I knew from the moment I heard about the kids’ salon franchise that it was exactly what I was looking for. With a franchise, I knew that I would be provided with a proven path, and if I followed it, I would succeed. That’s just what I’ve done. In March of 2012, I opened my second salon in Mount Prospect, Illinois. The second salon opening has been much easier than the first. With the support of the Pigtails & Crewcuts corporate office, it’s all come together with relative ease. Plus, the new salon is in a refurbished mall that has boundless potential, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead.

In college I was marketing and business major and always had kind of an entrepreneurial spirit. I didn’t know what the business would be, but I knew someday I would have my own business of some sort. I spent the next 20 years in corporate America in different fields. My wife and I have twin sons, one with special needs, and when they were three we had challenges getting haircuts – lots of screaming and it was difficult at best. After one experience, the hair stylist said “You need to go to a kids hair salon.” She explained what that was and said there wasn’t one in this part of Denver. The light bulb kind of turned on but I didn’t do anything about it for about a year. The light bulb started getting brighter and brighter and I thought “Someone needs to open one of those on this side of the Denver metro area. It’s ripe for it. I’ve lived here my whole life and  think it would do great as long as you do a good job, and it’s nearly risk free.” I secretly had this in my mind and had that conversation with  my wife, who at first thought I was nuts, but I was able to talk her into it. I said I would keep my full-time job in corporate America and we would get a manager. It’s not far from the house, it’s kids haircuts, and it’s family friendly so we could bring our kids. I knew I wanted to do a franchise because I wasn’t familiar with this type of business. I wanted a franchise that was supportive and provided direction, but was not controlling. I did some research online and looked at another franchise, but the concepts didn’t fit quite right. I loved the look of the salon, the website, the logo, and the way they were communicating. Once I talked to Wade and his support team, that solidified the decision for me. I found a great fit with Pigtails & Crewcuts. They are very supportive, honest, and caring. It’s been six and a half years now and I have two locations. It’s a rewarding business opportunity that allowed me to retire from corporate America about four and a half years ago.

I took my oldest son to get his first haircut at a Pigtails & Crewcuts and it was a wonderful experience. At that time, I had a random conversation with that owner about why she did it and she told me all about Pigtails & Crewcuts and about the franchise as an organization and how much she loved it, and the kind of lifestyle that it afforded her as far as scheduling with her young children. I kind of put it in my back pocket and didn’t think about it for a while. A few years later I had moved to a big and rapidly growing suburb full of children and was looking at returning to the workforce after having been at home with my children when they were younger. It seemed like a hole in the market. My background is working with children and families and I wanted to do something that spoke to that and was family friendly because I have young children. I did some research online with other salons but never met with anyone. I made a phone call and talked to Michelle and it all came together. I came to Atlanta to explore the idea and went home thinking “We’re going to do it.” I wanted to invest in the brand because it seemed I am my customer. I fit very well with the idea of living in the suburbs of the big city and having young children and looking for a safe place to go where I could take them, be welcomed, and have things there that were age appropriate. I also have a background in special education and liked the idea of being able to take a small thing like a haircut, which is so stressful for parents of children with disabilities, and be able to offer a space where we could help that population. My favorite thing about the Pigtails & Crewcuts brand is that it’s fun. It’s nice to be surrounded by ideas which come through in branding that are fun, that are colorful, and that at the end of the day what we’re doing is fun and makes people happier rather than really heavy stuff.

I lived in Atlanta for 20 years and still have friends here. My best friend went to the Buckhead salon and knew I was looking for a franchise opportunity and wanted something that was kid-centered because as a new mom, I wanted a place where I could take my kids to work with me if needed. She called and said “I don’t know what you’re looking into but this place has an hour and a half wait every time I go.” I looked at franchises in other industries, but not other salon franchises. Pigtails & Crewcuts resonated with me because I saw the need for it in Orlando. There weren’t any kids haircut salons and felt the need for a kids salon. It was something new, I was going to be the first one, and it was a chance to pioneer an idea. Orlando has Disney, and Disney has a barber shop, but you have to have a season pass and get your kid all the way into Disney, but there weren’t any others at the time. My favorite thing about the brand is the community of ownership and having the feedback and support of others. I can’t imagine having to do this by myself. I’m at two salons now, and at some point in the future there will be a third.

I lost my job due to the sale of the company and I was looking for something that I could stay connected to my daughter who was around six at the time, where I could still do field trips and volunteer in her classroom and have flexibility, but still work in a meaningful capacity. There was a Pigtails & Crewcuts in Chula Vista that I took my daughter to for a haircut and one day as I sat there I said “This would do well in my neighborhood.”   I looked at another franchise opportunity, but thought the hair salons would be more global or appealing to everybody.  Once I found Pigtails & Crewcuts, I looked at a couple of other salon franchises and decided based on the atmosphere inside of the store, which was important to me – the colors and the craziness, and also the cost – that I should go with Pigtails & Crewcuts.   The support from the franchise is fantastic. When you own your own business, you don’t necessarily have a mentor or anybody to bounce ideas off of. For me, that’s the best support I get from the franchise, but it’s everything from helping me with my email to decision making based on ads, internal promotions… all types of stuff. It’s just a super supportive franchise!