Women of Style: Eva Scrivo

Owner, Eva Scrivo Salon, NYC

Celebrity Stylist, L’Oreal Professionel

Licensed: 1988, Mr. Bela’s School of Cosmetology in Michigan.
First job: Make-up artist at Justin Parish in Birmingham, MI

Clients per week: 30–40
Price point: $350 for hair cut; $400 for color

evascrivo.com                  

Why did you choose beauty? My career choice came quite naturally and I never agonized as a teenager over what I wanted to do with my life. I went to cosmetology school at 17, but I was doing hair since I was about 10 (mostly family and friends).

Milestones: Hosting my own radio talk show on beauty; opening my dream salon on Bond Street, NYC; having my book published

Big break: Becoming the resident beauty expert on NBC’s “Martha” and helping to produce my own segments.

Career advice you’ve received: “To have a great company, you must get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus.” From the book Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Career advice you’ve given: Being overly confident in your work can be a hazard to success. There’s a difference between quiet confidence and arrogance, which keeps you from being open to criticism and being able to scrutinize your own work. When focusing just on your strengths and not on your weaknesses, you stop growing

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Your mentors: I never had the privilege of a great mentor to work under. I have always looked up to the many industry greats, but designed my own techniques and style.

You mentor: A staff of 30. I hope to help others in our industry through my book, as well as through the classes that I teach for L’Oréal Professionnel.

Are there benefits to being a woman in beauty? Being a woman helps me better understand, connect with and help other women, whether in my chair or in another part of the country.

Are there challenges for women in beauty? Although this is a profession that is dominated by women, and with mostly female clientele, there’s actually indirect discrimination against women by other women who need a man to make them feel sexy. In addition, this profession is very physically taxing (especially when wearing a heel), which is where men typically have an advantage. Nearly all of my hairstylists are women, and I always encourage them to exercise and take good care of their health.

Sacrifice and lesson: Just about everything other than my soul. Over the years, I have realized that it’s truly not worth it. The most important things are your family, health, and happiness, and to receive gratification from your work rather than feeling like you always have to strive for something more.