When Melissa Wendt moved to a new city, she needed job security and a fresh start for herself and her two kids. She found all of that and more at The Salon by InStyle inside JCPenney.
Melissa Wendt had just relocated to another state with her two kids and needed a guaranteed income as a stylist in a new area. She joined The Salon by InStyle as a Designer, where she enjoyed job security, benefits like insurance and paid time off and a warm welcome. She was quickly promoted to Master Designer; then she was offered a manager position in her salon in Livonia, MI. “I found a company that really takes care of my family,” she says. “Plus I’m learning new skills every day.”
A COMPANY THAT CARES
Booth rental can be lonely, Melissa says. “At our salon, the girls care about each other and we care about each other’s clients. We know everyone and we’re invested in each other’s businesses. At the same time, the flexibility of booth rental is still there. My stylists can watch their kids in a play at school and come back and take a client. They can have lives outside of work. Everyone wins.”
A PLACE TO GROW
Melissa has advanced quickly at The Salon by InStyle, and every step has been rewarding. For example, as a manager, she is experiencing important leadership lessons and discovering how to excel in the business of beauty. “As a stylist, I already knew how to engage people and handle the service aspect of my career,” she says, “and now I’m learning the other side.”
A LIFE-CHANGING DAY
One of Melissa’s favorite things about her job is the diversity of her salon. “Anyone can walk in and ask for any service and we can do it,” she says. “We once had a little girl come in. Her adopted dad didn’t know how to handle her curly hair, so it hadn’t been properly combed for a year. Three of our stylists patiently combed her out. It took eight hours, but we saved her hair. She was so sad when she came in but so happy when we finished. This is what it’s all about.”
WHY I BELONG @THE SALON BY INSTYLE
“I’m a manager and I also spend a few days a week working behind the chair, so I get to combine my creativity with my productivity.”
Learn more about the people and opportunities at The Salon by InStyle.
- Visit jobs.jcp.com and check out @salonbyinstyle on Instagram.
More Salon by InStyle associates share their #IBELONGinbeauty stories:
- Here’s how Alyson Reck found her family-friendly fit.
- At the Salon by InStyle, Christine Butcher discovered the best of all worlds.
- Imagine getting paid to learn! This stylist earns when she’s in class!
- Must-have career advice: go where you can grow!
- This salon manager has embraced a career that makes her dreams come true.
- Meet a dedicated salon manager who aspires to inspire.
- The freedom of a solo artist with the support of a salon family? This pair found a place where it’s all possible.
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