We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joanna Cetaj a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

I have a client that began coming to me a year and a half ago. His mother had not yet gotten a diagnosis but she knew that he had sensory sensitivities. We began the process of getting him a haircut without a meltdown drag out fight. This young mans past experiences have been like most of my clients. (which includes holding the child down and getting it done.)
I do not believe in such practices. So, we began getting to know each other and playing different games etc. The first appointment went longer than an hour and we were not able to finish. I spoke with mom and advised what I thought was best for the future. She agreed to trust me and my process.
He would come in max every 6 weeks. The process was not FUN! He is a smart cookie. He was also going through some changes at home which can be challenging for any of us.
During the appointments it would come to a point that he would just try to leave the room. At that point his mother would sit in front of the door. He on occasion would get violent and hurt his momma.
(this was difficult to see on a personal level due to my ptsd from my past)
I was advised by several people to tell the mother that she could not bring him back in to see me. I told all of them…HE CAN DO IT! I had faith in him and his mother to be able to handle this with time and compassion. It was difficult for us all for sure. He began to get more and more comfortable over time. With his mothers consistency and me not pushing him past his boundaries. He is now able to come in sit down, allow the cape, and get a haircut. No muss No FUSS!
This is one of many stories of amazing strength by all of us involved in making big changes in the lives of my clients and myself.

Joanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

JoJo’s Believe It or Knot Salon began as The Puzzle PIece Hair Salon and has since learned a lot. Thus the name change. What a lot of people that are not inside the autistic community don’t know is that largely the puzzle piece is not liked. Now yes this is still very controversial and I hope one day that they community can resolve this strife amongst us. I began this business out of necessity for myself to be in a clean and safe atmosphere during a global pandemic and the need for the status quo for haircuts to not be holding them down and getting it done.
What I do is like no other, I treat each and every customer differently because they are all so very different. Specialized doesn’t begin to explain what I will do to make a client feel seen. An example is when a clients parents says he enjoys flushing the toilet and that calms him. I went to the restroom allowed him to flush the toilet and then I cut his hair.
I myself have realized that I am neurodivergent and I know the different things that have bothered me over the years. I try to make sure I am doing everything possible to understand my clients at their core level. Being neurodiverse and super sensory sensitive I know a lot of the challenges that takes place with hair services. I do not follow ABA therapy practices as so many other stylists that do sensory sensitive haircuts do. It is an old an not inclusive practice. I more so use “Floortime therapy” and my intuition to guide me.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth has been huge for me. Being that what I do is a niche market. It is so helpful when people rave about the service to friends and family.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Email has been my best way to keep in touch with my clients and advise them of changes in the business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jojosbelieveitorknotsalon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/jojosbelieveit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jojosbelieveit
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joannabelievesinu