Brianna Lakin on Grit, Hair Extensions & What No One Tells You About Hair Loss

Watch Brianna Lakin on The Beauty Vault Podcast

April 20th on YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

At 18, Brianna was on her own. What started as a step toward her future-enrolling in cosmetology school-quickly turned into something much harder. After moving in with her father, she was suddenly abandoned. Bills stopped being paid and stability disappeared. And just like that... she was homeless.

It was the kind of moment that could have changed everything. But instead of giving up, she made a decision: she was going to finish. No matter what it took.

She found ways to get to school; however, she could— sneaking onto trains. She showed up every day, determined to build something for herself even when everything around her was falling apart. “I think you have two choices,” she says. “You become a victim of your circumstances, or you use it as a fuse and I chose to keep going.”

After getting licensed, she entered an industry that didn’t always protect beginners. She took a job that didn’t pay. It was a harsh introduction to the reality some professionals face. But she kept pushing. Through setbacks, through being taken advantage of, through moments that would have made most people walk away- she stayed focused on building something better.

During COVID, she took another risk, leaving what was familiar to open her own studio. It was during that time, while building her own space, that she discovered what would change everything- hair extensions.

At that time, it was still an emerging service in her area and she became one of the only professionals within miles to be certified in a specific method. What started as learning something new quickly became something more.

“The way women would walk in feeling one way and leave completely different... it changed everything for me,” she says. It wasn’t about doing hair; it was about giving confidence back.

So when she decided to move to Las Vegas, it wasn’t random-it was something she had been feeling for a while, even seeing the date in her mind. And once again, she chose to trust it. Now she’s building, growing her presence, expanding into new ventures and creating a name for herself in a city full of opportunities.

Connect with Brianna Lakin @briannaofsilqcollective

silqcollective.com

She refused to give up

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