Today we’d like to introduce you to LaToya Bogard.
Hi LaToya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey as a beauti professional started on the East Side of Chicago. As a little girl, it always intrigued me with hair and beauti. I grew up playing with Barbie and Cabbage Patch Kids. Now they don’t have a lot of hair to work with, but I was creative with it. As my curiosity grew, I started doing hair on my block and really set my sights on being a hairstylist. High school was I was set in my purpose, I worked as a shampoo girl for a local salon and really got the feel for being a hairstylist. The creativity, the innovation the transformations. I know I was on the right path. I passed out flyers in high school and became well known for doing hair. I had my 1st salon in my grandmother’s spare bedroom. I was excited!
After high school, I enrolled in Pivot Point International Beauty School, and the journey continued. While attending, I became pregnant with my 1st child, during that time I was experiencing a lot of life challenges but I was determined to complete school. Looking back, I knew God had a plan and purpose for me.
Here we are today: With over 25 years as a beauti professional, I am still passionate about and excited about my career. I have certainly evolved over the years, and I realize now more than ever that it’s more than a hairstyle. It’s about them feeling refreshed and renewed. It’s the feeling they get when they see hair growth, where they may have experienced hair challenges. Their renewed confidence when they see their hair transformed through color and or extensions. What about when life’s challenges happen and I’m a shoulder to cry on and a prayer partner to help them through? I could go on and on about my journey as a beauti entrepreneur, Like anything you have highs and lows, but the beautiful people I serve outweigh the bad.
Alright, 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?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road. However, I think the biggest challenges were finding my lane, being consistent, and not comparing myself to others. The beauty industry is a big world with a lot of talent, creativity, and personality. If you are not careful, you can send yourself down a rabbit hole, add social media to the equation and you could find yourself second-guessing your gifts and talents. I’ve learned over the years and today I’m more confident in who I am as a professional, I have a better understanding of the value I bring, the impact that God allows me to make.
We’ve been impressed with Flourish Beauti Salon, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Flourish Beauti Salon is your premier Beauti Boutique Specializing in Gorgeous Color, Luxury Extensions & Healthy Hair. With over 25 years in the beauti industry, we offer a wide range of services, the best in professional haircare products, without compromising on style. We execute each of our services with on-trend techniques to create a customized look that will have you and your hair looking & feeling amazing! At Flourish Beauti Salon we care about YOU! Not just your hair but your overall wellbeing.
We are more than just a salon; we have amazing retail offerings and special events making sure we are a one-stop-shop for our guests. From our professional hair care products to our Luxury Soy Candle line or join us each month for a Self Care Sunday Session. Flourish Beauti cares about you the whole YOU!
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Being in the beauty industry, I feel you’re always taking risks. Before the pandemic, I was a full-time salon manager at a well-known chain salon. Shortly after we returned from the pandemic, they terminated my job. I had the choice to be demoted and stay as a stylist or move into a position that would not allow me to service clients anymore or take my package and move on. I moved on. It’s funny, I was just getting to a point where I was glad that I had a set salary. No matter how many clients I serviced. I felt like I could breathe. I really wasn’t ready to go back to that full life as an entrepreneur however, purpose always prevails. Hence Flourish Beauti Salon!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flourishbeauti.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/flourishbeauti
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/flourishbeautisalon
Image Credits
ZayRuss Photo
