Meet Laurie DeBusk of Mozzie Fox in North East Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie DeBusk.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Laurie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Both my grandparents were hairdressers and owned several salons in California from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. My grandfather even worked for Universal Studios during the golden age of Hollywood, and worked with starlets like Jean Rogers. I guess it was always in my DNA to become one myself.

I had been wanting to go to beauty school for a while, but circumstances kept preventing form going. It wasn’t until my 30th birthday that I made the spur of the moment decision to stop in a local school and register. It was another 4 months before I actually started, but it was the best decision I made.

After I graduated I landed a job at a high end salon, which I credit for my skill level today. I was able to be mentored by the owners, and I learned so much about taking care of the client as well as cutting and coloring. I will forever be grateful for their support and patience with me.

I did venture into the management side of things, when I was offered a job as a director for a large day spa. Although some of that experience was not the best it did teach me what I would and wouldn’t do in my own business.

I was unfortunately sidelined by a cancer diagnosis, it took me three years to get back to work again. But starting over was not the easiest task. Social media had begun to change the industry, and I felt out of the loop. I had so much to catch up on, and new skills to learn. I rented a chair 2 days a week to get started, and from there I went to renting my own suite. After over a year of being in the suite I made the move to my own 800 sq. ft. store front. I worked alone for the first year, I was looking for the right people that could continue to provide the level of service that my clients had come to expect. Now, I have 2 more stylist that have joined me. It has not been the easiest road, but now when I look at how far the salon as come in a year, I am so proud of it. It would have never happened if it wasn’t for the support of my family and friends. I even have a photos of my grandparents doing hair hanging in the salon, to remind me that I can do this.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening the salon on a limited budget was a challenge. I had a vision of what I wanted it to look like, but that took a much bigger budget. My first furnishings were some old cabinets that used to belong to my aunt and chaired from dining room table. My family had to make sacrifices as well, but now looking back it was all worth it.

Mozzie Fox – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Each stylist brings something unique to the salon, and we stay up to date through continuous education. We are probably best known collectively for our dry hair cutting techniques, and our custom color services that we create specifically for that client.

I am most proud of the client experience we offer and the level of expertise. There are no shortcuts, we take our time to listen to the clients and work together to give them exactly what they want. We also offer our exclusive Mozzie Fox Promise that they will love their hair or we will make any adjustments needed.

This year will be our third year offering the Rosemary Award. It is in honor my mom, who passed away before I opened the salon. The winner is selected from submitted essays on why their mom (or a mom) is deserving of a makeover, and personal photo shoot.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This is a difficult question, mostly because as a stylist you encounter so many people whose life you can impact in such a positive way. From meeting my icon in the industry to teaching a young teen how to care for her curly hair.

My aunt Kathy came from Nevada to visit my salon shortly after I opened it. The first thing she saw was the picture of her father doing Jean Rogers hair prominently displayed in the front of the salon. It was such an emotional and beautiful reaction. She had given me all the photos she had had of her parent’s salon history. Her and my father grew up around salons, and her seeing me continue on with a piece of our family history was a very proud moment.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6008 E. Mckellips Rd Suite 4
  Mesa, AZ. 85215
• Website: Mozziefox.com
• Phone: 480-251-7837
• Email: laurie@mozziefox.com
• Instagram: @mozziefoxhair
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MozzieFox/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mozzie-fox-mesa-2

Image Credit:
KGallagher Photography

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