Concierge by Day – Hairstylist by Night

Apr 4, 2019

When Salon Owners Bob and Jeana Lang were in the beginning stages of opening Salons by JC Chicago, Jeana knew exactly the type of person to hire for the position of the concierge. “I told Bob that the best person to play the part as our concierge should be from the industry,” she says. Jeana did not have to search long for the ideal concierge, she already had the perfect person in mind to bring to Salons by JC.

For over 10 years, Jeana had been a dedicated client of Val Rivera, experiencing his talent and determination first hand. “I approached Val and Marie and asked them if they would like to have their own salon,” Jeana shares of introducing Val and Marie to the Salons by JC concept. “It did not take them long to decide.”

Val at Salons by JC Chicago

36 Years of Experience

Having almost four decades of beauty industry experience, Val has formed an extensive network of beauty professionals and experienced a variety of elements in the world of beauty. “I’ve worked at 5 salons in Chicago, one of which I owned,” he shares.

Born and raised in Chicago, Val knew early-on he wanted to make a living in the beauty industry. “I started doing my sister’s hair when we were young, and I realized quickly that not only did I have talent, but I also had a passion for it.”

Val With Salon Suite Owners

With the advantage of knowing Chicago inside and out, it didn’t take Val long to see early success. “I started off owning my own hair salon, and at that time, there were few salons in my own neighborhood – and we knew everyone in the neighborhood so I was pretty successful.” Val used his hair talents to empower his local community, “hair was a fun way to meet new people and work with the general public providing a great service.”

As Val further established his business, he desired more independence and the ability to keep his focus on his clients instead of the day-to-day duties of being a salon owner.

Chicago’s Suite Concierge

Val was ready to own his own salon on a new level that he had not done before. “What motivated me most to make the move to Salons by JC was the freedom of being my own boss with the added bonus of the support of other owners just like me,” he says.

Val at Salons by JC Chicago

After he and his partner Marie signed their lease for suite 3, salon owner Jeana Lang didn’t hesitate to offer Val the position of concierge. “After 2 meetings and convincing, he took the job. I only had him in mind,” she says.

As concierge by day and hair stylist by night, Val uses his expansive experience and skills to benefit all the salon suite owners at Salons by JC Chicago. “By being concierge, I’ve managed to make connections with other business owners and my clients have benefitted those connections. Even I’ve gained clients from them,” Val shares. “Getting to know everyone and what they all do and being there to support each other is really a win-win for us all.”

Val, with Salon Owners Bob and Jeana Lang

He takes pride in his role as concierge, and reflects on his decades of experience to the suite owners, “My favorite part is helping every single hair stylist achieve their goals.”

Salon Owners Bob and Jeana Lang gush about Val as their concierge, with Jeana saying “I refer to him as our charming and charismatic concierge! But he is also a jack of all trades. Val has a great work ethic.”

The Concierge Attitude

With his deep roots in Chicago, it’s no surprise Val has clients who have stayed with him for decades. He reflects by saying, “just to know that most of my customers have been with me for 15 to 20 years is phenomenal.

Val Performing His Hair Talents

In his spare time, Val loves to travel and spends his free time volunteering to help the homeless in his community. This helping hand spirit transcends into his role as concierge at Salons by JC Chicago. “I realized that my job was with the people, so if I’m in the middle of something and they need to talk, I stop whatever I’m doing.”

With over 3 years benefitting the Salons by JC Chicago space, Val looks forward to what’s next in his hairstylist/concierge journey. “I’m constantly learning and growing.”

We are grateful to not only have talented salon suite owners, but dedicated, hard-working concierges like Val at our salons.

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, Texas 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 nearly 100 locations in 26 states and Canada and are looking to develop of 200 over the next several years. For more information, visit salonsbyjc.com or salonsbyjc.com/franchise.

 

Blog written by: Analissa Severn, Marketing Account Specialist

 

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