Do you want your hair to
whisper, talk or scream?
That's
the first question stylists ask customers who walk into the new Jon Charles
Salon in Uptown.
That's
to find out who a person really is, said owner Jon Charles. Is a person
business conservative or a rock star? Everyone has a look and knowing this will
make a stronger, more comfortable connection between the stylist and customer.
After
22 years in the industry, on both management and stylist sides, Charles knows
people, hair and how to run a business.
Before
opening his salon in early June, he was the artistic developer in charge of the
business aspect of setting up salons and spas for three of Best Buy Co. Inc.'s
eq-life stores. Charles decided to leave when the Richfield salon closed and it seemed like the
chain wasn't going to expand. A good move for him, since Best
Buy dropped majority ownership of the company, and the remaining two stores are
led by the creator of the eq-life concept.
Charles
also was the part owner of Urban Retreat and Schmidty's
Retreat for Men in Uptown, but this time around he plans on sticking with his
own ideas. His theory is that when someone has a good idea and he or she lets
others share it, each person adds a part or disagrees with another part, and
sooner or later the great idea is gone.
His
new salon offers many services, including hair coloring and cutting, waxing,
nails, facials and eyelash augmentations. The look stylists are going for is
classic European, so if someone wants a multicolored mohawk, this is not the place to go.
"We
want to make women more beautiful, not make an art project in their hair,"
he said.
Local
radio and television personality Pat Miles has been going to Charles for 15
years to get her hair foiled. She started going to him when he worked at Urban
Retreat and liked his work so much that she has followed him to wherever he's
worked.
"I
think he's very good at what he does," she said. "But I especially
like him."
The
first thing that stands out upon entering the salon is the line of Kerastase and Bumble and Bumble products on display in the
corner. Only selling two brands of products is another way Charles feels he is
making a connection with his customers.
Charles
said when a client leaves a salon and a stylist is trying to push 35 different
kinds of brands and products, it's annoying and not professional. Since his
salon only sells two high-end products, all his employees have expert knowledge
of them.
This
is a philosophy shared with the Juut Salon in Uptown,
which only sells Aveda products.
Juut also offers the same services as Charles' salon,
said Angie Scherbel, who works at Juut.
Even
though there are many options for salons in Uptown, the competition is not a
problem. Like Charles, Juut has clients who continuously
come back, and also get the first time customer who happened to be walking down
the street.
Expanding
is something Charles dreams of and he hopes to have three salons in three
years.
The
Jon Charles Salon is not making a profit yet, but Charles is not worried about
it since he paid for everything in cash.
"There
are no loans out on this business," he said. "No credit cards."
Your hair is
you