Anastasia’s story is one of courage and creativity. Building Studio Queen Hair from the ground up, she turned challenges into opportunities, inspiring women to embrace their beauty, reclaim their power, and walk through life like queens.
Can you share a bit about your background and how your early experiences shaped your journey to entrepreneurship?
I consider myself lucky because I started my career working with hair while I was still in high school. It was 1999, and I was a teenager going through all the usual struggles — awkwardness, insecurity, and not exactly feeling like the prettiest girl. Like many teens, I faced the typical self-esteem issues.
Working with hair became a kind of escape for me. It gave me the power to transform not only how I looked but also how I felt about myself. Styling my own hair helped me feel more confident and beautiful, and that confidence grew as I started helping other girls feel the same way.
That’s when I realized the magical power of hair. Changing a hairstyle isn’t just about looks — it can completely change how someone feels on the inside.
Growing up in a modest family, what were some of the challenges you faced, and how did they shape who you are today?
Let’s go back to 1999 — a time when things were very different, especially in Russia. Back then, we didn’t have the beauty products that are so easy to find today. But in some ways, that made those years even more special because it forced us to get creative and come up with our own solutions.
The shelves in stores were almost empty when it came to good hairsprays and styling products. So, we turned to our grandmothers’ recipes and made everything at home. Believe it or not, you can actually make hairspray using just water and sugar! And since we didn’t have spray bottles, we had to get creative — we would dip a toothbrush into the mixture and flick the bristles to create a spray effect.
Those were challenging times, but they taught me to always look for new solutions, try different approaches, and keep experimenting. That creative mindset has stayed with me throughout my life — it’s what drives me to keep learning and discovering new things every day.
How did the ridicule or challenges you faced during your school years shape your resilience and determination?
Thinking back to my school years and all the teasing I had to endure, I can honestly say now that I’m thankful for every hurtful word. Of course, when you’re a teenager, it’s painful to hear others make fun of you. At that age, we take everything to heart and often believe whatever others say about us.
But the truth is, almost every teenager goes through this. And while those hurtful words aren’t really about you, they can still have a big impact on your life. For me, those words cut deep, but I didn’t want that pain to stay with me.
Instead of letting it define me, I used it as motivation to push harder toward my goals, to become stronger and more confident. I wanted to reach a point where those comments no longer affected me.
Remember, people will always have something to say about you. But it’s entirely up to you how you let those words shape your life and your energy.
Were there any key people in your early life who encouraged or inspired you to dream bigger?
This is where I wasn’t so lucky. I didn’t really have people in my life who motivated me to move forward. Honestly, the person who supported me the most and pushed me through every situation was myself.
Of course, I had people around me who were proud of me and supported me in the ways they could, but my biggest source of strength and motivation came from within. And to me, that feels completely normal.
I believe that everyone should first find their motivator and supporter within themselves because only you truly know what you want to achieve.
Never forget to support yourself, to motivate yourself, to comfort yourself when things get hard, and to push yourself when laziness creeps in.
All of that is something you can give to yourself. At the end of the day, it’s just you, your ideas, and your big dreams — and you are the one who knows exactly how to make them happen.
What do you think it is about hairstyling that connects so deeply with confidence and identity?
Women’s beauty has always been closely linked to confidence and individuality. How we look — our hair, makeup, and body — directly affects how we feel, how we walk, the confidence we project, and the energy others see in us. And in turn, this influences the kind of people we attract into our lives, as we experience the wonderful feeling of being satisfied with ourselves.
A woman’s style and image are deeply connected to how she feels and how she sees herself. Women are emotional beings, and for us, it’s important to feel emotions. The most interesting thing is that we can create these emotions ourselves.
One of the main ways to change our emotional state is by changing our hairstyle. At every stage of life, a woman can reinvent her look by playing with her hair, experiencing different emotions, and embracing new versions of herself. As they say, when a woman is happy with herself, she can move mountains and achieve the highest goals.
Was there a defining moment when you realized that hairstyling was more than just a passion—it was your calling?
I can’t point to one specific moment in my life when I suddenly realized that being a hairstylist is not just a job for me but a calling. Rather, it’s been a series of many moments over the years when I understood that this is more than just work. I believe only someone who has dedicated their whole life to their profession can truly say this.
In my 25 years of working with hair, I’ve never once thought about changing my career. I haven’t grown tired of it, and the greatest satisfaction I get from my work is the smiles of my clients, my employees, and the people around me.
My biggest achievement in this profession is that I’ve learned to show clients how they can emotionally transform their state through a change in hairstyle. The satisfaction and happiness a new hairstyle can bring, along with the shift in energy, can change the situations around you. This is not just words — this is a fact. These are the things that change lives.
Could you tell us more about your vision behind Studio Queen Hair and what inspired you to create a brand that empowers women?
Throughout my life, I was afraid and ashamed to share my personal story, which had a deeply negative impact on my life, bringing pain, disappointment, and doubt. But being the kind of person who always tries to turn any unpleasant situation into something positive, I was able to do this after nearly 20 years.
This led to the idea of creating my new brand, one dedicated to helping women who have gone through abusive relationships, single mothers who are searching for themselves, and those who need help finding the strength to stand on their own and continue living their best life.
I am strongly convinced that every woman on this planet deserves to be treated like a queen. It is within our power and in our hands to create the life we want to live, and that life should depend on no one but ourselves.
What does ‘feeling like a queen’ mean to you personally, and how do you bring that vision to life for your clients?
After all the teasing I endured as a teenager, and then going through a divorce with my ex-husband, my self-esteem and perception of myself as a beautiful woman were completely shattered.
It’s painful to think that many of us women allow such situations to get deep into our heads, changing how we feel in a negative way. This often leads to a lack of self-love and acceptance.
In my case, there was a point when the peak of my humiliation and self-rejection came. No one, deep down, wants to feel trapped, and so I had only one choice: to learn to live, to learn to be confident, and to learn to accept myself as a beautiful woman.
It’s a long and difficult process, but today, I can confidently say that it’s possible. I work with many women who struggle with self-belief and confidence, and during my work with them, my role isn’t just to create a beautiful image but also, in a way, to act as a psychologist — sharing my experiences and story. I’m truly grateful that today my story can inspire and motivate other women.
How have movies or shows about strong women influenced the aesthetic or messaging of your brand?
The first and most important thing that inspired me when watching films about queens and strong women was that, despite all the obstacles — and there are many such women — they had no choice but to find a way out of any situation.
I was incredibly inspired by the grace and confidence with which they made decisions, helping people, cities, and entire countries.
And you’ll never see a queen who rules her kingdom without being well-groomed, with a messy hairstyle, poorly dressed, or with no makeup. All these details play a huge role in how we feel and how we perceive ourselves. In no film will you see a queen who is unhappy with herself or unsure of herself, yet capable of achieving great things.
For me, there’s a direct connection between how we look — our well-groomed appearance — and how we work, what kind of energy we produce, and the kind of people we attract into our lives. From this comes how we live and the results we achieve.
When you were starting out, how did you handle self-doubt or criticism from others who didn’t see your vision?
My dad was against me becoming a hair stylist. Twenty-five years ago, it wasn’t considered a prestigious job. My dad saw it as hard labor — working every day with other people’s dirty hair — and he didn’t see the beauty in this profession. But for me, it was the opposite.
This was a profession where, with my hands, I could create beauty and give people new opportunities to see themselves in a different light. Of course, when other people criticize your work, it can plant doubts in your mind, making you wonder if you should keep going.
Thankfully, I don’t really remember people like that in my life, or maybe I just didn’t hear them when they were saying those things. My advice to everyone: remember, people have always talked and will always talk.
But they don’t know how you feel and what your work, your passion, and your purpose mean to you. Only you know how important it is. Trust me — the time will come when people will see it with their own eyes.
What are some creative ways you managed to overcome resource constraints in the early days of Studio Queen Hair?
I actually have a pretty funny answer to this question. The thing is, I opened my studio without any partners and using my own savings. The risks were pretty high for me at the time, but I got really lucky. A few years before opening the studio, I had bought some Dogecoin and completely forgotten about it.
Then, a few years later, Dogecoin had a huge surge in value, and I managed to cash out at the right time. The money I made was enough to support my new studio for almost a year. Now, I joke that Dogecoin was the investor that helped me open my studio!
What’s the most memorable feedback you’ve received from a client that affirmed your vision for Studio Queen Hair?
The most memorable feedback I ever received from a client was a few years ago. I remember it clearly — it was her very first hair extension appointment. She had spent years trying to find the right man, and she decided to get hair extensions before an upcoming date.
She went on the date right after we finished the extensions and styled her hair. She was absolutely glowing, feeling like a queen. A couple of weeks later, she called me and said, “Anastasia, you changed my life — I’m getting married!”
To this day, she’s happily married to that man. It turns out that all it took was a shift in how she saw herself and learning to love her own reflection — something I was able to give her through my work with hair.
What would you say to women who are hesitant to pursue their dreams because of their own insecurities or fears?
Fear is something we develop throughout life. When we enter this world as babies, we don’t know what fear is — it’s not something we’re born with. Think about how children explore the world for the first time, trying new things without hesitation or fear in their eyes.
As young children, we watch how our parents react, and based on their responses, we start to develop a sense of fear. But what if we tried to go back to that childlike innocence — to take a step toward our dreams without fear? Imagine how incredible it would feel to experience that sense of freedom again.
If you want to change something in your life, you have to try doing something you’ve never done before. Why not take a chance and go after your dream — not with fear, but with the satisfaction of knowing you finally took that step?
How do you hope Studio Queen Hair will evolve in the next five years? Are there any exciting projects in the works?
I’ve decided that the next five years will be a major breakthrough for my studio. We have a lot of big projects and ambitious plans for growth. The first step is launching our training academy. We’ve already rolled out several online courses and in-person classes at the studio.
Next, we’re creating a community of hair extension professionals where we can share our successes, exchange tips, and help each other grow and improve in this industry.
We’re also stepping into new territory with charity events aimed at supporting women who have experienced abusive relationships, single mothers, and any woman who needs help finding her strength and rebuilding her life. Right now, I feel energized and motivated to share my story and help as many women as I can.
