We recently connected with Roger Woodard and have shared our conversation below.
Roger, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?
I would find the first basic color salon that would hire me and dive in. I would take every penny i make and reinvest in my knowledge of my craft. I wouldn’t asst in a salon unless there is a very clear and promising path to working behind the chair. I would also be careful who I receive my knowledge from and verify before I assume they knew exactly what they were talking about. Once I have gained a year or so of experience and invested all my time and money in my craft I would set my eyes on luxury salons making sure that they offer incentives for education. Also making sure you’re a W-2 employee, so you don’t have to worry about taxes and most importantly that you can get your clients information once employment is over. Once I find my place I would stay and build my client base and continue committing to adding to my knowledge of my art. Making sure my clients know they can find me on social media. It’s good insurance just in case you have to move salons and your clients need to find you. Once I’m booked a few weeks I would start thinking about what I want for my future..
Roger, 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 grew up in a very small town in south GA with a population of less than 14,000. With my mom having 4 baby boys by the age of 18 you could imagine growing up wasn’t easy. Around the age of 13 i found myself homeless helpless and involved with drugs. Making it through the years sleeping from couch to couch and home to home I joined the military at 17. Shortly after I found out I needed heart surgery so I was medically discharged. I refused to go back to my old lifestyle so I moved to Phx az once I moved I looked into school and on a whim I stopped at a beauty School and once I talked to them they advised me that I could get help financially and start in a couple weeks. I knew nothing about hair but was convinced I could do it. 3 months after starting school At empire beauty school in avondale, Arizona , I knew I had found something I would do the rest of my life. It was so creative such an art and you get to be a people pleaser at the same time. It was everything I never knew I wanted to do. Fast forward 2 years and I made the move to San Antonio tx. At that point I knew if this was Something I wanted to do the rest of my life so I put more effort into getting more knowledge so I could eventually open my own salon. 6 years after at the age of 27 my partner and I opened studio 27 hair salon. Our focus is customers and aesthetic. We focus on customer satisfaction and building relationships with our clients many of them often become friends and making everyone feel welcome providing Champagne snacks etc. our aesthetic is very clean and modern gold black and white. We pay attention to the little details that’s what sets us apart. In the time that I’ve had the studio I have many proud accomplishments including becoming a educator for goldwell, my hair color being featured on American salon and goldwell us . Winning color competitions and traveling the world for education. I love doing color corrections and makeovers. Nothing excites me more than a challenge. At this point in my career I just want to share what I know with my clients and stylists as well. For me this is not a job it’s a passion and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life doing it.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Be clear on your intentions. What you post is what you get so if you want to do makeover then your media should be focused on that so you get more requests for similar work. Also take your audience into consideration. Do you want to cater more to clients or other hairstylist?
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Honestly the goldwell academy in New York has changed my career in so many ways with the wealth of knowledge I have gained in the years of attending classes.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.Studio27satx.com
- Instagram: @rogercwoodard