We recently connected with Jessica Raak and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?
Honestly, my husband was my biggest motivator. He believed I could successfully own and run my own business before I ever did! At first, the amount of work that I only imagined it would take, was enough to discourage me from even making it past the general idea. Michael, my husband, is an amazing realtor in and around Houston, so when I simply mentioned that I was thinking about expanding my business , he immediately started the hunt for space. Within days of tapping into the commercial real estate market he found the perfect spot for me to have a start up salon. I was not expecting to find something so fast, and if I wanted the space I had to act fast. However, there were some things to negotiate with the landlord… the Hilton Hotel Post Oak. The price, location, parking amenities and size were PERFECT, but the space itself was horrifying yet had potential. I would have to do a complete remodel as well as demo some walls and even move walls to be able to provide a luxury environment for our clients and staff. We ended up working out a deal and I floated the cost of remodeling, on a lease…but I really wanted it to be perfect. We even added huge windows where there were originally none in the entire salon. It turned out beautiful! I picked out every single thing in the entire building from the paint, the flooring, décor, lighting, down to every little fixture. The amount of work that it took for a 29 year old hairdresser to price out construction materials and make logical decisions based on style and budget was a learning experience for sure! While the salon was being built I had a LOT of work to do. I needed to write a legit business plan (which I had never done before) , get an investor, choose all of the necessities such as a software system, lighting, product line(s), furniture, all the supplies we would need for 4 hairdressers to perform all services, as well as the esthetics. ALL while staying within my budget! I did splurge on reclining, massaging shampoo chairs and it was the best decision I ever made, haha. I spent every waking moment for the next 6 months (that I wasn’t with a client) researching in order to find the right team, order the right materials, setting up our software and booking systems, creating a website, as well as a brand/marketing materials. I did this all while working full time, going through IVF, and managing the re model. I even put together all of the furniture we have in our waiting areas by myself! There were a lot of blood sweat and tears during that time. I also had to find someone to take over my lease at my then current studio, where I was stuck in a contract for another year. All I can say is, I’m glad I took my husband’s advice and went ahead and did all of this before I got pregnant…which happened 2 weeks after we opened in February 2019.
Jessica, 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?
I have cared about a “look” for as long as I can remember. Dressing a certain way , with a certain hairstyle has always been my favorite way of expression. Growing up one day I’d want to be punk, the next preppy, and so on and so on. It was like everyday I was someone else, always inspired by fashion and movies. Achieving my desired hairstyle for the day was always a must! I would not give up until I got it right, even if I had to wake up 3 hours early…and I enjoyed it thoroughly. This would drive my mother nuts, and was a trait I was not taught, but genetically inherited from my father. I just have hair common sense, it has always just made sense to me – even the science behind everything that I do as a professional. I want to be the best, most professional, undeniably talented, and wildly successful at anything I do, so hairdressing isn’t any different. I chose the path I have gone down because I think we should all strive to be the best we can. I became a salon owner because I like being a leader, and making my own rules, but you can’t get to where I am without a LOT of self discipline. Over the years I found my niche – blonding, dimensional color, and extensions. Big projects and color corrections are a specialty of mine as well, I am so proud of my business, and the team of professionals that I work with. I think what I bring to the table are the experience and skills, but more importantly , my level of communication with every client. I HAVE to understand each clients wants, needs, lifestyle, and budget without any doubts before I will start a service , and that is the key to the heart. If you’re not happy- I’m not happy. I will lay in bed for hours at night contemplating a color formula, or which extension method to use on a new client coming in the next day,
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Honestly, just doing great work, being reliable, flexible, and professional. The proof is in the pudding… in my line of work when you do something great, you HAVE to document it. Trust me, spending an extra 15-20 min. taking photos of the clients hair after you have been working on them for 8 straight hours is not what anyone wants to do. I tell my younger stylists all the time, ” Do not cut corners, no matter how tempting”. All of the little details in every aspect make a difference in the experience as a whole, and THAT will get people talking about your work. Doing the most on every client, as well as being proactive with gathering and posting content of my work on social media is how I have grown not only my own clientele, but the clientele of the salon.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A few months before I opened Hair Society, I was still in a studio space with just myself and my assistant at the time. I had fallen and snapped my right ankle bone, tearing all of my ligaments and tendons on that foot. As a hairdresser this is like the worst injury that could possibly happen, other than maybe a hand breaking. I worked on the second level of the building and the elevator was broken for a good 3 months of that time. I also lived in a 3 story condo ,where my bedroom was on the 3rd level. The physical exhaustion I faced during that time taught me to be patient, and that I can do anything with a plan and enough time haha. A month later- still in a cast, I started IVF, while starting my business and was in a race with the clock to have it all done before I was scheduled to do an embryo transfer just a couple months later. My Dr. thought I was insane. Looking back , I feel like the work of starting a business was a great distraction from the massive amount of hormones flowing through my body at the time. We opened Valentine’s Day 2019 and 6 days later I underwent my first and only embryo transfer and my daughter, Savi was born that halloween.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.uptownhairsociety.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jraehairmaster/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.alston.5/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hair-society-inc-houston-3
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/hairsocietyhou/
Image Credits
Jessica Raak & Madison Toce