Meet Leah Oggero | Hairstylist

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

Hi Leah, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Balance is tremendously important to me, but I also try to remember that there’s never really a perfect balance in life, in my opinion. I used to get overwhelmed by the pressure I put on myself to have an idealistic “work/life balance” and it became counterproductive to the overall goal I was working towards. I feel better when I break down my focus day to day, or even moment to moment. When I’m at work, I allow myself to dedicate all of my energy and attention to the individual I’m interacting with in that moment and what I’m creating for that person. When I’m home or outside of work, I do my best to stay present with my family in whatever we’re doing—talking, playing with my kids, watching a movie together, eating, etc. I’m also fortunate that Milk + Honey is very supportive of working parents. They’re such a fantastic company in so many ways—In the last year, they’ve accommodated my schedule so I’m able to make a great living working 3 days a week. This has made a huge difference in my life’s balance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2010 I made the decision to become a hairstylist. Once I earned my license I apprenticed under a wildly talented and successful Houston hairstylist, Justin Dahl. I joined Justin when he left Bella Rinova to open J. Dahl Hair Salon which is now extremely successful in its own right. I’m truly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Justin—he taught me everything I know. From there I worked at Roots salon in Montrose and began building my clientele, some of whom continue to sit in my chair to this day. Roots was an extension of my family and some of my happiest years. I was hired at Milk + Honey in 2017 and cannot see myself working anywhere else. If there’s a dream employer, M+H is the definition. The number of clients who (graciously) followed me to this salon has more than tripled from 2017 to today. There’s an illusive notion of the “six-figure hairstylist” that’s introduced in beauty school. I knew I wanted to reach this potential but this wouldn’t come close to being realized until Milk + Honey offered me a spot on their talented team. I think it’s every mother’s dream to earn a full time income on a part time schedule—Milk + Honey has helped to make this my reality. That’s not to say I didn’t sacrifice a lot of my time for the first 3+ years of working there. At that time, we were open 9-9, 7 days/week. I was scheduled 5 shifts, a mix of 9am-3pm days and 3pm-9pm days. I regularly extended my hours, picked up on my days off and at times was working 60+ hours a week. I can remember offering free home hair services to compensate babysitters before I could afford to pay a fair rate. There were also a few occasions where I worked over 30 days straight when I needed to buy a new car or was planning a dream vacation. As exhausting as this was, it was my decision to push myself that hard and it was all worth it—I have no plans to put that amount of stress on myself again, but I have zero regrets and it wouldn’t have been possible at any other salon.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a native Houstonian and my roots run deep in this city. I’m also third generation Italian-American and related to a number of successful Houston restauranteurs. Johnny Carrabba is a cousin of mine (through my maternal grandmother) but it’s not a personal bias to say he has some of the hands down best food to offer at his restaurants. The original Carrabba’s on Kirby is a Houston institution and never a disappointment. In addition to this, my paternal grandmother is a Mandola who’s surname is synonymous with not only a number of their own delicious local Italian cuisine, but who are also connected (through marriage) to the Laurenzo family. Mama Ninfa Laurenzo is basically Houston royalty as far as any Houstonian is concerned. Ninfa’s on Navigation is an absolute can’t-miss for anyone and everyone. You can have such a great life living in Houston however it’s quite underrated as a tourist city. We have one of the best fine arts museums in the entire country. MFAH is a great stop on any Houston tour. We also have several privately owned museums such as the Menil which is one of my personal favorite places to visit. A picnic at the Menil park is one of my favorite things to do with my little ones. We also love to spend time in Chinatown. There are endless diverse choices for food but also great places to shop for gifts and other unique finds, and the best karaoke especially for private parties. Also, if you haven’t been to Bubble Egg, go now! The youngest of my 3 children is half Filipino so we love to support the Asian community. We look forward to the Lunar New Year festivals every year. Out of the entire city, Montrose is where my heart is. I moved to this area over 15 years ago and it’s where I met the father of my oldest children and where we decided they would grow up. I met my boyfriend, Rene, at Grand Prize—a quintessential dive bar in Montrose near the museum district. It feels like I’m living a happily ever after story with my entire family on the same street in my favorite neighborhood in my favorite city. My older two children can walk to and from “mom and dad’s”, ride their bikes to the park, and play with their neighbor friends. This city is part of me and will always be home.

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?
Without a doubt my professional success within the last decade is almost 100% influenced by Milk + Honey. It’s difficult to articulate all of the ways the company changed my life. It’s unrealistic to expect perfection from any work environment but honestly they come pretty close. I’m eternally grateful to be even a small part of Shon and Alissa Bayer’s vision.

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