There’s more to running a successful hair salon than just being a great hairstylist. Ask Hairdressing School graduate Jordana Patterson. As the Owner and Lead Stylist of Abbotsford BC’s Beard & Bardot, her responsibilities extend far beyond her time behind the chair. It’s a 24-7 job, and that hard work is rewarded whenever she sees the community she’s created.
“I’m happiest when the salon is fully booked and busy, and I can see the hustle and bustle,” smiles Jordana. “Obviously being full makes sense from the financial side of the business, but when my crew’s busy I know they’re doing what they love – vibing with their clients!
“This work is all about making connections. So when I walk in and see that the clients are happy – that they’re being taken care of and loving their hair – that’s the best feeling!”
Jordana has earned the right to feel good. The Blanche Macdonald Hairdressing School graduate has built on her lifelong passion to create a thriving business. Which is exactly how the girl from Camrose, Alberta would have wanted it.
“I always knew I wanted to be in the hair and beauty world. I would watch my mom, auntie and grandmas put on their makeup and do their hair. It seemed so cool to make yourself look so pretty and different. For our Grade One career day we were asked to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. I took my Dad’s white coat, put makeup on it, brought hair tools and came as a beautician.
“Blanche Macdonald was my first and only choice for Hairdressing School. I wanted to be a hairstylist in downtown Vancouver. It fit my vision of being a cool Metropolitan hairdresser to go to a cool Metropolitan Hairdressing School.”
“At high school if there was any styling or curling my friends wanted to try, I’d go for it; although I wasn’t taking my aggression out with scissors too often! I gave my sister her first layered haircut – even though I knew nothing about layers at that point!”
Jordana made the move from Alberta to BC when she was 16. The next task was turning her passion into a profession.
“Blanche Macdonald was my first and only choice for Hairdressing School. I wanted to be a hairstylist in downtown Vancouver. It fit my vision of being a cool Metropolitan hairdresser to go to a cool Metropolitan Hairdressing School.
“It was an eye-opening experience for me. I was immersed in this artsy, creative school with fashion, makeup and hair all around me. When the fashion students did their projects, we’d do their models’ hair for the shoots. The fashion students were passionate about what they were doing, and I was passionate about what I did.”
The thrill of the creative challenge was matched by the realization that hair professionals needed a little science to pair with the artistry.
“It was an eye-opening experience for me. I was immersed in this artsy, creative school with fashion, makeup and hair all around me. When the fashion students did their projects, we’d do their models’ hair for the shoots. The fashion students were passionate about what they were doing, and I was passionate about what I did.”
“My first foiling service giving a client highlights did not go well,” she laughs. “It seemed easy on mannequins but then the client started moving and their body gave off heat, which made the formula work faster. I remember thinking, ‘I guess I’m not as good as I thought I was. Maybe I need to work at this.’”
Jordana practiced her craft throughout Hairdressing School and after graduation, perfecting her skill set, studying the intricacies of the business, and growing her clientele in a series of salons in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley. At the tender age of 25, an opportunity and quick decision changed her career and life forever.
“A salon up the street from where I was working closed but still had everything in place. Over three days two other stylists and I decided to take it and open our own salon. We slapped on the name Beard & Bardot.”
Circumstances change, Jordana’s partners eventually moved on and she became the sole owner. Seven years and one change of location later, Beard & Bardot reflects her own vision of the ideal salon: a sustainable, gender-neutral space where everyone is welcome to come and feel special.
“The salon is part of who I am. I believe in equality and equal opportunity for all people. I want to be conscious of the environment and conscious of the people that we serve. I don’t want anyone to feel excluded or feel that they don’t fit in. Energy and vibe are so important. We want to be luxury and high-end, but we also want to be approachable and for guests to be comfortable.”
“The salon is part of who I am. I believe in equality and equal opportunity for all people. I want to be conscious of the environment and conscious of the people that we serve. I don’t want anyone to feel excluded or feel that they don’t fit in. Energy and vibe are so important. We want to be luxury and high-end, but we also want to be approachable and for guests to be comfortable.”
Building and maintaining Beard & Bardot’s brand is one of countless important roles within Jordana’s weekly routine, but she still finds time to focus on her first love: working one-on-one with clients.
“I often remind my team of the importance of connection; not only how that helps retain clients and keeps the business strong, but how it makes our days so much better. It’s easy to forget how big a presence we can be in people’s lives.”
“I’m behind my chair three days a week. I could never give that up. I often remind my team of the importance of connection; not only how that helps retain clients and keeps the business strong, but how it makes our days so much better. It’s easy to forget how big a presence we can be in people’s lives. Clients and I have laughed together. We’ve cried together. They’ve sent me messages saying that they’ve never felt this good. When my team have experiences like that it ignites a spark. They see that they’re doing more than their clients’ hair. They’re pulling out what that person feels inside and sharing it. A great friend of mine reminded me that it’s not the haircut that people come back for; it’s the way you make them feel.”
So what exactly is Jordana looking for when recruiting stylists to her team? It’s exactly the same thing that motivates her.
“Passion! You have to love, understand and appreciate the whole world of hair, from Vidal Sassoon to today’s social media stars. You need to be confident but still have humility. You can always get better. I still take classes. I’m still practicing my skills.”
“Colour was once my weakest point. Now it’s my strongest.”
The post Where Luxury Meets Comfort: Jordana Patterson’s Hair Salon Vision appeared first on Blanche Macdonald Centre.