Be proud of how far you have come.

JW & Co Hair Studio, located in Norton Shores, Michigan, shared great insight and technique on how to become a successful and sought-after Paul Mitchell focus salon.

Jessica Whitlow, the salon owner, explained that she has always had a love for the industry, starting from a very young age. She recently found a journal from 4th grade expressing her dream to be a cosmetologist. Just one year after graduating cosmetology school, she opened her dream salon on May 15, 2006. Go Jessica! Your 4th grade self would be so proud!

Jessica Pierson (JJ), the salon director, explained that the salon has always been her happy place and has always felt like home. She tried to go to college, but the pull was too hard, and she has been a proud employee of JW & Co for 13+ years!

Jessica and JJ talked to us a lot about the salon's significant growth over the years, admitting that the salon culture did not start perfectly but rather has been continuously growing over time! Inspired by Kelly Cardenas and Robert Cromeans “entourage,” Jessica wanted to create a team worth staying and growing with. Over time Jessica has created a team that's in it for the long haul, curating a salon motto F.A.M.O.U.S.- Focus Always Means Only Undeniable Success.

Since hiring her business coach, Lisa Carr, she has been able to incorporate systems, learn and delegate, and most of all, let go!

Incorporate systems: Including daily huddles - both beginning and ending the day. Celebrating wins, discussing featured products and services, “need to knows,” and figuring out potential obstacles ensuring each guest is taken care of with a positive and efficient experience.

Learn and delegate: Building a team that has a head director, associate director. Figuring out what stylists are good at and letting them do it.

Let go: Before hiring a salon coach, Jessica was cleaning the entire salon by herself once a week.

In addition to all of this, her team now helps make salon decisions. They hire new employees as a team, having new potential stylists shadow each of them, allowing for an overall feel of the team as a whole. All stylists also agreed to create a retail fund for education. They sell retail not just for the money, but because of the quality of the product. All retail commission goes towards a fund supporting stylists in different educational programs.

Jessica Whitlow Advice: “Show up and do the work. Do what unsuccessful people don't want to do. Hire a coach and surround yourself with people who will build you up.”

Jessica Pierson (JJ) Advice: “You can teach technique but you cannot teach kindness.”

ManocoBlue has been proudly supporting Jessica and her salon since 2006. Providing salon education and big industry names such as Stephanie Kocielski that recently visited her team.