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

Bethany , appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

I am a hairdresser first but I’ve had many lives in this industry. I obtained my educators Lisence in 2013 and taught in a Paul Mitchell School for several years before the job I have now.

Now I am a Business Development Manager for John Paul Mitchell Systems – which is a corporate position for the brand. (The schools are not owned by us – but product focused)

Working at the school taught me a million lessons that I couldn’t/wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.

Working with 70+ women every day is not for the faint of heart. But it was so valuable because I learned how to navigate conflict and stand firm in my convictions. I was young & learning at a rapid pace with the day to day challenges that arose.

After a while of what I felt like was chaos I grew bitter and did not enjoy coming to work. I did the kicking and screaming thing upon entering my car almost every day. I felt unappreciated and unimportant. Which is no way to feel about your job when you spend more time there then at home!

Until I really rested in the fact that I am not doing this job for anyone else other than God. He put me here (Which is another story for another day) and this was all preparation for the next thing he had in store for me.

So I learned to trust him in the day to day. Big and small things – present to him. It made the days more enjoyable and sometimes the ridiculous conflict even laughable. Because I learned that as long as I’m growing in Christ – I’m going to outgrow this circumstance. Whether that was a change in perspective or a change of environment I didn’t know. But I know he has plans for me!

And through a new attitude & saying yes to all opportunities presented my way, I was put in front of a person who saw that spark in me.

Now it’s been 7 years that I have been in a position with an company where I feel so much more than appreciated.

So all in all. Just remember – where there is breath there is life. Just trust in God & allow yourself to take inventory of all the lessons learned where you are!
Because again, he’s not finished with us yet!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a hairdresser gone corporate! I work as a Business Development Manager for John Paul Mitchell Systems for my full time job and part time at Wheelhouse Salon in Huntsville.

I work with salons in AL, GA, and FL to ensure that they have all the resources they need to be successful and grow with our brand!

& my specialty behind the chair is dimensional low maintenance color and extensions!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Staying true to what you want your business to look like Figure out what you want to do & appeal to your target market. Figure out who that is and talk to them. Be consistent with your messaging regardless of what’s trending or popular.

Then you will have a clientele that fuels you and doesn’t drain you.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

You will have ups and downs, just like anything else. Some days things just don’t go the way they should. Don’t. Quit.

Contact Info:

• Website: Bethanyarledge.com
• Instagram: Bethanyarledge
• Linkedin: Bethany Arledge

Image Credits
REANNA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY