When my late husband Michael and I started Hello Gorgeous!, there were a few things that surprised us. Well, to be honest, there were probably more than a few things. We never expected to have the long-lasting impact on these amazing women that we serve. We thought that we would give them a nice day, pamper them in a way that they had never been pampered, and we would each go our own separate ways. But when these women that received these surprise makeovers came back to us 2 or 3 years later and explained to us that that was the best day of their lives, we were blown away.
Kim Becker, founder of Hello Gorgeous! of HOPE Inc.
My second surprise was the effect that Hello Gorgeous! would have on the team at the salon. The sense of togetherness and teamwork is so apparent when the team comes together once a month to give a woman battling cancer a day that she will never forget. I have watched all the petty things that take place in salons everywhere fall to the wayside when the team is introduced to a woman battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer and doesn’t know if she will live long enough to watch her 16-year-old daughter graduate from high school.
Kim Becker and Sonia Di Leo – Hello Gorgeous Makeover Recipient
This is one of the many reasons that I love the partnership that we have with Salons by JC. I have so enjoyed watching the suite owners come together one time a month to provide an unforgettable day for one deserving woman in the battle of her life. The sense of community is second to none. I feel that we are able to offer the suite owners an opportunity to be a part of something special with their suitemates that puts a non-stop smile on the face of a woman who needs to feel special.
Maria Gonzales getting makeup applied during her makeover
Being a part of something that is bigger than yourself is good for your soul, for your business, and for your community. It’s been proven that partnering with a non-profit has benefits. According to Fortune.com, some of the most giving companies are Target, General Mills, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Wells Fargo. According to the Huffington Post, companies have found that partnering with a non-profit creates increased sales, gives the business a greater brand awareness, and creates employee retention. Hello Gorgeous! offers you an opportunity to partner with a non-profit once a month, but if that doesn’t resonate with you, there are other organizations that need help. If you don’t think that a party of one can make an impact, let me have a minute to change your mind.
Salons by JC San Antonio locations on certification day
Do you know what homeless people want more than anything? SOCKS! Socks cannot be purchased at a thrift store. You could take donations of socks for a 6 week period of time from your suite owners, and you can make a huge impact. You can collect personal care items for a woman’s care center, you can have a diaper drive for moms that need help. There are so many opportunities to make a difference, just choose one, and watch the spiral effect of your impact on your community.
Hello Gorgeous makeover recipient, Sassy, showing us her warrior spirit
For more information about Hello Gorgeous!, I invite you to visit our website or download our mobile app from the app store.
It has been a pleasure working alongside the team at Hello Gorgeous! to bring these makeover events to life in our San Antonio market. To date, we have hosted 3 successful and impacting events at two of our locations. The support we have seen from our salon suite owners has been memorable. We were never alone throughout this process from start to finish. Kim, Trisha, and Julene devote their time to such a worthy cause that is close to their hearts. Salons by JC now champions this movement and looks forward to watching this grow across the nation as our franchises begin the steps to host their own Hello Gorgeous! makeover day. We are proud to be affiliated with such a noble cause.
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
