Meet Samantha Grover who owns two businesses, a Hair Salon since she was 27, and an education business, where Samantha teaches like-minded artists like herself all about color placement, blend, and theory.
”All my life I never liked to use two words “lucky” or “blessed” when it comes to my achievements. Absolutely nothing was handed to me in my personal or professional life and I state that with immense pride. I’m now 30 and get told often how I’m an inspiration/positive role model for many other women, those comments give me so much drive to keep grinding and helping others.”
A business is much more than numbers, the care and connection that Samantha’s business gives are genuine and those around her business feel that.
”I always encourage my “students” to stay in contact with me after they attend a class, it’s gratifying to see how my lessons have made such an impact on their work! I could go on forever because my passion is undeniable!”
Tell us in your own words what you do.
I am a Hair Salon Owner/Stylist/Colorist/Extension tech (with two partners) But I also have my own business for Hair Education. In the salon I’m behind the chair working alongside my Tribe, I am their hype girl, their mentor, and their support in and out of the salon. I can’t stress enough how blessed I am to have built a team (or what we call each other, our Tribe) as we have. When it comes to my education business, that is solely my own. I offer classes to the public teaching my specific techniques of balayage hair. I share my placements, blending techniques, color formulations, consultation tips, how to build clientele, and a bunch of other small details throughout the class day.
What is a personal strength that has been useful in your career? How can new graduates develop their own strengths to further their careers?
Like many, I do not like to fail. That however does not prevent me from taking a leap into something new. Sure you can learn from others’ mistakes… but I believe the most improvement comes from making your own mistakes. it’s more than just facts, it’s a feeling. The first time I failed in my education business I was so down on myself, but I knew the lower I felt the more I had to learn from it, and the better I was going to be next time. And guess what, that’s exactly what happened. The next class I hosted was one of my best and it wouldn’t have been that good UNLESS I had failed before. These improvements carry on with me forever now.
What are you most proud of as an entrepreneur? What motivated you to start your company?
This is an easy question to answer. For me, it’s fulfillment. Seeing my Tribe and Students blossom into their creative selves with my guidance is such an incredibly rewarding experience. To know that I will forever hold a positive impact on the careers of fellow artists means the world to me.
What is your next big goal? How do you think you can achieve this one?
For the salon (Off 7th Salon ), my next big goal is to move/expand. I often imagine the day of our 2,000sqf salon doubling in size with amenities more catered to our new and current needs. To achieve this I plan on keeping the dream alive and staying focused on team building and financial goals.
For my education business (HandCrafted Hair LLC) I would love to travel. Starting small, teaching classes in other salons local to me. Then eventually I’d like to build a team who can support me in traveling around the USA to teach my techniques! Right now I’m a bit unsure as to what my next step is to get there. But that’s okay. One very important thing I’ve learned as an Owner is that you don’t have to know everything at any given moment. it’s okay to ask for help and learn slowly.
What is a skill you think all women should learn and why?
Bless us for being emotional creatures. We truly are even more powerful when our heart is in something. Ever seen that video of a mother lifting a CAR off her child who was stuck underneath? yeah…. we’re pretty astonishing. However, I believe these emotions can also get us into complicated places. We need to learn when to turn it off, think with less emotion, and look at the facts for what they are. It is hard and unnatural to talk/act as if we don’t “care” about some things our people bring to us, finding the balance between what’s best for the individual and what’s best for the business can get sticky if there are too many personal emotions involved. Even writing this out doesn’t sit well with me, but I do believe it’s best.
What sacrifices have you had to make during life? How do you balance work-life?
My goal has always been to be where I am now, therefore the sacrifices came long before. As a young adult, my friends wanted to go out partying, so I always offered to drive everyone home because I needed my head straight for work in the morning. Now as a wife and mother there are times when my attention is split when I really don’t want it to be. I don’t believe there will ever be such a thing as true Work-Life balance. Instead, I see it more as harmony. Some weeks/days will be more focused on business and others on the family. I suggest feeling out the importance of each arising situation when both lives need your attention and prioritizing accordingly. It is rarely ever an easy choice to make, especially when business is chosen over family outside of “normal” working hours. I always go back to the airplane example….. As a mother/wives, we need our oxygen masks first in order to help our loved ones right?
To what do you attribute your success?
Staying true and honest with myself. Learning to think as clearly as possible, being patient, recognizing my flaws, recognizing my strengths, not being afraid to fail or ask for help, and always ALWAYS putting passion into everything I do.
Share some tips on how to become a happier and healthier person.
Find out what you need in order to truly relax, and how many hours a day you need to sleep. Me, I know I require at least 1 hour of alone time and at least 7 hours of sleep every single day. This is such an individualized question and sometimes not easy for most to figure out. In all, though I would say chase that good feeling. Something that naturally sparks endorphins and increases dopamine!
If you could sum up your career in three words, what would it be?
Passionate, Rewarding, Creative
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