Meet Briana Koroscil | Hairstylist/Color Educator & Salon Owner

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

Hi Briana, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I truly have a passion for our industry. When I was in high school I would do my friends hair and makeup and I loved the polished finished look of it, the beauty/fashion industry go hand in hand and I couldn’t get enough. I love meeting people and connecting with conversation. When I was in school I was always told I talked too much in class, so this was perfect for me. I enjoy all my guests and having a relationship with them and being part of their life as they are mine. I have been doing hair for 26 years and I love the change in our industry the last few years with different tips/tricks and the wealth of knowledge out there to be absorbed if you are willing. I believe knowledge is a 2-way street and I enjoy helping others grow in our industry, I am a Senior Color Educator for Schwarzkopf Professional and I love to travel around the country teaching new trends and color techniques, I have a passion to share knowledge but I love what I receive in return from my fellow stylists when teaching. I have worked behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week, worked on stage with top artists and was a lead colorist on a national color campaign. It’s these little moments that I have had in my career that get me out of my box and truly embrace the passion and inspiration I have for our industry. I guess I can say I have an amazing career that has allowed me to have many opportunities and I am truly grateful.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was younger I loved going to the salon with my mom, the smell, the style and the atmosphere. I thought it was amazing and I wanted to be part of that beautiful atmosphere. I have always wanted to have my own salon for as long as I can remember, so when the time came I was all in. I feel that you have to take on the challenges because the hard road is how you grow and learn. I went to beauty school when I was in high school back then we didn’t have JTED programs so I went to our school board and pled my case that I should get credit for going to school at night after school just like the kids that got credit for having a job after school and low and behold I got it. Which led me to graduating high school early and starting my career at a high end salon, which after 2 years, I didn’t want to do hair, they were just a bunch of snobby rude stylist and I didn’t want to be associated with that. I tried a “desk” job which wasn’t a good fit I talked too much and always was behind in my paper work because of it. After that I had a friend that got me to go apply at a salon that was a corporate chain, I needed a paycheck back then so what else was I going to do and hair is what I loved so I took the job. I learned a lot from that place, they had tons of extra training in house that they offered us, if you wanted to attend. I went to as many classes as I could get my hands on, and I learned about being a product educator for a product line which was a plus in my book too. I had a great mentor manager who helped me as a newer stylist grow, we are still friends today. After learning what I could from her I was given the opportunity to manage my own store/salon and you know I took it I was only 19 at the time. I learned managing, payroll, numbers (it was all done by hand back then), inventory, scheduling and staffing. After a few years I had my daughter and I decided to leave and go work for a private salon so I wasn’t working tons of hours and I was a new mom. I worked for that salon for 6 years building an amazing clientele because I was “hungry” to make more money. After that I moved to a salon that was a chair rental, and back then renting a chair in a salon had just started up so there was only one salon in the area that was offering it but I had to share 3 different stations to have a full time job. I didn’t care I wanted to move on and do my own business, so here I went. From there I became a Color Educator for Schwarzkopf Professional making my career elevated from my piers, the education and classes I kept taking to learn more and more. I had more than enough guest and I worked 5 days a week anything from 10-12 hrs a day. After 5 years I was ready to open my own salon so we did in 2012 we built it from the ground up. We had our son in 2008, so I thought having a partner to help, would be a great idea, Wrong! We had an amazing space and a full wonderful staff and unfortunately, she ended up mixing pills and alcohol which led to her a self destructive behavior. After a hard lesson my husband and I decided to walk away from it with nothing. I was lucky to have friends all over in our industry so I ended up renting a chair at a friends salon till I figured out what to do. It was devastating but after 3 months there, we found out there was a salon closing and we went to look at it. The salon was so out dated but we didn’t care we took it in December of 2012 and created a whole new classy/upscale, inviting atmosphere we call Halo Hair Studio. Most of my staff started from beauty school students to commission to renters and some have gone on to start their own salons. We are a family and all so uniquely different which makes Halo such a great diverse clientele. I feel blessed with the stylist that have come into Halo. I love being part of our community, every year we support a family from one of our local schools to have a wonderful family holiday. We also support many of the local high school sports teams: Oro Valley Lacrosse, Ironwood Ridge Football, Ironwood Ridge Girls Basketball, Raffles at the various schools in our neighborhood and different charities, plus we support Grad Night for the High Schools. I have grown as a person and stylist/salon owner in the last 26years, I have done this with the support of my family, friends, and guests. With the hard lessons I have had it has made me a better person and I have learned much along the way some good and some bad but I wouldn’t change it for the world. What sets Halo apart is the passion and dedication that I have for each stylist and guest that walks into our doors.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Seven Falls at Sabino Canyon is one of my favorite places to go and hike, I enjoy the outdoors, and after that I would go out for a beer and food at Dove Mountain Brewery. Then we would probably head out to dinner and my favorite choices would be Sushi Garden, The Keg, or La Hacienda restaurant for dinner. I love all the different kinds of food Tucson has to offer. One of my favorite times in Tucson is the Gem and Mineral Show. I enjoy walking around the events looking at all the jewelry and stones/rocks that this earth produces, and of course the food trucks they have for lunch. Just being in Tucson with the mountains and local things to do in the area we would find something to do.

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 owe my success to the support I receive from my husband and kids. My husband has been my rock and we have definitely learned a few things along the way, which was tough on our marriage but we grew stronger with each hurdle. My kids have been there thru all the buildouts of our salons and my crazy travel schedule at times but we all support each other and adapt. My kids are tough and in watching how hard we work and the sacrifices we have made they are wonderful young adults. I also had the support from my parents, friends, and family who all have supported me with my dreams of owning a salon. I also want to give a shoutout to Schwarzkopf Professional they have helped me become an amazing hairstylist, the education I have gotten to grow as a stylist has helped me be the best that I can be. I love learning and I am honored to work with such an amazing group. With all the ups and down that life throws your way I have learned a lesson in each event that has shaped me in my career and made me the person that I am today.

Website: https://Halo-HairStudio.com

Instagram: @bhalohairstudio

Image Credits
Schwarzkopf Professional (Green background pic) The rest are my own pictures