Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am truly happy being a business owner. I think that happiness stems from being passionate about the focus of the business. To become successful, there are key components one must have and passion, to me, is most important. I want this to work. It’s not something I am just hoping for. I put hard work, long hours and dedication into this business. I also have plenty of hours put into working in this field before becoming an owner to really understand what makes it work. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a regular job, just clock in and out and not have work brought home with me. Being a business owner, your phone goes off at all hours, your email is constantly pinging; business is ran 24/7. As an example, the night of my engagement while I was celebrating with friends and family, I had my phone ring consistently ten minutes straight. When I saw that it was a client I excused myself, answered immediately and to that client ten minutes was enough for them to stop doing business with me. That one client didn’t see me as a person with my own life outside of business, even outside of regular business hours. Being a business owner the time of day doesn’t mean much. So during that celebration I wondered if I had a regular job, would I have excused myself to answer that call? I don’t think I would. At the end of the day, being a business owner is something that I love doing. I am in control of my own outcome, it’s about how much of myself and my time I invest into the business.

Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a hairstylist who has been in this industry for over 10 years now! I started my business, Blank Slate Studio, in 2019 which is a studio hair salon. When I graduated high school, I was so torn between colleges and what studies would bring me passion but it just wasn’t there. Instead, I always knew that I needed something to express myself and be as creative as I could be so I decided to take a tour at Paul Mitchell the School, a cosmetology school, where I instantly felt that fire inside me start to heat up. After graduating cosmetology, I worked at a few different salons where I was able to see how business was ran and set that goal for myself, to run a salon business. Being in this industry I get to make people feel great about themselves everyday. I not only stand by my work as a hairstylist, but also try to create an atmosphere where people are comfortable and feel security being in my company. I chose the name, Blank Slate Studio, as a space where the hair canvas is just that, a blank slate.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The hair industry is booming like never before. You can go a mile down the road and see 5 different salons, with a plethora of hairstylists. I have been able to grow my clientele by focusing on a set skill that I specialize in, Out of cosmetology school, men’s haircuts was something that I was not comfortable doing but it was something I wanted to learn. I jumped head first into a men’s salon where I was able to grow the skills I needed. I became very passionate about men’s grooming from haircuts to coloring and waxing. I love to keep up with the trends of what’s popular, I would say a majority of my clientele are teenagers to young adult. So to grow my clientele I feel confident in knowing what the style is popular and not just sticking to the basic’s. I think of every haircut as a walking billboard of mine, the clients are the ones showcasing my work. Word of mouth has been the number one way for new clients coming into the salon.

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

What helped build my reputation within my market I believe is I’m very personable and professional. I think those two things can be mixed to a degree while keeping in mind that a business is being ran. I love being able to connect to all my clients while still understanding that I’m a professional and doing my job. I get down to the kids level to make them feel more comfortable and at ease while getting a haircut and then with the adults I make it a safe place to relax and unwind while they trust me with their hair needs. I am very punctual which also plays a factor in my reputation. I found the best way for me to run my business is by accepting appointments only. I stick to the schedule for all appointments and if there’s ever a time I’m running behind (or even ahead) a text update helps keep clients in the loop.

Contact Info:

• Website: blankslatestudio.square.site
• Instagram: blank.slate.studio

Image Credits
@Brion Hayward