Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaxx.
Hi Jaxx, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve had a passion for hair and makeup from an early age. I still remember watching my mother get ready in the mornings. She would always tell me if you look good, you feel good. That concept always stuck with me. I believe my purpose in life is to help people, and the way I do that is by helping them feel good about themselves. I want everyone who sits in my chair to leave feeling amazing and looking even better! Self-care is so important, now more than ever.
This last year has been rough for everyone and is a stark reminder that we really need to take care of ourselves and our mental health. My industry was hit hard due to salon closures during quarantine and I realize the capacity at which I affect my client’s lives. A haircut isn’t just a haircut when you cultivate a relationship with everyone who sits in your chair. The first time I realized I really wanted to be in this industry was after my grandmother’s funeral. I was ten years old and I couldn’t help but wish I had done her makeup at the funeral home. I was born and raised in New Jersey. I attended a vocational school in Union County and received my license about ten years ago. At first, I was interested in getting into hair & makeup for TV, Film and Print. I was lucky enough to assist some friends on film sets before I got my first job in a salon.
After freelancing and working at chain establishments for a couple years, I ended up working at the salon I went to since I was ten years old. My coworkers felt more like family and I learned a lot about the business side of things during my time there. After three years of working there, I started a long-distance relationship with my now-husband. After a year of dating, I moved to Florida to start a new life with him. I worked in The Salon at Ulta Beauty for two years before deciding I was going to start my own business. Cut to now, where I am the Co-Owner of Alchemists’ Salon and Beauty Bar in Longwood Florida. My business partner, Sarah Englehart, and I had our grand opening in October of 2019. Little did we know a global pandemic was about to hit. I am so proud of the work we have done to ensure a safe place to come and experience some normalcy and self-care.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I have Lupus. It’s an auto-immune disease that causes inflammation and pain throughout my body. When I have a flare-up, I usually experience joint pain & swelling, skin irritation, and extreme fatigue. Usually, after a long day at the salon, I need to elevate my legs as soon as I get home because my ankles start swelling up. Over the years, I’ve been hospitalized with pneumonia and other Lupus related health complications. There’s a lot of people who have suggested I find another profession, one that’s more suitable to my health problems. There’s absolutely no other career path I could choose where this wouldn’t interfere in some way. In the last couple of years, I’ve tried to develop a life/work balance. Sometimes I need to remind myself to take days off and recoup so I can be at my best. If I let my health issues control my life, I probably wouldn’t leave the house. Having Lupus has taught me how strong and resilient I truly am. I am so grateful to have the support of my family, friends, and my amazing clients.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I co-own Alchemists’ Salon & Beauty Bar with my friend Sarah Englehart. We opened the salon in October 2019. We offer hair and makeup services. The hair services I specialize in are color corrections, blonding, vivid fashion colors, brazilian blowouts and hair extensions. I also specialize in occasion makeup, everyday makeup applications, makeup lessons, lash extensions and microblading.
I’m so proud that we were able to grow our business during a pandemic. We’ve cultivated relationships with our clients that exist outside the salon and create an atmosphere of positive and relaxing energy during every service. Right now, I am running my hair model program. The cost of the program is $200 (the cost of products used) and I must be allowed creative control. Every month I will be looking for five clients to be hair models. 1 Brunette style, 1 Blonde style, and 3 Vivid hair color models. I am so grateful to be able to bring people amazing hair while expressing my creativity!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There are so many creative ways to express yourself in this industry. Something that seems on par across the board is that beauty services are a luxury. Pricing on services will be based on years in the industry and skill level. To be successful in this industry, you must always be learning. Continued education is the backbone of running your business and mastering your craft. There will definitely be a continual rise in pricing over the next five years to match the need for more complex services. Although some styles from the ’90s are making a comeback, the techniques that were used during that time need to stay there. As our world becomes more enveloped in technology and the need some have for the perfect selfie, you can’t walk into a place asking to look like a Kardashian without paying “Kardashian” money.
Pricing:
- $100 Per hour for color correction
- $60 Root Touch Up
- $75 Formal Makeup Application
- $350 Microblading
Contact Info:
- Email: alchemistsalonandbeautybar@gmail.com
- Website: https://alchemistssalonandbeautybar.com/
- Instagram: @Beauty_By_Jaxx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeautyByJaxx1
