Local Business Spotlight | Beautifully Blended Hair Boutique
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My recent senior/teen model shoot would not have come about without the creative collaboration with Jamie from Beautifully Blended Hair Boutique. Jamie spent the entire afternoon of the shoot working hard and doing her magic on a lot of hair! I recently took some time to sit down with her and ask her some questions about her business.
Please take a moment and get to know Jamie and see how her business evolved and why she loves her profession!!
How did your business come about?
This is a good question. I have a funny back story as to how this profession came about for me. I took cosmetology when I was in High School, on Long Island. I took it mainly because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do and my mom is a firm believer that if you’re not certain, then you should work on a trade skill. I graduated and then worked in Property Management in NYC. Life went on, led me through a crazy path. Fast forward twelve years, I’m living in Orange County now with my husband and two daughters. I’m getting my hair done and cosmetology school comes up in conversation. I mention that I had gone but never went for my license. The salon owner over heard me and told me that the hours never expire. I had no idea. I called Sewanhaka High School to make sure I really had all my hours (knowing me I cut the last week and was short 5 hours or something) and what do you now, I did! They sent me my transcript, I sent that on to the state and a few short weeks later my temporary license arrived in the mail! With that, I called the salon owner to thank her and she offered me a job. I have a lot of gratitude for my first employers for giving me the opportunity. A colleague and friend introduced me to the color world and I fell in love. But I needed to venture on, I needed to see what else was out there. I went to another salon after that and it wasn’t a good fit. I decided to rent a chair, that’s how I came upon Chezette and her salon Total Elegance. I rent inside of her salon under the name Beautifully Blended Hair Boutique and it is, hands down, the best professional decision I ever made. I am a worker, my mom is an entrepreneur, I learned her work ethic and that nothing worth having comes easily. Once my energy was focused, everything fell into place.
Tell me a bit about your business, what makes it special?
I’m a one-woman show! I work by appointment which enables me to give each client my full attention. I can proudly say I have a fantastic relationship with all of my clients. I have learned how crucial environment is to a successful business. The salon itself is gorgeous. Exposed brick walls, high ceilings, beautiful floors—very NYC SoHo vibe. Walking into that environment immediately puts the client at ease and makes them happy to be there. I provide a very different vibe then a “hustle and bustle” type salon.
How long have you been in business?
Happy One-Year Anniversary to me this past September 1, 2016! Though I’ve been a stylist for 6 years now.
What is your favorite part of being your own boss?
Having control of my schedule! I think everyone would agree (parents especially)—there’s nothing more annoying than being at work with nothing going on, knowing how many other million things you could be accomplishing in that time. If I’m not working, I’m not there. If I know I have something coming up, I simply don’t schedule anything that day. The flexibility is everything to me with two kids.
What are some of the products or services your offer?
I have fallen completely in love with the company Pravana (Sanskrit phrase meaning “the source of all things”). I am a firm believer that everything happens when it’s supposed to. I believe this for the simple fact that this has always been the case for me. Every step of my journey was necessary to bring me here. When I started going grey, I noticed the color I was using wasn’t living up to my expectations, I wanted to try something new. I kept hearing about Pravana from other stylists and was intrigued. I gave it a try and there was no turning back. But Pravana is much more to me than just a company, they were accessible. Which probably contributed to them being voted the Favorite Overall Color Company in 2016 at the Stylist Choice Awards. I built a great rapport with them. The one thing I did miss now that I was on my own was the “hair conversation”. I could talk hair color all day. I was aware of my longing for that, so decided to take a chance and apply with Pravana to become a Pravana Artistic Educator. Seven months and a few trips to Los Angeles later and here I am, a Certified Pravana Artistic Educator. Now, along with being a stylist, I get to teach other stylists new techniques to help them advance their careers. I can’t say enough about Pravana. They came into my life with such kindness and support when I truly needed it. I don’t know if my Pravana family will ever really know how much they mean to me. They are a remarkable company. I use all Pravana products because I believe in them and think they’re fantastic. They are all 100% vegan and 100% gluten free, inside of biodegradable and recyclable packaging. Pravana also donates 5% of all of their Nevo Styling Product sales to The City of Hope Foundation for Cancer Research.
As far as services, I offer full color services (Highlights, Balayage, Ombre, Low- Lights, Pravana Vivid Colors). I also offer haircutting and of course styling.
What is your favorite product or service you offer?
My favorite service is a color transformation. Whether it’s a full head of Balayage or taking a blonde to a red, transformations are my favorite. It is so incredibly fulfilling to me to be responsible for someone’s happiness in that moment. To have the ability to lift someone’s spirits just really makes me happy. I always follow up with my clients, especially the first time I see them, I want to make sure they’re happy with my work. It’s extremely important to me. If there’s a piece that I know should be blonder for example I will be the first one to call it out and ask if they can stay for me to make that piece just a bit brighter. I’m a perfectionist.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Jamie!!
You can absolutely see that Jamie is so passionate about her work and was a perfect match for our model session!
And here is a little "behind the scenes" action on what it took to get ready!
To get in touch with Jamie today you can find her online at www.beautifullyblendedhairboutique.com or on Facebook at Beautifully Blended Hair Boutique.
Are you thinking about booking a senior session? Why not make it a wonderful day with friends, getting your hair done, documenting it with beautiful images and having a blast with your friends! Contact me today to set up your session!!
If you want to check out more of our beautiful models, you can take a look HERE, HERE and HERE!!
Are you interested in a senior session? Head to my Contact Page to get in touch!!
xo
Sally Sosler Photography is a natural light on-location lifestyle and portrait photographer serving Orange County, New York and the surrounding areas. Sally Sosler Photography specializes in newborn, maternity, children and family sessions. Please "like" Sally Sosler Photography on Facebook and Sally Sosler Photography on Google Plus.