Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Santana.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Nicole Santana, but everybody calls me Nico. I was born in Dominican Republic and Raised in Miami. I’m a Hairstylist been doing hair for 12 years/artist/I moved to Orlando in 2017 to find new opportunity’s and grow my business. At first, was a bit hard cause I moved to Orlando by myself. I didn’t know anybody. And was scared I wasn’t going to build and grow my business. At one point, I got frustrated that I wants building clientele. I’m not going to lie; I almost give up. But then my mom, 3 months after she moved to Orlando, I didn’t feel alone no more. And she gave me support to keep going, till this day. In 2018 -2021 I wasn’t in my best mental health, was struggling with a lot of emotions. One of them depression… in my culture, in my culture mental health is a taboo / and for some reason that affected me in a really young each cause I was just holding all my feelings. I always knew I had and still struggle with my emotions like everybody in this world. Is just Mather of accepting is okay to feel not okay and is normal I’m A Human: only way that helps me get through that mindset is keeping self around support it people one of my biggest joys is my son Anthony Luca he was born 2021. I put on hold a lot of my projects/now, this year I been working a lot on getting back to it and come with new art and adding new services in to my business /one person that has help me to get where I’m at today is my mom Judith Collado that’s why I keep to work with myself and be a better person for me my son and all the people around me. She is a holistic therapy’s, and she has giving me the knowledge and wisdom for me to be my own boss. She owns her own massage studio, and I admire her cause she came to this country to give me everything and show me I can do so much no matter age. Nationality etc.
One thing that I can say I have learn / is patient and just keep pushing and believing in myself are the things that have keep me standing to follow my dreams and be better at what I do.
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?
When my son was born, I had to put on hold a lot of my projects. I would get depressed stress, sometimes ‘cause I wanted to get stuff done. But my son is first, but now that my son is 12 months almost a year between my mom and mother-in-law, I got a lot of help with them taking care of my son when I’m working.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My style and how I stand out is the love of the 60s and 70s. Dreadlocks are my biggest passion.
I do all services tho color. Styling, treatments, I have my small line of homemade dreadlocks treatments and face & body scrubs… I always try to include my crafts into my business.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Write all your goals in a book. Organize your ideas and try to find what is going to take to get you there… connect with other artist. Take yourself out of your comfort zone
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Magicalooksbynico, Mystic tattoos
