Salon Stories: How Jack & the Wolfe Salon Manager, J Ralphs, Balances Business with His Passion for Hairdressing
As a salon owner, one of the most important business decisions you can make is hiring the right manager to oversee operations, lead your team and help you achieve your goals. From leadership to strategic thinking and people management, a salon manager’s role is fundamental for raising the reputation and profile of a salon through excellent customer service, often acting as a brand ambassador for the business. We headed down to Jack & the Wolfe in Lymington to meet J Ralphs—a seasoned stylist turned salon manager—to find out exactly what it takes to balance business with a passion for hairdressing.
Hi, J! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the hairdressing industry?
Hello! I started my career as a hairdresser and then transitioned into a salon manager later in life when the opportunity to work at Jack & the Wolfe presented itself. I grew up in a small town in New Forest, England, and as a child, I remember having a hard time at school because I didn’t quite fit in. When I was around 16, I decided to take on a Saturday job at a local hair salon to start earning some money while I was still at school. At the time, I didn’t have any prior interest in hairdressing, but as time went on, I really started to enjoy working in a salon environment. The people I worked with were so friendly, creative, artistic and vibrant, which inspired me to pursue a career in hairdressing. I felt like I had found my tribe and unleashed a creative passion that I didn’t even know existed. So, when I was offered the opportunity to train as a hairdressing apprentice, I jumped at the opportunity and haven’t looked back ever since.
That’s great to hear! So, how did you become a salon manager at Jack & the Wolfe?
I took a long career break from hairdressing to care for my grandma who was unwell at the time. She sadly passed away and I felt a bit lost, like I didn’t quite know what to do next. I was then approached by a friend of mine who was the manager of a luxury hotel and asked me if I would be interested in taking on some casual work. She asked if I could cover someone else’s shift for three weeks, so I agreed because it gave me a reason to get out of the house and dip my toes back into the working world. A few weeks later, I was offered a permanent position and ended up working my way up to hotel management. After working in hotel management for a couple of years, I started to miss hairdressing and working in a salon. It was around this time that I came across a job advert for Jack & the Wolfe who were looking for a salon manager with experience in hospitality. Without second-guessing myself, I applied for the role since working at Jack & the Wolfe was very much my idea of a dream job. After I applied, I was invited for an interview with Jack & Lydia, and I was offered the job out of the 120 people who applied!
That is such an incredible achievement! So, talk us through a day in the life of being a salon manager at Jack & the Wolfe.
In the mornings, I am the first one to arrive and I make sure the salon is set up for the busy day ahead. I then move onto morning admin, so checking over emails, appointments and briefing our receptionist on things to follow up with when she starts her shift. One thing that I love doing each day is checking in with the staff when they arrive to ensure they are in the right headspace and have everything they need from me. Throughout the day, I work the room—kind of like I’m hosting a party—and I like to check in on our customers and the stylists to make sure everyone is well taken care of. If something isn’t going to plan, I am the first one to step in to offer solutions and quickly turn things around. I also spend some time in the day working on our inventory and reviewing our reports on Vagaro. At the end of the day, I am also the last person to leave and close the salon.
Why should a salon manager set the standard when it comes to delivering excellent customer service?
As the salon manager, the overall customer experience is something that I take great pride in. I actively work hard to ensure that our customers feel good upon arrival and even better as they leave. Since the staff at Jack & the Wolfe work different shift patterns, I like to see myself as a constant presence that customers can count on, no matter what they need. I really try to go above and beyond to build a strong rapport with our customers by trying to remember the small details about them to make their experience at Jack & the Wolfe feel more personal & special. People are more likely to connect with a brand when they feel seen, so that’s what I try my best to do. The team are equally as amazing at offering customer service, and I am very fortunate to work with such kind individuals.
How have you managed to balance salon management with hairdressing?
When I first joined Jack & the Wolfe as the salon manager, I wasn’t involved in hairdressing at all because that wasn’t part of my role. But since I work with such ambitious, talented and creative hairdressers, it really inspired me to try to find a way to incorporate time for my creative work in my schedule. Now that we’ve hired a full-time receptionist, it has given me more flexibility to fulfil my full-time management role, while squeezing in a couple days of creative hairdressing each week. I am grateful for Jack and Lydia as they have been so supportive and always do their best to make their employees feel creatively accomplished.
That is amazing to hear! So how is it going so far?
Although I have been a qualified hairdresser for such a long time, taking on clients at Jack & the Wolfe feels new and exciting. Early on in my hairdressing career, I trained at Toni & Guy and generally when you train at this franchise salon, you must choose to specialise in either styling or colour. At the time, I chose styling and that’s what I still specialise in. I really enjoy working with natural textures, curly hair and fun hairstyles, such as shaggy mullets. During my career break, I did do some mobile hairdressing work, so working in a salon environment again gives me such a buzz! In a commercial environment, hairdressing is very different, as it’s very much back-to-back, but it’s going good so far. The team have been so supportive and it’s so great to work with such talented individuals, as they keep me motivated. I have learnt so much from the team and I am super proud of all the creative work that I have produced so far.
Why do you think technology and salon software is important when it comes to successfully managing a salon?
As a salon manager, it is important that I have a full view of the business—from our profit margins to our inventory levels—so I can clearly understand how we are performing. To stay on top of things, I need access to as much data as possible and that’s where Vagaro comes in. Vagaro salon software gives me access to the most up-to-date business reporting at Jack & the Wolfe so I can easily analyse any part of the business. I can view what our most popular services are, and trend forecast based on this data. I can also adapt our business strategy based on our monthly target reports, which helps me decide what to change or upsell to be profitable.
We are happy to hear it! Can you share your top tips for aspiring salon managers?
I have two words of wisdom for anyone who would like to become a salon manager: Be kind. When it comes to managing people, you really need to a build a bond with these individuals and understand their personal working style. It’s so important to show kindness, empathy and compassion to your team always because you never know what someone is going through. You must be emotionally intelligent, but also logical, so that you can cater to the team without impacting the business. It really can be a juggling act at times, but you must be open and patient so that the customer experience is never compromised no matter what is happening in the background. But, yes—kindness really is the key to being a successful salon manager, in my view.
Do you have any go-to resources for business management tips that you can share with us?
There is course that I am currently doing called the Fantastic Hairdresser by Alan Austin-Smith which teaches strategies on how to run a successful salon business. It’s a great course that I would highly recommend, as it teaches you how to communicate with your team but also trains you on how to make hard business decisions. I am enjoying the course so far and am really inspired by Alan’s insights as an established expert within the hairdressing industry.
And, finally, do you practice any self-care or wellness rituals to help you relax?
Yes, I do! I am an avid yoga goer and I like to take a class at least once a week to help me unwind and centre myself. I also practice mindfulness throughout the week in the form of guided meditations and giving gratitude. Things happen in life and work that can sometimes unexpectedly take you off track, so prioritising my wellness is a must for me. After I meditate, I tend to be more logical than emotional, which is exactly what I need to tap into sometimes—especially when managing a busy salon!
Salon managers like J Ralphs from Jack & the Wolfe use Vagaro salon software to streamline business management, market services, setup staff calendars and to stay on top of reporting. With the help of Vagaro, J Ralphs has more time to focus on offering an exceptional and memorable service to customers every single time. If you’d like to try Vagaro and experience the benefits for your own business first-hand, we invite you to start your 30-day FREE trial today!
