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Meet Trailblazer Jody Rowland

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Rowland.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started off as a commissioned stylist in 1987 and worked my way up to owning my own salon. I opened up Hair Illusions, a small 4 chair commissioned salon, in 1993. Three years later, I saw an opportunity to grow, so we moved to another location, and Illusions by Jody was born. There, we had 13 chairs with 2 nail stations and an esthetician room. Illusions was a mixture of commissioned and independent stylists. I have now learned from my experience, that mixing the two cultures are hard if you want to have everyone in the same mindset and goals for the future. Illusions were successful but were still missing the dream I have always wanted… A TEAM. In 2011, I opened up Cutting Edge Salon and Boutique. This is my 8 chair salon with an esthetician room and two beds for lash extensions and microblading. I had both salons going at the same time with the thought of Cutting Edge being the salon where stylists could come and grow their client base, and if the stylist felt that they wanted to take another step to own their own business, they then could move to Illusions (literally across the street). Finding the right manager to run both was very hard for me, so I had to make a decision on which salon to merge the other into. I saw so much more potential with Cutting Edge and felt I was getting closer to my DREAM TEAM, so I moved all Illusions assets into Cutting Edge in 2014. I love to see the growth of Cutting Edge. I love the challenge of helping the stylists grow their client base and teaching them the importance of promptness, passion, reliability, and education because it takes all of that to be successful in this industry.

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?
Starting a new business is never a smooth road. I was fortunate to have a husband that could cover the home bills for the first few years. The money you make needs to be put right back into the business to help it grow. The advice I would give to new entrepreneurs in this industry… start small and make sure your income can carry the salon without any other staff. You never want to have the feeling that you can’t let someone go because you need their income to keep your salon afloat. Set standards and expectations and make sure they are being met.

Be cautious when hiring your friends. I had a friend that I had to let go after 12 years of doing business together. She wasn’t upholding to my standards and other staff saw it, so I had to make the decision after several warnings. To this day, we are no longer friends and it still hurts my heart because she was “my person”.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cutting Edge Salon and Boutique – what should we know?
My job is amazing in so many ways. As a stylist behind the chair, I get to connect with people and make them look and feel beautiful. As an owner, I get to lead and set the tone of our salon. Seeing the stylists grow every year makes the bumps in the road worthwhile.

When clients come to me, they know that they will get greeted with a smile and that their time is now my time. They will get consistent results in a timely manner. Education is so important in our industry and has made a promise to myself that I will stay on the “Cutting Edge” of this industry. The last hair expo that I went to I learned that only 20% of stylists actually go to these shows for updated education!! Only 20%? WOW!

In the last two years, I personally have taken some business courses and got myself certified in microblading and hair extensions.

This industry has so much to offer!

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
On Facebook and Instagram, I follow and join different forums where you can chat with stylists all around the world. It inspires me to see other peoples work and the steps they took to get there. I love that we can share our talents with other people, and being able to connect with people with similar concerns is like therapy!

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Image Credit:
Jody Rowland, Cutting Edge Salon and Boutique

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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