Meet Elaina Rodriguez | Owner & Founder of Lipstick & Scissors Artistry, Hair Extensions Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elaina Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elaina, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I had a mentor once tell me, “Feel the fear and do it anyway”. I know that in order to grow both personally and in business you have to get out of your comfort zone and try something different. I think taking risks is what has lead me in my career because success was never guaranteed. My passion for this industry is what keeps me excited about trying new things and wanting to push the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My small business, Lipstick & Scissors Artistry is a Luxury Salon Suite. It is just two of us, my business partner/sister-in law and myself. We are both licensed cosmetologists and specialize in hair extensions or hair thinning solutions, offer luxury salon services and hair and makeup services including lessons.

What sets us apart is our passion for education, new techniques and trends and what’s overall best for our clients. We love making our clients feel confident and them seeing the beauty we already see within them.

To get where we are now, took years of overall experience with a diverse clientele. We learned best practices in both hair and makeup to cater to individual needs, giving us a well rounded knowledge for various clients. In addition to continuing beauty industry education, such as cutting, coloring, styling and makeup classes, we have also taken business coaching classes so that we can always offer the best service to our clients and truly elevate their experience as well. This has also allowed us to fully manage the business side to be successful and financially support ourselves and our families. I personally have taken courses for hair thinning solutions and extra training to become a hair extension educator. Nothing was easy, but we put in the time and dedication sometimes spending time away from our families. Thankfully we have full support to achieve our goals making every decision worth it.

I want people to know that our brand is for anyone wanting or needing to show themselves a little love or selfcare. We want our clients time with us to be an experience, one on one, all about the client It can even be as simple as some quiet time while they get our spa haircut. Our hope is that our clients feel beautiful and refreshed when they leave our private suite. We are a family owned business wanting to spread confidence and self love through luxury services.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado has so much to offer with sites and spots to visit. We start a little south in Colorado Springs and take a walk at the Garden of the Gods. We then like to visit Seven Falls where there is a great restaurant at the base of the falls. Make a stop in Castle Rock for some shopping at the premium outlets and having dinner just across the street at La Loma, they have the best Margaritas. Morrison has a fun beach at Bear Creek Lake for a day in the sun or paddle boarding. Denver has so many great places to eat, it depends on your mood. Some of my favorites are Machete, Ocean Prime, or Snooze if you are there in the morning. For evenings, catch a Rockies game and with-in walking distance there are restaurants and bars such as The Tavern, Viewhouse and 1Up. Lastly you cannot come to Colorado without making one visit to the mountains like Estes Park and taking the Stanley Hotel Tours.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I couldn’t have made it to where I am without the support of my family. They have encouraged my career choice as soon as I made the decision to be in the beauty industry. A special thanks to my husband, David, for always allowing me to live my dreams and support me both emotionally and financially, especially in the beginning of my career. Another thanks to my sister-in-law and other half of my business, Mary, for bringing the balance and logic to my creative side, as well as encouragement to follow my own path.

Website: www.lipstickxscissors.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lipstickandscissorsartistry

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lipstickandscissorsartistry

Other: threads – @lipstickandscissorsartistry

Image Credits
Robins Photography Melissa DeMers Photography