Chamber Chat: Cass & Company

In this episode of Chamber Chat, we sit down with Angie, owner of Cass & Company, to talk about her incredible journey from starting her first business at just 10 years old to celebrating 25 years of success. We dive into the wide range of services they offer, the lessons learned along the way, and Angie’s honest advice on business ownership, growth, and staying power. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just getting started, this conversation is packed with inspiration and real-world insight.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

We hope you'll need to do it.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Hi everyone, welcome back to the Chamber Chat. I'm Jocelyn. Kelly.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

And today we're here with Angie Snodgrass with Casting Company Salon and Katie Ball. And Katie's also with Castle.

SPEAKER_04 0:38

Just Katie.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

And look what they did, Bobby. Isn't it so cute? Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Thank you. Thanks for meeting with us on the bank.

SPEAKER_04 0:48

That's good on me, then. Yeah, yeah. I think so. I think so. Welcome. We are very excited to have you guys.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Thanks, us too.

SPEAKER_04 0:57

You guys are getting ready to celebrate an anniversary. Yes. Correct? How many years?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

The salon. Not KD and I know. Well, you know.

SPEAKER_04 1:09

It could be. We go way back though. Katie and I. No, the salon. Casting Company is getting ready to celebrate an anniversary. How many years?

SPEAKER_00 1:16

25.

SPEAKER_04 1:18

Did you start Casting Company?

SPEAKER_00 1:20

I did. I had a business partner at the time as well. And um we um probably about 14 years. So the last I don't do my mouth. 11 years. Yeah, it's been me, and then the last few years has been my salon director, Katie, that's come up with me and along the side, and now we're celebrating 25 years. So you started when you were like 10? I didn't really. Well, I was 10 when I started cutting hair. I'm ready. We all tried the bangs. Oh, yeah. And the sun in, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:59

You have no idea.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Did you did your generation ever do like sun-in? No, people still do it, I think. When I was in like fifth grade, people didn't have a lot of stuff. I think it would make mine like orange. It would. Yeah, okay. I don't even like movie my son, but I'd like to.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Mine was orange for sure. And I do have a lot of pictures, more pictures than I want that are out there.

SPEAKER_04 2:24

I I technically was a redhead when I was younger. Oh, okay. Yeah. Strawberry blonde shrimp. And so I never did sun-in. Now we did lemon juice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

People do. I did that too. Is that fine?

SPEAKER_04 2:42

No. Okay, it's not gonna do a lot. It's fine. So for our young listeners, don't do the sun-in, don't do the lemon juice.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

Come to Cassicown Salon. Yes, that's right. We have a lot of stylist to take care of you.

SPEAKER_04 2:54

There we go. Uh so what are other mistakes that people make?

SPEAKER_00 2:59

That we coloring your own hair at home and not protecting the ends of her of her of their hair over. So let's say someone with dark hair and they um go and do they just put the color on all over, where the new growth is a completely different color than what the ends are. So those ends can get really, really compromised, fried, too dark, just all the above. And then they want to come in and have us fix it sometimes, and then it doesn't happen so easily. Yeah, it doesn't happen easily at all. But yeah, I'd say that still some cutting, making sure you're getting haircuts. If you want long hair, you still need a haircut, not proper products, not protecting their hair from the sun, chlorine. So basically everything.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

People are doing wrong.

SPEAKER_04 3:55

Yes, yeah. I used to have I feel like stock in Malibu treatments when Katie was swimming. Yep. Definitely it was constant with her in the chlorine. And yeah, yeah. It was just a nightmare. Yes, yes. No, that's good, though.

SPEAKER_02 4:17

It's okay. It's okay.

SPEAKER_04 4:20

So services. What all do you guys provide at Casaka?

SPEAKER_03 4:26

We have lots of hair, color haircutting. We also have um aesthetics, we have a massage therapist, we have uh microblader. Yeah, lots of good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

We have um extensions, so we do hair extensions, um, men's haircuts, um, perming, American wave. It's a gentler perm.

SPEAKER_02 4:52

How many employees do you guys have?

SPEAKER_00 4:54

About 30.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

And they all work at excellent. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Yes. Wow. We are an employee-based company, so we're not, we don't have where they have suites right. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

So it makes it a little more of a team environment, team environment that um we enjoy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:15

We have about 18 stylists, then we have our support staff, like front desk, and then obviously our massage therapist and esthetician.

SPEAKER_04 5:23

So, okay, so massage therapist. Do you do like full massages? Do you do just come in and get your back done? What do you what I'll tell you about massages?

SPEAKER_03 5:34

Um, we have two massage therapists, both work very part-time, but yeah, full body, um, prenatal. We have one who even goes into deeper, more therapeutic, physical therapy, stretching type services. Um, he's really passionate about that. But yeah, they're wonderful, both of them. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:55

Now, so for an old lady who's like starting to like you are not old, you're 29 today. 29 is 29 years, great on me. Um, okay, I'm really look crappy for 29 purple. But all right, so a statistician. So, what all services? I mean, you talked about microblading, but can you explain what that is for us ignorant people? Um, and and talk about what other services you guys do.

SPEAKER_03 6:25

Aesthetician, she does everything face, she also does full body waxing, so all the areas. Um, face, she does, oh, she does so much. She's the most wonderful human I've ever met. You just feel how to do it.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

Everybody feels like it's a blessing to be in her room. She's just wonderful at what she does. So for a full list, I would recommend looking on our website because she does a lot of different types of facials. Um dermaplaning, uh the lash lifts, intense, not medical grade um peels peels, but enough that surface we're able to surface peels that we can do in our environment.

SPEAKER_04 7:09

Yeah. So all right.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:11

Um your website, obviously. Yeah. What is your website?

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Let's talk about that before we move on and forget.

SPEAKER_05 7:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

So what is your website? www.casandcompanysalon.com. That would be all spelled out. No, and spelled out, sorry. Um, so cassand company salon.com, all spelled out together.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

Yep, and you can find a list of all of our staff, uh little bios about them, their specialties, and our price list.

SPEAKER_05 7:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:42

All right, so let's talk about weeds.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

What can we talk about weeds? Okay.

SPEAKER_04 7:48

Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. All right. Um so I'm always intrigued by the weeds, like weaves, because you think about it. I mean, more and more people I feel like are getting extensions and and those kind of things. So, do you guys do this? What what because I know there's like sew in, right? And then there's like the clip.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Yeah, what else do you guys do? We have tape, sew, and caraflex. So tape is literally what it says tape. They're small little pieces. So would be an entire wef that's sewn in, and then CaraFlex is individual strands that are kind of um fused with a keratin bone, which is what our hair is made out of, and they're just individual.

SPEAKER_00 8:34

So you can do one, all and we do have different technicians that are certified uh in different ones as well. So it they there is a different certification that goes with having your hair extension certification.

SPEAKER_04 8:49

So if somebody wanted to come in, okay. So wait, what's the CareFlex then? The CareFlex is the one that's individual, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

So it's like a like the little it like rolls, so like you take a little piece and you roll it.

SPEAKER_04 9:03

Okay, so if somebody was considering, I would do they come in and get like a consultation before they consider because yes, I mean I would have no idea which one I would want.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Yeah, and you shouldn't, your your stylist should, yeah, and then there that's where they will evaluate, they're gonna then know how much hair they need to order, give you an idea then of what the cost is gonna be, what the upkeep will be, um, yeah, yep, a more thorough analyzation of your hair in the service.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

How often do you have to get a weave replaced?

SPEAKER_03 9:40

It depends on which kind you're doing, so that's all part of the consultation. Yeah, um they usually typically are between six and eight weeks that they last, and then you have them removed and put back in.

SPEAKER_04 9:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

Um tape hair you can use a certain amount of time, sew-in wefts last longer. The careflex are one and done, but they last the longest. So it just depends on which one.

SPEAKER_04 10:03

So the care flex, do you reuse those or no? But the sew-in and the tape ones you can reuse. Correct. Okay, all right, ZM learning.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Look at you. You're still a hairstylist in the makeup. I always did want to be a hairstylist.

SPEAKER_04 10:20

I I did. Matter of fact, before my husband I was actually going to school up in Chicago when we first got married. And I was gonna go be a hairstylist because I loved it. And then now that's why you do your own hair at home. Yeah. And then once you were we I just got my hair this morning.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

I made it. I have a hair salon, 30 employees, and I still you still do your own. A lot. Not my kind of recently. This has been mine recently. I have I have progressed to a stylist now that I see in my salon instead of myself in the bathroom. Go over for you. She's known to color her own hair. Often.

SPEAKER_04 11:05

Um, do you do nails in your salon?

SPEAKER_03 11:08

Not currently, but looking, possibly.

unknown 11:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 11:14

So if someone was interested in if they were a nail technician, they should call you and say, hey, maybe, possibly. Possibly.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Possibly. We like to talk to people. That's how we ended up with our aesthetician. Exactly. So we don't like to say no. We like to learn and see if we play comedy. We had not had an aesthetics uh department until right before COVID hit. Um, and she's the one, she actually reached out to us, and I was like, You're gonna have to help me with that. I'm a hairstylist and I don't know that department, and she did, and she has grown it just yeah, substantially. It's been wonderful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:50

So when you started, when you were 10, yes, you had how many employees did you guys have when you started?

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Oh. Um, Katie ended up being one of our first employees um at the at our first location. Uh, our current location that you'll find on our website um is 20 years old, but we were five years in another location down the road in Avon. And at that location, and we started out with there were just three of us at one, I mean, just well, two of us, honestly, to start in our mom's uh but volunteered into the front desk. Um, and then we we grew to five. Yeah, we we probably maintained about five or six employees for a while. Okay, yeah. And now you're at 30.

SPEAKER_04 12:39

So if you were talking to your young self and you were to say, okay, you're gonna start a business, make sure you do XYZ, you know, because quite honestly, I mean, I mean, I think we can all look back and go coudas, wudda's, and shoulda's. So what if you're for someone who's looking to be an entrepreneur, what would you say is your coulda woulda shoulda?

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Coulda woulda shoulda is find someone that is smarter than you, that knows the business side. If you're in a craft, if you do a certain uh you know, hands-on trade, uh, find that person that might be interested in the trade but is uh interested in the business side. I did go to um Indiana Business College after beauty school, so I had some business sense, but I had also people around me that helped me. So um I'd say that that was a big thing. Now I can reference this book only because I do know I've read this book, but I don't remember much about it now. But it's called The E-Myth. And that was the first book that a sales rep that we had um at their consulting company that they had recommended that I read in the beginning. And so I did, and um whatever I learned from that, I must have you know did okay. And then I keep reading books and uh going to um a lot of seminars, workshops, just I um had the consulting company. So when I say that, it's the it's our um distributors. So where we get Amika from and other places that have they're very knowledgeable, and so they will hold classes and we'll we'll take as much uh other classes as we possibly can to just feed ourselves. So classes, learning, um, and asking a lot of questions. And don't be afraid of mistakes because you're gonna make mistakes, just learn from them. And don't stop with your mistakes, just keep going. I love that. There's a lot of mistakes. There's a lot of mistakes. Uh and in in hindsight as well, when we um opened our salon, it was 2001. April of 2001. So 9-11 happened six months after we opened. Yeah. And we were not, we we weren't prepared, uh obviously, as just as business owners, as people, nobody was really prepared, but it really affected our community. Um, and it we stayed standing, but it took a lot because we lost a lot in the community from just people losing their jobs, um, people having to leave their homes and you know, just go to different locations. Um yeah. So that was our first battle. 25 years later, there's been multiple. Yeah. COVID and COVID.

SPEAKER_04 15:47

How did you guys handle COVID? Yeah. How did you guys withstand COVID? Because I'm always impressed by a service, you know, yeah, by a service industry that made it through.

SPEAKER_03 15:58

Yeah, that was mostly Angie. I hadn't quite stepped into the role that I'm in at that point. So um on the technician side, we had a wonderful boss who is a very good researcher, and she is just one of those people that just goes. Like that's what I look up to her a lot. It's like even in crazy, she just keeps going forward, and she always says it'll work out. Um, so during that, not only did we have the shutdown, having to figure out all the crazy stuff, crazy rules and all the things um you were researching, giving us everything we needed, taking care of us. Um, yeah, so we actually probably were sitting back enjoying life because we got an eight-week vacation. And we're here is like 23 for local employees at that time. Take care of us. Um, we also switched our our um our entire booking system. Wow, right in the shutdown. So she's dealing with that. I have no idea what to do. So she cried.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

I cried. I did some horrible videos that I would send to the team, and so we did that. But okay, honestly, the first thing I did was uh Georgia became, I think, the first state that allowed their salons to open. And so I got on, um I followed a salon and I got on their um their professional licensing and just went through their list of stuff that they were doing, and we just started ordering everything from Amazon and I just yeah, I mean, I just followed what they were doing down there and I was prepared. And I will have to say, we were one of the first salons other than what was in Georgia that opened, opened, yeah, in really the probably a week before anyone else leaves game. Which wanted to, but we got the salon ready and we were prepared, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:57

Yeah, and we had to open seven days a week just to accommodate everybody because you could only have so many people in the building, and we had to be further apart, and we couldn't um double book like we normally do. So it was it was a big change, but we we managed, yeah. It was it was crazy, but we did it.

SPEAKER_04 18:17

I stayed standing. I'm impressed because that makes sense. Most people just kind of sat back and waited it out. It sounds like you're very proactive.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Yeah, I I will have to say I was. I was um I was petrified. I didn't know what was gonna happen. I had no, I mean nobody did, of course, in the whole world, uh let alone with the salon. And I had 23 employees that I well kind of because they were furloughed. I was like, I didn't know if anybody was coming back, I didn't know what was happening, so I just kept going. I stayed in really close communication with everybody. Yes, and thankfully they all came back. Yeah, we did. Not that everybody did. We did, they did, um, yeah. So I think that's as a lot of that rule. Yeah, thanks. As a boss, yeah. Thanks. I mean, my family thought I was crazy at the time, but I just kept doing, you know, like, what do you do? Yeah, that's all I had. That was my life, and I'm like, I gotta keep this going and have it when we get back. So we did. It was weird. It was a weird time.

SPEAKER_04 19:18

Yeah. I look back and I think, oh my gosh, that was just fine. It feels like a lifetime ago, and then it is just in this time of year.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

I always remember because this is this is the time of year we are doing crazy.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Yes, yeah, never again. I'm curious what your guys' day-to-day looks like. What is yours as the owner and you as the salon director? Like every day. What is it by your whatever? Every day it's different. Every day. What are you basically doing? What is the typical day like for either?

SPEAKER_00 19:51

Oh, well, what is our our daily? I mean, do you do that? Katie probably does. I do not, I'm not active behind the chair um anymore. I did stop that in COVID as well. Um, I'm just, it's it's a hard profession. Just appreciate your stylist out there and their bodies that are contorted to do hair. Um so honestly, I just physically couldn't do it um anymore. But I, in the meantime, have had Katie come up alongside me, as more of the salon director. So she doesn't stand behind the chair as as much now. Um, and so she does a lot of the day-to-day operations. So she's the go-to person. I consider myself the fun aunt now. That's been my goal my entire life. Um, but no, I I think that I mean we communicate a lot. We have also Catherine, who is our inventory specialist and um front desk director. So she handles a lot of um the front desk employees and schedulings, and Katie, we have an assistant program. Um, so what we do is we hire from beauty school. Um style, I mean, well, most of them are are um licensed before they come to the song, but if not, we still, you know, we'll do some training with them. Uh we have an assistant program that does take quite a bit of time, and Katie heads a lot of that up. Um my gosh, budgeting, uh, accounting meetings. We have a coach that we uh coach with a couple times a month. Um any you anyway, what are the job duties I've given you?

SPEAKER_03 21:35

Maintenance.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

I tell her we fix things, fix things, a proposal, we I duct tape a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

When you shut up a cow or something that's there. Oh, we shall snow. We yeah, you know, six time. We decide, we do our best. So yeah, but yeah, I'm behind the chair two days a week, and then the others, I'm just there, whatever they.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Yeah. Meetings. Um, she's uh she heads up a lot of the like one-on-ones with the team. Um since we have team, you know, um stylists that have been there not even a year or even six months, and then we have some that have been there 22 years, 23 years. And so the communication's a little different from you know that extreme, but we do a lot of communicating with our team on their numbers and just uh promotions, and then any we seem to have parties all the time with celebrations.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

We actually have a celebrations director that handles all of our birthdays and yeah, so they get the flowers and make sure we all know, and yeah, hand us the card design.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Yeah, so we do just fun. We're always doing something. We just went through a promotion where they could throw the basketball into the hoop and get a certain amount of certain more percentage off products, I think is what we just did for March Madness.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

So we do a lot of competitions for our clients and for our staff to keep both engaged, and yeah, it's a lot of fun. That's a lot of fun. Yeah, so products.

SPEAKER_04 23:09

How do you guys decide what products to bring into your salon?

SPEAKER_03 23:13

Well, we have a few distributors, so they bring us knowledge. Um, we've always tried to have more unique product lines. That's getting a little tougher in today's world with Amazon and everything being online. So then we try to look at what's most trendy, you know, where what people are looking for. So we have a little bit of both. We have some that are not as well known that we stand behind and we love that, and then we have some that are very well known because that helps get all aspects anymore.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

And we investigate, we use them on ourselves, we'll bring them in the salon and just do some trial runs with clients as well. Uh, and then we find out from our our sales reps. You know, a lot of times they know the feel of our salon as well, and they'll suggest something. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

So and we look at which lines are gonna be most helpful to a salon, which ones are gonna get back to us, have good education, uh, promotions for us, because that's really important to us continuing education.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Yep, yes, we do a lot of continuing education. We have a class coming up this Monday as well with uh short hair, pixie shags, which are back. Yeah, not a mixie, a pixie, a big does not fit a big C.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

I do know that shags and big or shags, layers are coming back. So yeah, huh?

SPEAKER_04 24:37

I don't know that I already, yeah. I I I envy the element that can go for a pixie cut. Yeah, say I envy the element that can do that.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

It it's true, yeah. Take some confidence, yes, and it's very because pixies are what's a pixie? How many different forms are do they come in? Yeah, same as a shag. So make sure you communicate very closely with your stylist. Show pictures, pictures, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:02

So when I was young, I used to be, I went with a friend of mine who was in school, and so she had to cut like the two inches off and all of that. But she would call me and go, Hey, I want to try this new cut. Will you come in and let me do it? And I'd be like, Yeah, yeah, it'll grow that. But I was skinny then, I didn't care what my hair looked like. Oh my gosh. I so loved it, it was so fun.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

Yeah, but yeah, now I would feel those are great to have. Yes, it's great to have those friends or family members and clients that come in that will let you just cut it, and it's like, oh, that's awesome. So yeah. Now you realize it just has to be to my second chin because it's just great. Well, what's comfortable for you, especially? That's yeah, very important.

SPEAKER_04 25:47

And then color and style, I really don't I don't care about as long as it's to my second chin.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

Yeah, because I feel like it's just gotcha. Yeah, that's a good rule, I suppose. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:59

Um, what's one thing you are glad that you did when you started the business? You're like, I'm so glad I did this.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Oh, um, well, I'd have to say I was married to my husband before starting the business, but having the support of my husband was well, I wouldn't be where I am today without his support. So just that person that can um yeah, that can be there when you come home and you've had the worst day and not really judge you or be on you, um, and or be involved in the celebrations, and that can also, you know, fix a broken shampoo bowl sink when needed. We love Jay. Jay has a lot. So he's you know, dedicated slash art discount. Yeah, and and so I we he's cheaply. We built the salon building and I was building my house, not the current one I live in, but a house at that same time. And we had three small kids.

SPEAKER_01 27:12

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Why would she I don't know? But I survived again, just being, yeah. I don't I don't know how she did what she did. I definitely didn't sleep as much. I like to sleep until seven now. I was not sleeping until seven o'clock back in the day.

SPEAKER_05 27:33

Not possible.

SPEAKER_00 27:34

But yeah, I definitely didn't sleep as much, but you don't when you have kids, and that's okay. My kids are grown and gone. They're grown and gone.

SPEAKER_04 27:42

Kind of almost okay. So, Katie, like what is your favorite thing when somebody comes in and says, Will you do this? What is your like? I mean, when you're sitting there, what what do you love? What do you love doing?

SPEAKER_03 27:57

Hmm, I really like doing it all, but I really like highlighting. I just like doing just making them feel good. It's more about just how I like to make them feel, but I love color. I mean, I really never thought I'd be a hairstylist. She kind of made me be a hairstylist, which was good.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

Oh, so could you guys know each other prior to?

SPEAKER_03 28:16

I've known her since I was eight. She's been cutting my hair since I was eight.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Oh, that's cute. We should give us some back stories.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

She was eight. Yes. So um, I was more of an art background. I went to college for an art degree, and I started working for her right after I graduated high school. She had just opened Casting Company Salon. I needed a job, she knew I needed a job, she needed a front desk girl, so she and my mom coordinated this. My interview was during my prom updo. Hey, we're doing it a job. I do, cool, yeah, more information. Back then, you know, back in the 1900s is what children like to say. I had nothing to do at the front desk minus watch them. So I got to watch Angie and some of the other stylists do hair. So I would ask questions. I'm like, what's it why are you doing that? What's that? It's all about shapes, it's all about color. So it was interesting and made sense to me. And they were like, you need to go to beauty school. I'm like, you're crazy. I am a tomboy, I don't do hair. Like, no. So I did the college thing, tried that. I took a two-year hiatus from their salon, realized, okay, and she's the best boss ever. How do I work for her? I gotta go to beauty school. Okay. Say those things. So I went to beauty school, and you know, the rest of sisters. I called her, I said, I want to work for you. So you're gonna hire me, right? Because I'm only doing this to work for you. Yeah. Here we are. That's so fun. 20-some years later. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 30:08

Yeah, because we celebrated year 20th last year or the year before? I don't even know. I don't either. Yeah, so she's been at the salon over 20 years. Yeah, over 20 years.

SPEAKER_04 30:18

You talked about continuing eduing education. Words are hard today. Um but what other things besides that, like any other trainings, leadership programs that you've done that that you feel like were very beneficial for you guys on this app?

SPEAKER_00 30:38

Yeah, yeah. Within the last couple of years, um it's been two already or is it just so we have um we're going through, we've attended workshops with a company. It's called 124Go uh leadership, and they do um workshops for any type, well, just for the salon industry leaders or owners. And um because we like their um, I don't want to say, I guess their their concept, the way that they show you the way, um, is we we're partnering up with them a bit more and I'm actually going through some training to be a coach with them. So coach other salons and salon leadership as well. So um we really just like, I mean, I think it's helped with Katie as well. And then our leadership that we're learning from them helps us to pick what we call pods in our salon, so um other leaders that have some people under them that they're able to grow or to part or icon, what I want to say, just kind of um gives them opportunities to grow, yeah, mentor. Um, yeah. So I'd say that those type of that type of partnership that we're having, and we still receive coaching from them, and so then they're challenging us, and and that's always good to be challenged, of course, and and uh keep growing. Yeah. So and I have been a stylist a few years, um so 38 years. Yeah, 38 years. Uh 38 years, I've been licensed and um yeah, so and I still learn. Yeah, still go to classes, never learning. Yeah. So I'd say if anything, back the question you might have asked early on about well, maybe I did say that, but it's definitely you just always gotta learn. So even if I feel like I know that, I'm always I challenge myself to always see what more can I pull out of that to just learn that one more thing that then I can um utilize and be good for that next person coming up that I'm I'm developing in my company.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Yeah, because we have to be ever adapting with world changes and how things are, so we're always learning better ways or new ways.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

And Katie's really good at that too. She handles me well because my brain can just always there's always those ideas, and um you know, there was a time with uh certain uh teams that I'd had in the salon that limited me just a little bit more, and I had to realize that I I can't let that happen because I have to develop myself and I have to change with the times. And Katie has um also realized that that's the that's the key to being able to um develop our team, develop ourselves and and and just grow and keep growing the kids, yeah, this a lot. It sounds like you guys really pour into your employees.

SPEAKER_02 33:59

Yeah, very much.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

I think so. I mean, and that is something that I feel like I've learned over the years, and at the same time that Katie was I've been pouring into her since she was eight. Um kinda and uh yeah, I mean we we receive a lot back from employees when they like you. Jessla, they like us, they like us.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

Yeah, yeah. Um so let's talk about the celebration because you guys are getting ready to celebrate. We're excited about this. Um, so tell us what's the plan?

SPEAKER_03 34:40

We are gonna do just an open house kind of style on our actual anniversary, which is April 30th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. We're gonna have Angie available so that hopefully everybody that's been a client for however many years can come in and see her because they're always excited when they get to talk to her when um, because all of her former clients are now in other people's chairs, so they love just to you know catch up with her. Um, so we'll have people still working, like we're not closing per se, but um stylus will be there. We'll have cake and champagne and some little door prizes, so yeah, just kind of celebrate Cats and Company, celebrate Angie, even though she doesn't want to say it's about her. It's about her. It's not it's the salon.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

It is the salon, but yeah, you are the person and you you I'm I'm the face when things are good, and I'm also the face when things aren't so good, and if someone doesn't like you in the you know in the community, but it happens so hard. Oh I yeah, I I handle it much different now than when I hired you five years ago.

SPEAKER_04 35:53

So do you do you realize that there are people that you just cannot please? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Yeah, and I don't take that so personal anymore. I used to, and now I don't. I I just we it's it's wonderful to be able to agree with a client to disagree and wish each other well.

SPEAKER_05 36:17

That's perfectly fine.

SPEAKER_03 36:20

Not everybody's okay, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

I don't get my hair done. And everybody talks about their hairdresser, and I'm like, my friend cuts my hair, so it's quite the experience.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Is she licensed? She would get a job, she needed. Oh no, she doesn't.

SPEAKER_02 36:44

You just let her get your hair. Yeah, Katie, her daughter did it last time. You're very trusty. Well, I don't dye it or anything.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

Straight line it, you just want to get it. Okay, very common.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

Well, you need to come in and get at least a head shampoo because then you might be like, this is why.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

I actually enjoy washing people's hair.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

Yeah, yeah, because it's really relaxing for us as well, and it puts us in our shampoo room is it's kind of enclosed a little bit, and it's a whole experience. So then we're gonna shampoo in a style. You come on in. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We should just put it out. We should. I love it. You closet hairstylists, but that's okay. Yeah, let us show up.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

You two then don't come to hair salons. You come on in. We'll show you.

SPEAKER_05 37:33

Yeah, I don't know why I don't. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Maybe not often. Not a long-term commitment. I understand. We get it.

SPEAKER_03 37:47

Okay, but we do have we do have our apprentice apprentice now have a printing to some pricing, so a little bit lower price range, and they would love to have some bodies to perfect their timing and skills, and they work with us mentors. Yes, and we're looking, we look for models sometimes, so look out on our social media. Sometimes we need certain people that are willing to come in and work with a mentor and our apprentice because you know they're just perfecting their skills. Yeah, that's so check out our website and yeah, Instagram for that.

SPEAKER_02 38:23

I like that.

SPEAKER_04 38:25

All right, Jocelyn, you can just ask you to find out.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

Yeah, so I didn't warn you guys. I'm so sorry, but I always ask one piece of life advice or business advice that you just want to share for each of you. So I'm sorry, I shouldn't warn you.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

That's the big question. Awesome. Um so okay, like oh, I wish in hindsight, with the age that I am now, because I mentioned I've been licensed for 38 years, um I would say that if I didn't hesitate or worry so much when I was younger to know that things work out and if something doesn't work out then it wasn't meant to be, and that something else is open. You're either gonna you just grow through it is probably the biggest thing. I had to grow through a lot of things to realize that it's okay. Um so I think I I wish I would have learned early on and not let so many other people's opinions uh maybe bother me. But when you're in the service industry, there's just a lot of opinions that you're that you are dealing with. Um, but again, where I had to grow and not wear it so much after I leave the business world and go home. And then like I said, just you know, somebody that is supportive in my life in my relationship. And my parents were too. A lot of people I know, but I was very fortunate that I had a lot of family, close friends, a really good close girlfriend group that we have.

SPEAKER_03 40:06

So yeah, that's nice. I feel like I'm still learning, but um where I'm now I would say, yeah, I mean, just really find something that you love and work with people that you enjoy, you know, because work can be stressful even when you love it. So you want to make sure the people that you're surrounded with um fill your cup. And having a great mentor and someone that you can look up to, I think is huge. So if you don't have that in your current place, I would suggest getting out of it before you're there forever and feel like you can't leave. So find your people. I found my people, I was very fortunate. Me too. Um, so that would be like your work set up. But yes, like her finding, just make sure you have a good support system, enjoy your life, you know, find that work and that life balance and just have peace and grace for people.

SPEAKER_01 41:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 41:03

I like that. That's all right.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

That's okay.

SPEAKER_04 41:07

I feel like we need to put a montage of all of the this is always the last question that we ask. Oh, uh the end of the year of all the great advice.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

Oh, yeah, yeah, and you should totally.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_04 41:22

Thank you guys for taking time. Thank you for happy with us.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

I know it's a busy day and a big birthday. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 41:30

Thank you. You guys enjoy the rest of your day.

SPEAKER_00 41:33

Thank you.