Check Out Lauren Daugherty’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Daugherty. 

Hi Lauren, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My cosmetology career all started when I began attending beauty school my junior and senior year of high school. My high school offered a dual enrollment program for students, it was a great way for me to get started in my career right after I graduated high school. I started working at my first salon when I was 19 years old, back then I started out doing haircuts for $12.99. That salon did mostly walk in mens haircuts. I moved up to a different salon about a year and a half later, and started working for First Choice haircutters. I was able to get a lot of education through that salon, they had classes come to the salon and even offered online education. I was able to improve upon my skill set so much more working there. Roughly two years later, I moved to the Novi area and started working for Lady Janes. It was only about a month after I started working there that they asked me to join on to a new team that was opening a new salon in Northville. I went on to manage that salon for 2 years. While managing I was able to build an amazing clientele there and I was able to grow a lot in my professional career. After the big shut down in 2020 getting back from quarantine I knew I was ready to make a change but I wasn’t sure what to do or how. I wasn’t sure if I could make it out on my own. My co manager that I had been working with for roughly a year had come to me and told me that she was planning to leave and work at a new studio. I didn’t know what I was doing to do next, I didn’t want her to leave and I didn’t want to manage without her. This was my opportunity. I talked with her more and more about renting out a studio and it all sounded amazing. She showed me the new space at the Cosmo salon studios and I immediately fell in love. I was sold. After that things seemed to move pretty quickly, I set up my website and started communicating with my clientele. I had a great following from my previous salon which helped me get off to an amazing start to being an independent stylist. I’ve also been able to grow and build more of a clientele since starting at Cosmos. My personal business is called L. Studios hair design and massage. I’ve been in business for myself for just over a year now and I absolutely love it. My partner Ashley and I recently expanded into a double suite so we can have even more flexibility and availability in our schedules. That’s basically how I got to where I am today. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way? 

I’ve definitely faced some obstacles over the years, I really struggled with education at first. Being fresh out of beauty school it can be a bit overwhelming. My first salon owner used to tell me I sucked at cutting hair but never trained me on how to do it properly. That was really rough but I was able to get better with experience. Another obstacle for me was when I started managing, it was difficult for me at first to find a good balance between being the boss/manager and also being a stylist. I also found out that managing isn’t necessary my favorite thing to do. I prefer to focus on my own craft. My current struggles would be trying to learn more of the business side of the salon. They don’t teach us in beauty school how to run our own business. So, It’s been a huge learning curve for me. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an independent hairstylist specializing in hair cutting. I also do some color, massage and waxing. My clients come back to see me because they appreciate my precision and attention to detail. I am a perfectionist and very detail oriented. I think I’m different from other stylists because I really care about giving my clients a wonderful experience while they’re in my chair. I don’t only care about their haircut I care about their experience and making sure they’re happy and relaxed each time I see them. I think what I’m most proud of is the progress I’ve made over the years. I started out doing walk in haircuts and now I have this amazing clientele at a beautiful studio. 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love seeing all of the renovations in the downtown Detroit area, it’s great to see the old architecture come back to life. My least favorite part of being close to the city is dealing with traffic. 

Pricing:

• Mens haircut $25+
• Woman’s haircut $35+
• Coloring services $110+
• 15 minute scalp/neck and shoulder massage $15

Contact Info:

• Email: L.studioshairdesign24@gmail.com
• Website: Lstudiohairdesign.GlossGenius.com
• Instagram: L.studios_hairdesign