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

Hi Alina, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
There is a common misconception about the cosmetology/hair/beauty industry that many people tend to assume. They think cosmetology is “easy”, a last resort option for those with no other direction or ambition, a glamorous profession that is just fun and games. In actuality, being a hairstylist is in itself, a physically and mentally demanding job. You’re a therapist, a scientist, a mathematician, and more importantly you’re someone that can make or break someone’s day just like that. You’re constantly learning new techniques, and constantly dealing with different types of people. Everyday is a new project, a new problem to solve and this is all while standing on your feet and literally sometimes only having time to run to the back and stuff your face with crackers, a sip of water and run back out with no restroom break till evening time. Work doesn’t stop after you leave the salon, you also go home and respond to messages and post on social media to keep your business and work advertised. Not everyone can do this job, and I believe hairstylists are a different breed of amazing, smart, and hardworking people. Don’t knock on cosmetologists because the most hardworking and intelligent people are in this industry.Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would say that the work that I do is customized individually and caters to everyone differently depending on their wants and needs. The feeling and excitement of changing someone’s look I feel like reflects in the attitude of my work. I am proud of how far I have come but I know I am far from perfect and there is always something to learn everyday as well as something to improve on. It was not easy getting to where I am today..it was a lot of blood, sweat, tears, days where I wanted to give up, long long hours, a lot of mistakes, but with that came with opportunities to fix them and learn from it. I learned the hard way that not everyone is meant to be my clients and I am not everyone’s hairstylist. I just want to change the world, one head at a time.Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmmm..I would start off by taking him/her to eat at all my favorite spots! Kata robata, oporto fooding and winehouse, shabu2, killeens bbq, as well as Chinatown! We would then go to the museum district to see all the museums and walk around herman park or go bike riding downtown. Go drink in midtown, downtown, or washington at night. Can’t miss out on sunday funday thats forsure. 😉The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my boss Keelan Baker for giving me a chance to work for him while I was in school as well as mentoring me. I wouldn’t be the stylist I am today without him. Not only him but everyone at Shampu Salon as well! My family and friends that have supported me to this day and also my boyfriend Tay Sherman for always being my number one fan and supporter.

Instagram: artistrybyalina

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