We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenna Wentland. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenna below.

Jenna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

The biggest risk I took, was going into business ownership with a business partner whom I had never met.

I was contacted one day by a person I had never met, Aditya Rengaswamy, in regards to the current owner of the former salon I had worked at (Shag Salon). The owner of that salon was looking to sell the business, and this person had reached out to me to ask a few questions about why the owner might be selling, seeing as how I had worked there with him and may have some insight.
After a 45 minute phone conversation, we decided to meet in person to talk a bit more in detail.
When we met in person 2 days later, what I thought was going to be a quick chat turned into a 2 hour long talk about the current situation of the salon and all the future possibilities it had, including me coming back to work there.
Originally, he offered me a position to come back and work for him as a Manager to get the salon back up and running, with a buy out agreement attached, but through our conversation we both realized that he (who is not a hairstylist and had never owned a salon before) knew a lot about the numbers and logistics of owning a business, whereas I (who had never owned a business) had the industry knowledge and experience.
In this chat, my Dad had been present as an extra set of ears, and made the suggestion that we should just do a partnership instead, and that was that!

So within a week of this decision, we sat in the salon signing paperwork, and just a week and a half later I officially took my first client there!

Now we are at the one year mark of buying the business, and are currently at 5 independent stylists thriving in our space.

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.

In the 3rd grade, I was taught by an Aunt how to French braid hair on my Cabbage Patch doll, and was in love with playing with hair ever since. I started in the Hair and Beauty Industry in 2005 by attending Michigan College of Beauty in Troy, Michigan.
In the start of 2009 I began working at Shag Salon. I worked hard, retained clients, made friends, and expanded my toolbox through lots of continuing education. By 2019 I had a full and steady clientele and was one of the highest grossing stylists in the salon, but felt I had reached my peak as a commission -based stylist. Myself and the new owner, who had bought in 2018 (not a hairstylist and never owned a business) unfortunately did not get along and butt heads on what the future of Shag should be. I was devastated that the place I had help to build and call home over the last 10 years was starting to take a turn for the worse. I had been wanting an out, but didn’t want to leave behind everything I had worked for there, and definitely didn’t want to leave the wonderful people I had worked with.
As fate would have it though, the owner decided one day that I was “no longer needed there”. To me, this was a sign from the universe, pushing me to finally move out of my comfort zone and become an Independent Stylist.
So in May of 2019, I did just that by taking an opportunity in Rochester, Michigan.
My end goal and retirement plan had always been to own my own salon, so that one day (when I’m an old lady!) I could take a step back from working full time behind the chair, but still be able to be in the environment that I love.
I learned a lot throughout my 3 years of being an Independent Stylist, and those lessons are what drove my decision to make my own salon one that not only was made up of Independent Stylists, but one that supports those artists in thriving in the industry and being able to make a strong, sustainable living being their own boss.
That is why our tagline for the salon is: A Collective of Independent Stylists.
We work together as a team, even though we are each self-employed. And the salon itself is there to support these artists in any way it can, whether it be advertising, marketing or branding, to financial support. I want to create a place where artists can feel at home, as well as being supported so that they never have to feel like they are struggling.
Currently we are home to 5 amazing artists, who specialize in everything from Balayage and Lived-In Color, to Vivid Colors and extensions. We are welcoming to everyone in our community, and continue to grow every day.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Currently, we have had the most success in continuing to build our brand through the use of social media. Instagram and Facebook have been a great tool for us, in that it gives us the ability to have an online portfolio that is easily accessible to any and everyone.
And of course, our wonderful guests and all the reviews and referrals that they continuously give.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Haha, I covered this in the first question!   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rebelroyaloak.com
• Instagram: @rebelroyaloak
• Facebook: @Rebel: Royal Oak Hair Company
• Yelp: Rebel – Royal Oak Hair Company