At only 20 years old, celebrity hairstylist Cliff VMir is working his way to snatching the crown as the entertainment industry’s king of hair. The self-proclaimed boy boss has an impressive client list of boss babes that includes Cardi B, Trina, Joseline Hernandez and Blac Chyna. After realizing hair was his true passion, VMir launched his business at the age of 16, leaving behind a nursing technician career, that eventually led him to achieve great success by earning his first million dollars at the age of 19. Now, VMir is rapidly building his celebrity clientele, managing his own salon, and creating an empire with hair care services, products, and a hair line. This young mogul took the time to share with rolling out the steps that led him from playing with Barbie dolls to millions, and what we can expect from him next.
What separates you from other stylists? What is unique to the experience that you create?
What separates me from other hair stylists is my ability to give all of my clients the VMir experience. I like to take the stress away from my clients when it comes to their hair. They know that when they sit in my chair they don’t have to worry about a thing because they trust my instincts and creative direction when it comes to their hair. All of my work — whether it’s a custom unit or a sew-in, has that certain distinct, clean, sleek look. You know when someone has had that VMir experience when you see it. Like when I slayed Joseline Hernandez’s blunt cut bob with the middle part for the 2017 BET Awards, you knew that was all me.
What is the main factor that contributed to your success at such a young age?
Honestly, what drove me to success at such a young age was when my father left my mom and I. He pretty much abandoned us and hairstyling was something I was good at and also helped my mom pay the bills. At a very young age, I learned the importance of money, budget and responsibilities. Something so tragic like this led to my success at a young age.
For those considering entering this arena, what skill sets do you recommend mastering? What traits are most conducive to success?
I would tell any aspiring hairstylist to educate yourself. Know your craft — study the latest hair tutorials, educate yourself when it comes to new hair trends, and go to hands-on learning classes to learn new and innovative techniques. Stay current. Success always follows a healthy mindset. So believe in yourself and have confidence. In the competitive hair industry, you have to be patient, and you have to have a relationship with God. More so, be focused and stay true to yourself.
How do you stay at the leading edge of your craft?
My clients help me with that because they are always requesting the latest hair techniques. I make sure I stay on top of the trends and I love watching YouTube hair tutorials because I am a visual learner. Once I see it, I get it. I always finesse every new technique and make it my own.
So you made your first million at 19, how was that feeling? How did you invest that million?
It was an incredible feeling. To be so young, and to have already made my first million, it’s definitely a big accomplishment. I invested more to profit off that first million by putting my business first. I invested 50 percent into my brand — my hair and product line and replenished to make even more profit.
How did you use social media to build your brand?
Honestly, I feel like the Instagram videos were a major win for me. I feel like I was one of the originals using Instagram videos for popularity. When I first started out there were not too many people doing them. Once my videos went viral, my following skyrocketed, which increased my sales. Once, I made $23K from a two-day hair sale. Social media definitely contributed to my profit.
What steps can others take to profit from social media?
Be as creative as possible. Visual content goes a long way. I would recommend posting specials and sales, which go over very well if you have a huge social media presence. Also interact with your followers as much as possible. When you do this, people will gravitate more toward buying from your brand than someone else’s because of the one-on-one interaction and that’s also a great way to build their trust.
What’s next for Cliff VMir?
A lot of people always say “Cliff you are a character; you have a personality on you.” I kind of want to explore the world of reality TV. I would love the opportunity to work with Mona Scott-Young and her team and be a part of the “Love & Hip Hop” phenomenon. Mona and Stephanie are absolute visionaries in the world of reality TV. I would consider it an honor to work with such pioneers, and I think that Mona would be the best to portray the life of a young entrepreneur such as myself to show the world a true day in the life a young, Black gay male. I can bring the tea for days … Mona and Stephanie, call me.
