and better me as a businesswoman.
I try to keep my apps simple, I’m practicing being a minimalist in the modern day. So too much app clutter on my phone drives me crazy. I have most of the major social media platforms to stay connected and get my business out there. I like to make videos and photos to share on my Instagram. To edit my videos, I like Splice. My calendar keeps me organized and on top of things. I like to practice meditation when I have a chance and Insight timer helps me get the job done.
Contact Info:
- Address: 247 Washington St. Stoughton, MA suite 27
- Website: www.dominiquemitchell.net
- Phone: 617-955-9891
- Email: dmitchell.hairstylist@gmail.com
- Instagram: @hairbydominiquem
Image Credit:
Dominique Mitchell
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