IAM1510 – Salon Owner Offers Full-Service to Multi-Cultural Clients

Roxanne Loveless is CEO of Jackson Harlow – a full-service, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ inclusive, beauty lounge. The beauty lounge expanded in 2019. Roxanne has been in business since 2012. All of her experience coupled with her work ethic has made her one savvy businesswoman and allowed her business to survive the pandemic and continue to thrive.

• CEO Story: Worked in a multi-million dollar beauty industry. She worked her way up and has been very successful in her career. Though she had learned a lot from that company, Roxanne felt that there were some other things to apply to her own business. And so did part-time with eyelash extensions, and later teamed up with her best friend to open a facility in the area. Then made it solely her own, making it into a full-service beauty lounge.
• Business Service: Multi-cultural salon. Catering men, women, children, any hair texture. Doing hair, waxing, skincare, lashes, training, and mentoring.
• Secret Sauce: Understanding the human aspect of the business. Helping clients while knowing the red flags, and setting some boundaries.
• CEO Hack: Everything is in notes. Delegating responsibility. Listening to podcasts. Read motivational books.
• CEO Nugget: Every day you are learning something new. It’s okay to make mistakes, you will learn from them.
• CEO Defined: Mission and values. Giving back to the community.

Website: www.jacksonharlowbeauty.com

Instagram: JacksonHarlowBeauty

Facebook: jacksonharlowbeauty

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Transcription

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00:26 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:53 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Roxanne Loveless of Jackson Harlow. Roxanne, super excited to have you on the show.

01:03 – Roxanne Loveless

I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

01:06 – Gresham Harkless
Yes, absolutely. Should be a phenomenal interview. And what I wanted to do before we jumped into the interview was read a little bit more about Roxanne so you can hear about some of those awesome things that she's working on. And Roxanne is CEO of Jackson Harlow, a full-service multicultural and LGBTQ-plus inclusive beauty lounge. The beauty lounge expanded in 2019. Roxanne has been in business since 2012 and all of her experience coupled with her work ethic has made her one savvy businesswoman and allowed her business to survive the Pand and continue to drive. Roxanne, again, is excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:41 – Roxanne Loveless

I'm ready. Let's do this.

01:43 – Gresham Harkless

Let's get it happening. And so to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock here a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

01:52 – Roxanne Loveless

So I actually worked for a multimillion-dollar corporate company before I started my business. It was within the beauty industry. I learned so much from them. But then along the way, I also learned what I didn't really appreciate and didn't like and the things that I would want to apply to my business my missions, and my values. I did great for them. I always was in the top three of 51 locations. I helped them open up multiple locations and I really worked my way up from the bottom to the top.

So most of my experience as a business owner is from experience from being at the bottom to the top. I think that's the best way to learn. I did not do any formal education for, like, business and management or anything like that, but if I were to, that's what I would want to do. I think that just my experience alone is more than what I could have probably got and also outlets like yours. So, anyway, with that being said, I decided to move on from the company because I wanted more. I knew that I was going to be losing. I was going to be taking a pay cut, definitely by moving over to another salon that my best friend owned. And then with that being said, I started doing lash extensions. It was when nobody knew what lash extensions were in the DMV.

And, you know, it was just a rare thing. And I started that in the basement of my townhouse. I was a single mom, and so I was waking up before my daughter would have to go to school. I would take a client in the morning, they would go to work. I'd go get my daughter ready, take her to school, go home, get ready, go to the shop, go home, get her to bed, do the same thing. And it got to the point where I was either having to stop taking clients or I would start training somebody. So I started training someone, and it kind of grew from there. And then my best friend, whose salon I was at, she and I had both decided that we were going to move forward and open up the first eyelash extension facility in Loudoun County.

So we really paved the way for this area. It was called Lashes by Ricky Vox. Two years. The first two years in the space. It was pretty difficult just because nobody knew what it was, and we were kind of starting the bandwagon, you know, so we really had to kind of stay, stand strong, and then still maintain, you know, what we were doing at the shop as well. So I was going back and forth, needless to say, my. The lease was up, and I was tired of going back and forth, and a lot of my staff was doing the same as well. And I decided to consolidate and bring it all under one roof. And that is how Jackson Harlow became a new entity. Because at the time, my business partner and I just couldn't agree on certain things. And so we decided to split off.

We're still great friends. And now Jackson Harlow has evolved since 2019, and it's been so nice because we've increased revenue. Just. It just made it easier because a lot of the clients that were coming to one location were going to the other location. And so now we're all in one place. Just walk back and Forth.

05:10 – Gresham Harkless

I absolutely love that and I appreciate you sharing the whole story because I think so many times you see the success see, you know, the way you've been able to kind of innovate and trailblaze, you know, especially in this area. But you don't kind of see the behind-the-scenes. You don't see like, I think the quote is the secret to the overnight successes. It takes 10 or sometimes 15 years or so. So seeing like you working from, you know, top to bottom at the organization and how that has contributed to your success, I appreciate you shedding light on that.

05:39 – Roxanne Loveless

Thank you. Thanks. Yeah, it's, it's, it's been exciting and fun and all the emotions and what.

05:46 – Gresham Harkless
All the things. Yeah, yeah, that makes so much sense. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more and hear a little bit more on how you're serving your clients. Could you take us through a little bit more on what that looks like and how you're making an impact?

05:58 – Roxanne Loveless

Yeah, absolutely. So we are a multicultural salon. We men, women, children, any hair texture. We service everybody in the community, even women who may not want to, Muslim women who have their hair covered. Like, we cater to everyone. And so we're doing hair, we're doing waxing, we're doing skincare, and we're doing lashes and asked to do education. Along with that, I also mentor and I go to some of the schools and I do guest speaking and just as a motivational speaker.

06:36 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that. Especially how. Especially related to, I guess, health and so many different aspects. I think sometimes they can be siloed, but I imagine bringing everything under one roof is huge. And I love the giving back aspect because I think, you know, I'm a big believer in sometimes things don't become a reality to you to hear somebody and you see somebody, you know, doing those things that you aspire to do. So I appreciate you for also helping, you know, those, you know, younger generations.

07:04- Roxanne Loveless

Yeah, it's really nice to guide them and they definitely make you like realize how long you've been in the business. Cause they'll say certain things and I'm like, you just compared me to your mom. She was like, okay, thanks. You know, we also do airbrush spray tanning. And like I said, I do a lot of training with in-house training. And yeah, no, it's just nice because what we do, it makes people feel good. And we're low-key therapists as well.

07:33- Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. And I think that I don't know if this touches on what I call the Secret saucer thing you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique or the organization, but it kind of seems like you're really dialed into. I always say we forget about the human aspect of business and the human aspect of life. But it sounds like from whether it be your clients, your team, just understanding that human aspect, not just, hey, we provide these products and services, but, hey, how are you doing today? What are you going through? Oh, you're. You're doing better at this. It sounds like you have a really good pulse on being able to kind of have that incorporated in your business and in your life. Do you feel like that's part of your secret sauce?

08:07 – Roxanne Loveless

Absolutely. I am wholeheartedly just that type of person, and I always want to see the best in people, and I want to give people the benefit of the doubt. But I will say that I've been burned before. So there was an incident that had happened, and not to go into details, but it basically was. I was really taking care of someone. I always want to take care of those who are around me, and I want them to do well and be able to be successful. And I kind of got used, and it wasn't a good situation.

And I was, like, really upset because, you know, my girlfriend was like, Roxanne, like I told you, like, you always just, like, let people in right away and not. And you always think that, like, everyone's got the right intentions like you do, and that's just not how it works. And that's just who I am as a person. But I was, like, so irritated by this that I was like, I'm done. I'm not going to be that person anymore. I'm over it. Like, I'm just strictly business. I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to be more hardcore. And then I was like, okay, I don't know who I'm fooling, because it's who I am as a person.

I can't help it. Like, I just can't help it. But what I started doing was creating more boundaries. And when I see that red flag and when I need to make a decision, even if I don't like confrontation, which is funny as a business owner, right? I don't like confrontation. But when I have to handle something, I do it sooner rather than later, instead of waiting to see, like, okay, this person has so much potential. Let's give them a chance. Let's give them a chance. And the next thing you know.

09:41 – Gresham Harkless
It's.

09:41- Roxanne Loveless

It's really something I should have maybe handled sooner. So again, creating those boundaries where they're still my family, I'm still that person that wants to help other people, but just knowing when to call it and when to take certain actions, behavior, and words, you know, for what they are.

10:00 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I think a lot of the strong foundation is kind of shown during times like Covid when there's so much disruption and change. You end up finding out a lot about the business, but I think even more about ourselves and kind of like how we're built and the way that we're structured. So absolutely appreciate that. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

10:28 – Roxanne Loveless

I have to make notes for myself. I like my notes on my phone are like my everything. So everything's in my notes as far as like what I need to be done. But also I have to give it up. I have an admin and she helps me so much. So definitely delegating responsibility and holding everybody accountable. I do love reading motivational books and even listening to your podcast. It's like tapping into hearing other people's perspectives. Whether I agree and I can apply it or I can debate it in my head. I just, I like to. I don't know, I guess I just like to read a lot more like motivational books the most.

But delegating for sure. Like, you have to understand that as a leader, you cannot do everything and you have to give up some control and delegate and get the help where you need it. And with that being said, things get done in a more timely manner. You're not overwhelmed, you're not stressed, you're not forgetting about anything. But I don't know if that's what you would call a hack. But definitely letting go a little bit and asking for help.

11:45 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I think that's definitely a hack. And I think, you know, that understanding of not trying to do it all and be all the things and that's, you know, tapping into like you mentioned, you know, books and podcasts. Just different lessons that people have that we can kind of learn. But I love that kind of two-part way that you can delegate that. I definitely heard where of course, you know, being able to kind of write all those things out into our phone and you mentioned the notes app and be able to kind of leverage that.

But also the people, the admin that you have, and Being able to realize that the more, a lot of times, the more you hold on, the more that can fall out. So you want to try to kind of clear the decks, delegate it to the right people so that you can kind of focus on those bigger things that need to be taken care of.

12:25 – Roxanne Loveless

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Because if I try to do it all, it's like I've run out of time in the day.

12:31 – Gresham Harkless

Right. You're right. There's not enough. There are not enough hours in the day. I've definitely tried it myself. Yes. But there's definitely enough people, enough people we can kind of lean on or technologies that can make that happen. So absolutely appreciate that. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a seal nugget. So this is a little bit more word of wisdom or a piece of advice. I usually say it might be something if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger.

12:54 – Roxanne Loveless

Business self, oh gosh, there's so much. Right. So like every day I'm learning something new. And I think going back to the hack too as well. Is really listening to those around you. You know, not just the networking and the reading, the books and stuff like that, but just day-to-day experience. Every day you're learning something new. And I always tell my girls, oh, I don't even know what's happening.

I always tell my girls that, you know, you're. It's okay to make mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes because from those mistakes you're going to learn from them. As long as you're learning from your mistakes, it's okay. And don't be scared about making those mistakes and don't be hard on yourself about it. Just know what you did and how you can do it differently.

13:42 – Gresham Harkless

That's absolutely huge. And so now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quotes, unquote CEOs on this show. So, Roxanne, what does being a CEO mean to you?

13:53 – Roxanne Loveless

It's really important. Like for me, my mission and my values are when people come first, success will follow. And I feel like what was really important to me as a business owner and the best form of marketing is giving back to the community. I rather pour money into those who need it and the community. And that alone elevates us and puts our name out there. So not only are we marketing, but we're doing good. And that is something that's always been so important to me.

And definitely one of the reasons why I wanted to become a business owner is I wasn't really given that leeway with that corporate company to be able to use that platform to give back, you know, and it could be in the most simple ways. So that was definitely one of the top priorities for me was being able to use my platform to give back to the community. Every year we do an annual, like a huge food drive event. And I also bring together other small businesses.

Partnerships are very important, but bringing everybody together because we have the ability to do better for each other and help those people out. I feel like, yeah, I just, want to make people feel good. I want to be there for people and I want to help out my community and I want to help my, you know, the newer generation coming in and just, you know, be able to give everybody an opportunity for success.

15:22 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And control what you can control. So absolutely appreciate that, Roxanne. Of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course, how best people can get a hold of you. Find out about all the awesome things that you and your team are doing and the impact that you're having in the community.

15:42 – Roxanne Loveless

Make time to just kind of cleanse yourself, you know, get your mind right, release those things, do what you believe in, if it's speaking to God or whatever it might be, but just taking that moment to just release. And that goes back again to quality of life. So my email is Jackson harlowbeautymail.com you can follow us on Instagram @jackson.com harlowbeauty and then we're also on Facebook.

16:10- Gresham Harkless

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information in the show notes and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:16- Roxanne Loveless

You too. Thank you so much. Have a good day.

16:18- Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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