We recently connected with Jen Krug and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
For 10 years, I worked in different salons between different states and was actually quite content in my career. At some point, I had this dear neighbor of mine who who would get to drinking and constantly ask me why I didn’t own my own salon! In his thick Somalian accent he would drill me with questions every weekend and I would HAVE to answer! Then I just started questioning myself! What do I need? How do I do it? I became obsessed with the idea of my own salon! At the time I was managing a salon and watching closely how it operates behind the scenes, the payroll, the inventory and most importantly the profit! I was researching online, reading blogs and just soaking up as much info as I could without a dollar to invest! I was a single mom just trying to make ends meet! I really started practicing the laws of attraction and manifestation! Within a year, I had keys to my first building, a shampoo sink, mirror, chair and my tools! HelloGorgeous was born!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have been a hairstylist since 2003, Early in my career, I started working with some of the best of the best in the industry. Over time, vivid colors and blondes have become a specialty of mine! I truly enjoy making my clients feel Gorgeous and giving them a safe space to unwind, relax and get that boost of self confidence we all need from time to time! I provide cut and coloring services from a routine touch up to complete color transformations!
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
There’s many instances of near fails, wanting to quit and questioning my choices! When I first started, the salon just took off! We grew super fast and without a business background it was hard to keep up! I brought new stylists on, expanded, added services everything was great business wise! I lost control of my work/life balance and became super overwhelmed! Then things started going wrong! We had building/landlord issues, employee problems, and my work/life balance became overwhelming! I made the hard decision to downsize all the way to a single salon suite! While I do miss the atmosphere of my very first salon, the business has not failed by any means!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Definitely creating an atmosphere where my clients enjoy being! This encourages them to tell all their friends and continue to keep coming back! I have not advertised in years and continue to gain new clients through Google/Yelp and more so word of mouth!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vagaro.com/hellogorgeous480
- Instagram: @hellogorgeous480