We recently connected with Haley Applegate and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Haley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Taking a risk can be a big deal and scary for a lot of people! Back in 2020, I took one of the biggest risks of my life by starting my own business during a global pandemic. Ever since I was a little girl, my dream has always been to own my own hair salon. Although the world was filled with uncertainty, I had an opportunity to make my dreams come true and went for it! I am the kind of person who puts 100% into anything I do and in July of 2020, I opened Prestige Hair Design in Jackson, MI.

Given the regulations around social distancing, we had to be creative and extremely cautious from the first day the salon opened. We were not able to provide services to multiple clients at once (for example, giving a quick haircut while someone’s color was processing), which ultimately meant a reduced amount of business and income opportunity. Thanks to the amazing and hardworking team at Prestige, as well as my incredible family, we were able to keep the salon open and running safely for our clients.

I am who I am today because of my family and husband’s family. They consistently push me to grow and motivate me to achieve anything I set my mind to!

Haley, 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?

My dream of becoming a cosmetologist and opening my own hair salon started when I was only 4 years old. I remember going to the salon as a little girl and being obsessed with watching the stylists – it immediately felt like something I was supposed to be doing. As soon as I was able to, I started cosmetology school in 2014 at my local high school and earned my cosmetology license in 2016. After I became licensed, I began working in a salon right away.

My goal was to be just like my parents: to own a business I was passionate about and make my own hours and being flexible. I knew that to open my own salon, I needed to take my education to the next level. Although I was working full time at the salon, I decided to also go to college so I could earn a degree in business. As I fast forward to today, education is still extremely important to me. I constantly work to keep up on the latest trends by taking annual coloring and cutting classes. I also am enrolled in a monthly salon coaching class where I’m able to expand my knowledge of effectively owning a business.

The motivation I have to succeed is something I feel truly sets me apart. We are all able to achieve anything we want in this lifetime as long as we’re willing to work hard and never give up on our dreams. I’m thankful every single day that I’m able to wake up and absolutely love what I do!

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

The best strategy to grow clientele is keeping up on your education. Clients love hearing the latest trends hairdressers have learned because that means their hair will always be up to date on the current styles! I push myself to stay knowledgeable about formulating colors and learning different techniques for cutting hair so I can be prepared for anything my clients may want to do to their hair while working with me.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My willingness to put the work and effort into my success has helped build my reputation within my community. There’s a phrase from a book I previously read that always sticks with me: “grind in your 20’s so you can chill in your 30’s”! I’m an advocate of putting the work in now so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor down the road. I started off with a goal to pay off all of my college debt and have a fully built clientele shortly after graduating. I worked hard throughout college to build clients and save money and ultimately one month after graduating, I was able to pay off all of my college debt! Shortly after that, I was able to open my own business. It’s important to find people who will support your hard work and who will build you up while working to achieve your dreams. I’m grateful to have so many amazing people in my corner!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.Prestigehairdesigns.com/
• Instagram: hairbyhaley_applegate
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prestigehairdesigns/about/?ref=page_internal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-applegate-995703b5/

Image Credits
JenTeachoutphotography Brittanybrockiephotography