Concierge of The Year: Jo-Lynn Greenman

Nov 21, 2017

Salons by JC held their inaugural owners conference October 22nd thru October 24th in San Antonio, Texas.  The conference was attended by over 75 of the Salons by JC franchise owners and preferred vendors.  Attendees learned about brand strategy and marketing for the upcoming 2018 year.  During the conference, honors were given out for Franchisee of the Year, Concierge of the Year, and Highest Occupancy Rate for 2017. 
Salonsby JC has 86 locations in 25 states and Canada. Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller founded Salons by JC in 1998 in Dallas, Texas creating a salon suite concept specifically for hair and beauty professionals who were ready to move away from the traditional salon model.  The company has since moved its headquarters to San Antonio, Texas, where it continues to grow through franchising.

Salons by JC’s first ever Concierge of the Year thinks like a boss and solves problems like a team player.

Jo-Lynn Greenman likes learning new things and helping salon suite owners achieve their dreams. Mastering the diverse duties of a concierge came naturally to her, she says, because she looks at the big picture and the details, loves to be busy and enjoys a career where no two days are alike.

“I mix and interact with people, but I also get to use my brain to think things through,” says Jo-Lynne of what makes her job at Salons by JC in Mt. Juliette, Tennessee, fun.

Just how did she succeed so wildly that she is now both concierge of one location and marketing manager of all of all three of her franchisees’ Nashville-area operations and soon-to-be-open location in Sarasota, FL.

Where Success Starts

“Being a concierge takes personality and flexibility, a positive attitude and a willingness to serve,” says Jo-Lynn. “The marketing manager role requires creativity; it involves a lot of troubleshooting.”

Jo-Lynn’s first big success came early on, when as the concierge of Salons by JC Cool Springs, in Franklin, Tennessee, she was given a goal to fill 25 suites in five months. “It was holiday time, which isn’t ideal, and no one in the Nashville area had ever heard of us,” she recalls. “For me, it was a crash course in the franchising business, but I jumped right in.”

While running twice-weekly Craigslist posts helped, what mattered most, says Jo-Lynn, was consistent follow-through, which meant staying connected with leads in an non-annoying way. “If someone isn’t interested, say ‘cool,’ but leave the door open,” she explains.

When she met her goal, the franchise owners awarded her with a bonus for her dedication and hard work. From there, she simply focused on the franchisees’ vision for five-year growth and created systems to make it happen.

“I knew we needed to implement systems in every location to make the back-end run smoothly,” says Jo-Lynn. “It had to be something concierges at other locations could use. I created a start-up packet that laid out everything potential suite owners needed, such as where to order products, what licenses they need and even where to get those licenses. Now, it’s been adapted by corporate—I created that!”

Roadmap to Excellence

Given her success, what advice does Jo-Lynn have for her fellow concierges?

Believe what you share is important. “Franchisees need to hear from us because we are on the ground level. Realize that your role is important and take ownership of it.”

Be organized, but give yourself grace. “Make a daily list and prioritize everything, then understand that it’s okay if can’t get it all done in one day. Just keep track of what remains for the next day.”

Handle problems professionally, without judgment. “The biggest challenge I had was when we realized that a tenant was living in her suite. We reminded her that it wasn’t acceptable and ended up terminating her lease early.”

Learn from your mistakes. Jo-Lynn’s franchisees had helped the woman who was living in her suite pay for some equipment, and she took it with her. Now, they no longer offer that assistance. “When testing any sort of marketing or promotion, you have to be willing to learn what works and what doesn’t, and shift accordingly,” notes Jo-Lynn.

Take a Time Out. “We all have days that are overwhelming, and if you need to drive around for 10 minutes and cry it out, do it, or others will see how you are feeling and be affected by it. If a concierge in one of the other locations needs to vent over a rough day, I’ll even drive over and give her a hug. We’re all human, and we’re all just trying to make it.”

Jo-Lynn had been a salon manager for 15 years and was considering a career change when she discovered Salons by JC. While her salon background has been so valuable that now, she oversees blueprints and makes suggestions for changes in suite set-ups, she believes that if you know your own strengths and weaknesses and realize you are part of a team, you can take your position to the next level regardless of your background.

 

About Salons by JC: In 1997, Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller began their journey to transform the beauty industry one salon suite at a time. Like most young entrepreneurs, they started out with a big idea but had to learn how to start and run a business from scratch. After much perseverance and hard work, one year later, they opened Salons by JC in Dallas, TX in 1998, welcoming beauty and wellness specialists who were ready to break free from the traditional salon model. The company has since moved its headquarters from Dallas to San Antonio, where it continues to grow through franchising. Today, Salons by JC has over 87 locations in 24 states and Canada.  For more information, visit salonsbyjc.com or salonsbyjc.com/franchise

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