We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Rocha recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

The hottest hair trends of 2023 is the Butterfly hair with curtain bangs. This haircut is short layers while framing the face and giving volume. This haircut works will with any hair texture.

A mid-length cut embraces texture. Waves and texture makes this haircut gorgeous. Easy to style and maintain.

A shag ( wolf cut) has been a popular haircut. It will give you volume at the top of the head with some movement and texture near the sides and the bottom.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am the owner of Thrive Salon. I’ve been in the hair industry for over 20 years now. Making people feel more beautiful then they already are is my passion. I love to share the beautiful transformations and I enjoy the relationships I build with my clients.

Hair and beauty has always been a passion of mine. It all started when I was high school, I took Cosmetology there. I received my license once I graduated. After graduating I worked for a corporate salon for many years. I received a lot of training and was taught how to set goals. In 2018, I decided to take the leap of Faith and become my own boss. While working for myself in a open concept salon, it really put things into perspective for me to keep working towards my dream of owning my own salon.

In 2021, I got the keys to my own space! I could start transitioning this empty space into my own. My husband and I sat down and started planning on what the layout would look like. I will tell you first hand that the process was not easy. I had no idea what to expect, being that this was our first time starting a business from the ground up. Lots of tears and emotions of wanting to quit. Feeling not qualified for this. The fear definitely set in my mind that maybe this wasn’t for me. My husband was my biggest supporter, constantly keeping me grounded and motivating me to not give up. Prayer is what got me through when times got tough.

It took about 6 months to have the salon ready to serve clients. Best feeling in the world to see your dream become reality! I have been up and running for about a year and half now. I have two talented stylists working amongst me. I still have room for more talented stylists if anyone is interested. My main goal in having my own salon is to help other stylists be driven and successful in a fun environment. Thrive Salon is a modern hair salon. We specialize in haircuts for women, men and kids ; hair color, balayage, highlights, extensions and smoothing treatments. We stay up to date with the latest trends. I cherish the relationships I have built with my clients. I have seen my clients get married, have babies and I have seen their kids grow. My clients become more then just someone in my chair, they become more like family.

None of this has come easy but with God and my family by my side, I know it will all work out. . I am blessed to have wonderful clients that continue to support me and my business. They will make the drive even if it’s not convenient for them. Without them, this dream of mine would not have been possible. Thankful for my friends that also show support.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Social media is free advertisement. Posting your work and staying involved with your audience will help you gain clients. Your work alone will do the talking. Word of mouth helps. If you do your best work your client will be a walking advertisement for you. Your hair is what people notice first so I want to make sure you have the best hair!

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

Stay positive and continue to show your work on social media. Pass out your business cards everywhere you go. Make sure to give your client a wonderful experience so they leave your chair happy and loving their hair. If you take care of your clients they will take care of you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thrivesalon_sa @jenmariestyles
• Facebook: Thrive Salon

Image Credits
Sam Rocha