Meet Kara Del Solar | Salon Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Del Solar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

Unlike most people I went to Cosmetology school with, working for myself was never really a desire or goal of mine. The thought of keeping up with inventory, placing orders, managing social media, booking clients, marketing myself and so much more was exhausting to even think about. I started off my career straight into an apprentice program, basically the grunt work. Those days consisted of folding towels, cleaning dishes, sweeping, applying basic colors for the master stylists, and making sure the salon was looking its best. While working in this position, I wasn’t convinced I was ever going to enjoy this career, let alone make more than minimum wage doing it. While my apprenticeship only lasted 9 months, I soaked up as much information that I could. Little did I know, it was enough to set a great foundation for my career. My mentor made a comment early on in my apprenticeship that stuck with me as I navigated hard times in my career. He told me “you’re the most promising apprentice we’ve ever had here”. While things didn’t end like either of us thought, I always remember that comment and knew he saw something in me that I had yet to discover in myself.

Fast forward three salons later. While each of these salons I worked for I never ended up seeing myself there forever, I don’t regret any of them. It was a hard three years of discovery. Trying to figure out who I was, what I liked doing, and what I felt passionate about. It makes you question yourself when every year you’re at a new salon. But I have to remember that they were all learning opportunities that got me where I am today.

I learned that I really did enjoy social media and marketing. I guess I was doing something right because all three salons asked me to help run/manage it! I learned I LOVE balayage, seamless colors, & extensions. I invested in more education in these and still can’t get enough. I learned I love teaching myself new things. I learned that I don’t have to be good at everything this industry has to offer. I can specialize and be great at the things I’m passionate about. I learned what burnout feels like and how to avoid it. I learned how to do taxes as an independent contractor. So many valuable lessons.

As I was in the midst of learning all these things, I realized that working for myself was the only way to get everything I wanted in a working environment. So that’s what I did! And I can whole heartedly say, I’ve never been happier. I wouldn’t change about anything about the last 4 years, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It brought me my business and I will forever be thankful for that.

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?

The thing that keeps me most excited about this industry is that I get to help people achieve hair goals and make women feel beautiful. I get to connect with people that sit in my chair and on top of that, I’m able to transform them. I get to watch them turn into a whole new person by the end of the service. It seriously never gets old. I have a powerful job and I will never take it for granted.

I can guarantee the road to owning my own business has been nothing short of hard. It’s not always a clearly paved path and that can make it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel at times. I heard this quote a year or so back when I was still working for someone and it said “you get what you work for, not what you wish for”. That’s when it hit me. I would get on social media everyday and compare myself to all these incredible public figures I looked up to in the industry. None of those people had been handed anything. They were all in my position at one point and worked their way up. So what was stopping me from doing the same?

It made me realize that the only person riding on how successful I am, is me. It’s not my bosses or anyone else’s job to get me clients or market myself. All of my success rode on me. Pretty scary thing when you work for yourself right? This definitely lit a fire in me and inspired me to make a change.

I don’t know what the future of my business holds but one thing I do know is I will never stop learning as a stylist and business owner. This is my hobby AND my job and I don’t know a lot of people that get to say both of those are in the same category. So for that, I am forever thankful of my story and where it lead me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m probably biased because this is where I spent my wedding weekend but the Drover hotel and Stockyards are a must. The Biscuit Bar is my favorite. It’s super cute and the food is so yummy! For entertainment, my husband and I were gifted a virtual reality escape room at Red Door Escape room a few years ago and it was such a cool and different experience. He still talks about how much fun he had 3 years later. This area is so fun to just walk around on a nice day and enjoy all it has to offer. We’ve also enjoyed in the past eating at food trucks and renting kayaks at Panther Pavilion. Lots of hidden gems in this area!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I have two dedications one of which goes to someone who would probably least expect it. Joe Rose, who was my mentor and educator in my apprentice program. He saw my knack for hair long before I did and was the first one in the industry to make me feel like I had something. Looking back, I’m thankful to have had someone who saw and instilled that in my mind so early on in my career. At hard times, I fell back on that and reminded myself of what he told me.

My second dedication would go to friends and family, especially my husband. Without the ongoing support and encouragement, I can say for a fact I would not have half of what I have today. Having an amazing support system can make or break a person. I can definitely say this industry would have broken me if it weren’t for the support behind the scenes.

Instagram: @solarsalonn

Image Credits
Pictures taken of me: Kaitlyn Fleming @kaitlynflemingphotography