Meet Angelica Santillano | Owner of Rooted Hair Company

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

Hi Angelica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

A quick background of me: I attended cosmetology school my last two years of high school and graduated both right around the same time in the summer of 2015. I received my cosmetology license then started college at Chandler-Gilbert Community College the fall of 2015 because for me, college wasn’t an option. I worked small salon jobs for a bit and eventually started taking clients from home while later attending ASU. Then in December of 2019 I graduated with a Business Administration degree.

In January of 2020 I thought “So what now?” I have this degree and a license and no clue what I want to do with my life. I had two options : go into the corporate world and truly practice my business degree OR pursue hair.

And then it finally dawned on me. I am NOT a 9-5 kind-of gal. I could not go to a job, sit at a desk and stare at a computer for hours and hours. I would feel empty. I love doing hair and everything that comes with doing it. The conversations, the relationships and friendships being built, and especially the art behind it. It truly makes my soul happy.

However, the thought of pursuing hair full- time scared the heck out of me. But I knew discomfort is where growth grows and there had to be a leap of faith. I knew I had grown a clientele for the years I was in college – sufficient enough to start a successful business. I had to have faith.

So I did. After some research and exploring different salons, I found my first salon suite home and opened in March of 2020. I didn’t know what I was doing if I’m being completely honest. I don’t think anyone truly does. You just have to have a leap of faith and trust in yourself and trust the process. I knew going into it that I wouldn’t just be doing hair and having fun- I would have to learn how to run a business. It was the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have done yet. I am so glad I believed in myself and am thankful I had people who also believed in me and cheered me on.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would consider myself a a brunette lived-in specialist. I primarily work with brunettes- whether it’s making a brunette a blonde or enhancing their brunette tones. I also work with blondes and I would say working with brunettes takes a bit more effort and skill – not to say it doesn’t require any with blondes but it’s just more challenging working with darker hair. It’s easier to make a blonde- blonder than it is to make a brunette-blonde. There’s just more steps and time involved and I definitely think that’s something that sets any brunette specialist apart.

I am continuously excited about the ever-so changing trends of the beauty industry. I am completely loving the current “lived-in” trends that I specialize in and helping clients enhance their natural hair.

I would definitely say I am proud of how far I have come with my business. It has not been easy one bit. This industry is nowhere where it use to be 10-20 years ago. You don’t just go to work, do some hair, then go home. Now it’s: go to work, create some pretty hair, take pictures and videos & content, go home, edit said content, post and keep up on your business social media pages and so on. We have to wear all the hats now. The thing is, if you don’t, you get left behind. That’s the beauty industry now, you have to keep up – stay trendy. It can be emotionally and physically draining.

I’ve had to learn how to balance work and personal life. I never wanted work to consume me. I never wanted to dread going to work. So I created a balance in my schedule. I work 3-4 days a week and then every other Saturday. This allows me to not only get some rest, physically, but to take some mental days off. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and working with clients but it can be mentally challenging. I learned I have to serve myself before I can serve others. I wanted to be able to fully care and be present for my clients. It’s not just about the business transaction for me. I want to make it a personable experience for each guest. I would definitely say that’s what I want the world to know about me and my brand.

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?
I definitely think Arizona is underrated. Sure we don’t have beach, and it’s summer like 90% if the time, but there’s so many yummy restaurants + foods and some really neat places to explore.

My best friend lives 10 minutes from me so it’s hard imagining her visiting BUT knowing us, we could plan a full weeks itinerary. Now, we definitely enjoy spur in the moments and going with the flow so I don’t think we could plan a strict itinerary but here are some really neat places/things to do+ restaurants.

Breakfast/ Brunch:
Butters Pancakes in Scottsdale
Jojos Coffee House in Scottsdale
Snooze in DT Gilbert
Tipsy Egg in DT Chandler
DT Chandler Bakery and Cafe in DT Chandler
Hash Kitchen in Chandler
First Watch in Gilbert
Bonjiornor Bagels in Gilbert

Dinner:
Sushi Brokers in DT Gilbert
Postinos in DT Gilbert
Hop Social in Chandler
North Italia in Gilbert
Toca Madera in Gilbert
Pescado Borracho in Gilbert
Kazu Ramen in Gilbert

Things to do:
Hiking! : south mountain, camelback, devils bridge, or any mountain!
Wine and Painting
Phoenix Art Museum
Kayak at any lake
Movies at the Scottsdale Mall
Visit the Gran Canyon
Wildlife Zoo
OdySea Aquarium
Butterfly museum

The lists could go on forever but we are easily satisfied with a good time and yummy food and these places are definitely worth checking out!

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 definitely say my family and friends. So cliché right? But in all honesty, I can’t even imagine not having their support. Of course the “are you sure you want to do it?” question was asked from my family, especially my parents. However, they never tried talking me out of it. They knew that’s where my heart was and they were there through it all. Building and installing furniture, taking equipment to the salon, and so much more.

And most importantly, they were there for me during our shutdown due to COVID in 2020. I was only open for two weeks before we were forced to shut down for a month and a half. My friends bought gift cards to help support me financially during this time. For me, it was more the gesture that was appreciated more than anything. It meant the world to me. I am forever thankful to have such support and love that goes beyond my family and friends.

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