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

Hi Michelle, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has changed dramatically for me recently. I was working 6-7 days a week 10-16 hours a day thinking it was what I needed to do and what was expected of me to do as a first generation minority woman. Like I needed to prove myself to the world. I was running myself into the ground, but also depriving myself from family, friends and fun. I was using work as an excuse to not be social, and I think to punish myself, for what I do not know. My body was breaking down on me and I was ignoring all of the signs. Weaken immune, weight gain, hair loss, breakouts, irritability and mood swings. By the week of Christmas I had a full break down. I had caught myself in a bulimic relapse which I have not had in 15 years. At that moment I knew, I was falling apart. I had family in town, co workers depending on me and businesses to run. I thought if I just grind till the 24th, i’ll have 4 days off to recoup. But I was useless those 3 of those days. My brain was shut down, like muscle failure at the gym. I could barely form sentences. I found myself apologizing over and over because I was just a shell of a body. Everything I had planned either someone had to take over or it just didn’t get done. In my head, I ruined Christmas. I eventually got my barrings back and got back to work and all my issues came back. The universe told me to sit down, my husband and my oldest son got covid and we had to quarantine. It was killing me, but I was getting much needed rest. I was enjoying it but for some reason feeling guilty at the same time like I didn’t deserve down time. Everyone got better and back to work I went and then the universe kicked my door down. Changes needed to be made. I eventually walked away from my employer and started to focus on my business, focus on myself. My family made comments about how happy they are and how the dynamic at home had changed since my work life balance changed, my marriage didn’t seem to have as many issues, I started to notice my hair growing back and my skin cleared up. I started to feel…better. But my doctor noticed it the most, all my hormones leveled out I lost 15lbs so far and she said my over all demeanor had changed, and that I just seemed happier and healthier. My body was no longer in protection mode and no longer attacking itself. From that point on, I realized how much work life balance impacts not only yourself but everyone in your life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I see myself as an actual Cosmetologist. Most of us go to school and learn cosmetology but by the end of schooling and the beginning of our career we tend to focus in on one subject. Cosmetology when I was in school was hair, skin, makeup and nails. I love them all! Even though most of my career I focused on hair, my passion for all of it I kept pretty closeted. I was battling my inner demons of identity and just didn’t have the confidence that if I was me I would be successful or accepted. As I got older I said screw it dove in head first. I was lucky that I was working for a place that allowed me to do so. So now even though i’m skilled to do it all, my focus is on hair and makeup till I can expand and have the space to add in skin and nails in the future. My career journey is a little different than most. I started in smaller boutique salons I didn’t want to be in big salons I like the more intimate environment. I was also a single mother and worked in a corporate environment while also working in small salons and maintaining a home salon. I retired a lot from doing hair mainly because I was worn out from just working but also from taking on any client even if we didn’t mesh well and that takes a toll on you as time goes on. I moved out of state a couple of times then something my dad said really resonated with me, he said “stop fighting what you are naturally good at doing, there is a reason its easy to do and why you are good at it. You are supposed to be doing it, once you stop fighting it you will find success.” I hate to say it… he was right. Since I was never full time in a salon, leaving and moving I did not have a strong clientele, and I was working for a large resort while I did have a regulars most of my clientele were transient. So once I decided to focus on me and my business building a clientele based on referral has been I think the biggest challenge thus far. I do struggle with wanting to be busy and successful right now but I also enjoy watching the growth of my business. Its like a child. I care for each one of my clients on such a personal level. My own personal battle with confidence and self love has guided me to the type of salon I wanted to have. My goal is to make it a safe place. An intimate environment. Where they feel safe and trust enough to take and make calls, where they can cry, talk, or not talk. Where they can come in wearing whatever they want, feeling how ever they feel and feel comfortable enough to do so. The relationship between a stylist and their client is special. I have had clients tell me things about their life that their own families and friends don’t know. I create an environment where women can take off their hijab, a place where you come for a transformation, rebalance, a time to breath, a place to feel safe. Though my life journey and the people that have come in and out of my life, the stories told and the lessons learned my goal is to build a business that not only makes people feel safe but build a village where we build each other up. Embrace each others talents and share them amongst each other. My success comes from the success of the ones around me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh my gosh, where do I start?! Well this is embarrassing but my family and I have been in the DFW area for 9 years and we don’t really know a whole lot about the area. But the few places we have been that we love is Sundance Square in Ft. Worth. It’s everything you think TX is. It’s walking under the strung lights, live music, good GOOD food, and of course cowboy hats and belt buckles. Christmas on Main St. in Grapevine is pretty cool. Lots of shops and things for the kids to do. My husband is a foodie so it’s lots of eating for us, so we would probably go to Carrolton and eat our way through all the Korean restaurants there. Our favorite Mexican is Posados in Ft. Worth. Its the only place we go to eat Mexican, and then local to us would be LSA in the Denton Town Square. The food is amazing the best burger, local beers on tap and of course live music on the roof top! Denton also has a pretty amazing farmers market, lots of good food and produce and of course artists and there are a few cool booths for the puppies!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely have to give credit to my parents for passing down the strong work ethic gene for sure. Both of my parens were adopted from Korea, and met when they were both in the Navy. They have worked extremely hard their entire lives and are both very successful because of it and neither one has a college degree. My drive to push myself so hard is because of their example. I grew up watching them work and just figuring things out and making it work, and I took that and applied it to mine. With hard work comes success with anything in your life. Continue to push yourself beyond what you think your limits are because you maybe be capable of so much more. Break your own walls down, BUT its a delicate dance because you don’t want to push yourself to the point of breaking. I have definitely learned that the hard way, more than once. I also want to give thanks to my friends. I have some of the best friends anyone could have! My friends come from all ages and backgrounds are the most amazing people. So supportive, caring, talented and just absolute beautiful inside and out. I really got lucky with people in my life. But most of all I need to recognize my family. My husband and kids have really been there for me through hell and high water. I recently told my husband that I see him as my light house, grounded, strong, stable and protective. Overseeing but not over bearing and i’m the water, all over the place and unpredictable but he stands strong allows me to do and move as I need too. My husband and the boys have never not supported my career choice or dream. They are my ride or dies and they think that what I do is awesome and amazing and I absolutely love that about them. They are my hype men! I’m a very lucky woman!

Instagram: @thebeautybar2019

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebeautybar2019

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5w3eFJ6R8faZCWbCjboQiA

Image Credits
The wedding pics were taken by Chevy Chey Photography. Everything else was by me.

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