I met Nicole I believe back in 1999 in Los Angeles while working for Schwarzkopf, Inc. She was one of our main Freelance Platform Artist who traveled throughout the States to teach about the product by creating different looks.
I remember a tall, skinny, beautiful girl with the most amazing, flawless milky skin who had just moved from Germany to pursue the American dream! (by the way, 16 years later and she still looks the same). But beyond her cool style and ever-changing hair, her personality and sweet demeanor always shine through. Her temperament never seems to change!! And no matter what happens, how stressful a situation may be, Nicole never loses sight of what is important and the people around her. And that also translates into her art of doing hair – precise, with care and style.
Since we met in 1999, Nicole’s career has grown steadily and logically. Always worked at top salons while improving the craft of stage presentation.
So I wasn’t very surprised when she announced last August that she would open HARPER salon with two of her friends, Nikki Pittam and Carla Gentile. Total natural progression. How else to make a real impact on individuals and the community than by having total freedom of expression?
I did an interview with her especially for Discover Outloud with one main goal in mind – uplift spirits and motivate my readers to never cease dreaming. And pursue your dreams without fearing to fail because there is no such a thing as failing but rather falling. (which you will get yourself back up from).
So without any further due, here is my interview with Nicole Hartmann!
How old were you when you decided you wanted to become a hairdresser? Why?
I was 16. My parents are both hairdressers and I’ve always loved being around creative energy.
Who’s your role model in the hair world?
What’s like to live in LA?
It’s a big adventure every day! I love living here. I love living by the beach, the weather, the people. Most of all I love that everyone has the freedom to be who they want to be!
What’s the story behind Harper Salon? Do you feel like it was meant to be and that the stars all aligned for this to happen?
Absolutely! This venture was meant to be and the stars aligned 100%. With that and the right timing, everything is possible.
Was is difficult to become a Boss? What is your leadership style and how does it differ from your partners?
Ha! I never look at myself as a boss. We are so blessed and fortunate to work with the most amazing people in our industry! Every single one of them make Harper what it is now. When it comes to leadership we all led by example and we are trying to be the leader we would want to be lead by.
Where do you and your partners want to take Harper Salon?
To be honest, I don’t really know the answer to this question.. Everything is happening pretty fast and we are growing more than we could have imagined in the beginning. One thing I know for sure, we created a platform to stand for something and to make a difference. Not just in the hairdresser world but in our community as well. Our clients are our friends. Sometimes they come just to hang out with us or have a mimosa. Harper is a place were everyone is welcome and treated equally. A home away from home. That’s what we set out to do from the very start and continue to believe in.
Tell me about your partnership with Top Shop? What is the story behind it and Children of the night?
Top Shop approached us to do a Pop Up with them. Which in itself is pretty amazing! They liked that we had Pop-up’s in the past and they liked the way we’ve set it up. What’s really important to Carla, Nikki and myself is to give back to the community and Children of the Night is an amazing charity here in LA I’ve worked with before. So we said to the Top Shop people we’d love to partner up but only if proceeds go to Children of the Night. They agreed. Now 10% of everything sold during our 3 month Pop-up will benefit Children of the night.
If you could hang out with any woman, who would that be? And what would you tell or ask her?
I actually thought about this question a lot. There are so many but I think I’d like to hang out with my grandma again. I was so young as she died. I’d ask her to tell me about her life. Was it hard, was it easy, were you happy?
What statement would you like to make with your life?
I believe that we are born to stand out, not to fit in and that happiness is a choice every day. Too corny..?
If you are curious to see Nicole and her team’s work, my next post will be all about Harper Salon 🙂
All pictures are courtesy of Nicole Hartmann.
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