Cutting Edge: Siblings part of entrepreneurial subculture
Manteca High School student Brian Orozco sprays his client Yohann Arteaga’s hair with alcohol. Orozco and his sister, Fatima, are members of a growing entrepreneurial culture at Manteca High School. (Photo contributed)
By KAYLEIGH ROWE and JAZZY JOSEPH
The Tower
Two hardworking student entrepreneurs brought to life a vision.
Some may see a garage, used for nothing but to park your car and to store holiday decorations, but Manteca High siblings Fatima and Brian Orozco both share an entrepreneur dream. The two use their garage as a studio to pursue their passions as a nail tech and a barber.
With the garage door open, the outside heat blows into the workshop. The contrast between the two environments is apparent as music blasts from Brian’s side and Fatima yells at him to turn it down. One side of the room beholds a manicure station, wafting the smell of the acetone as it drenches the fresh air when you walk in. When you sit at the nail table and Fatima introduces herself and prepares your nails for a fresh set.
When you sit in Brian’s chair, you smell the scent of aftershave as he trims down your hair.
Fatima and Brian are both talented entrepreneurs that learned in such little time how to market and pursue their passions. Fatima’s young business launched eight months ago and has already accrued an impressive 2,175 followers on Instagram. With a few months more experience, Brian has been cutting hair since 2023 and has a loyal following of 4,509.
With a solid foundation of clientele, everyone always recommends them, citing their professionalism. They both have bright futures ahead of them and it shows in their designs.
Client and student Yohann Arteaga attests to his talent,
“His designs are the best thing he has to offer, he's one of the best barbers at Manteca, top tier.”
Brian started growing his account by cutting some of his friend’s hair for free and spreading the word through social media. He explains how he uses social media to gain traction in his business.
“After 5 months I started seeing improvement; I started asking people around school if I could cut them for free. And by practicing and posting more so people could see my haircuts. One of my videos got 4 million views before it got deleted.”
With time and dedication, he and Fatima became known for practicing on her friends for free before they started charging for their services. After Fatima mastered her technique, a profit was able to be turned from all the hours of nail work.
Portrait of Manteca High student Fatima Orozco who is a nail technician. (RubyAnne Noonkester/The Tower)
“I would charge like $20-25 and little by little I would get more clients. I also took a certification course in May which was expensive, so I thought this is my opportunity to raise my prices.”
Rachelle Fast, advanced business entrepreneurship teacher and Side Hustler’s club advisor, shares her knowledge on young entrepreneurship and how it has transformed the mindset of many.
“I think since Covid, a lot of people have taken to side gigs which has opened the idea to kids, and they also see it as lucrative, like their friend did this nail program at 14 and makes money,” Fast said. “So, I think they are seeing the flexibility of the harder I work they more I make.”
Fatima likes being her own boss, having her own schedule, and not having anyone else telling her what to do. She is self-sufficient in this aspect, which is a valuable quality to have later in life.
But Brian and Fatima aren’t the only young, inspired minds in Manteca. Many other students have also started their own small businesses, such as flower bouquets folded out of ribbon, chocolate covered fruit, and other forms of gifts and decor. The independent lifestyle is captivating, as it allows for creative freedom and flexibility.
Fast discusses the vast and untraditional possibilities creating a small startup can hold.
“I think helping students to see there’s other things to do besides working a 9-5 job. That can free up your future and let you kind of dictate the level of freedom you have in your life.”
More students at MHS are making an effort to pave their own future, as they consider the option of trade school post-graduation. Fatima and Brian both want to continue the path of entrepreneurship, seeking an education in trade school right after high school to become a cosmetologist and a professional barber.
Fatima and Brian’s parents did in fact support them, as their parents generously bought most of the necessary supplies in the early stages of the sibling’s businesses. After both kids began to see a profit, they would help their parents with small bills and things to show their support. Later in the game, Brian became less dependent on funding from his parents,
“After I started charging for haircuts and saved my own money and bought my own supplies.”
Brian and Fatima’s parents endorse their career choices and are happy to see them go off to trade school to follow their dreams. Fatima reflects, “They were very supportive of me and what I wanted to do in life, my parents were proud to see me being independent.”