From Our Founder Thao,
I started my career in the hair industry when I was just 16 turning 17 in 2013. I assisted hairstylists for about a year and a half, watching and learning. One of my first opportunities to be a full-time hairstylist was at Salon Caramia. As my passion grew, my thirst for knowledge did as well. After working at Salon Caramia for 5+ years, I decided I wanted to further my career by broadening my capabilities and responsibilities. I wasn’t ready to fully ready to open my own space so I decided to rent my chair at La Girouette to learn more about the business side of the industry.
Three years later, I saved up my money and started my search for my very own space. I happened to pass by a space that looked promising in May 2021. I really loved the space, vibe and potential, I loved it so much, that I signed the lease on June 2021 and the adventure started.
With the support of friends and family, I was able to renovate and planned to open for August 2021. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to open a new business, let alone during the pandemic, however, I was determined and driven to make it work. During the renovations, I started to think about the mission and values I wanted this place to represent. I wanted it to represent inclusion and community, and to be safe and welcoming environment but the word that most stuck out to me was inspiration. I wanted this place to be a source of inspiration. For people to feel inspired to be authentically and unapologetically themselves. For them to find an outlet through which their unique beauty and perspectives could be showcased with pride. Through this, Studio Inspo was born.