It’s a quiet day at work when you get a phone call from your boss, asking you to come up to her office for a quick chat.
Could it really be? You ask yourself… Are you really getting a promotion?
You’ve been waiting for this worked hard for this, smiled through thousands of days, and taken on extra work in an effort to prove your yourself. So when your managers utters those glorious words – “I’m promoting you to manager” – you think you might actually die of happiness!
Yup, this is one of those stories. When Jozi Curtis, first walked through the doors of Honey Bunny Wax, she had no experience, or even the shorthand skills to work as a receptionist. Curtis had no intention on staying with Honey Bunny Wax as she was looking to further her career in the Hair industry. As time went on Curtis developed a very close relationship with the owner of the company, and she sold Curtis on her vision for her beautiful, hard working salon she had started by herself. This led Curtis to pour her heart and soul into this company to a point where she moved from receptionist a salon manager.
We make our own fortune, despite our occasional reliance on timing and “luck.” But how can someone quickly move from a receptionist to a manager? Right now Curtis dedicates her time to developing leaders out of employees and showing the importance of building relationships with employees and making them feel valued and an asset to the company.
us what inspired you to start working in the Waxing industry?
So get the famous question sure all Estheticians get if they specialize in Brazilian Waxing “How the heck did you get into this profession!?” It’s not exactly a job that people dream of, so I always enjoy this question. I specialized in Cosmetology and was focused on my career doing hair when I acquired a position with Honey Bunny Wax! Little did I know when I got the position I would be crossing paths with the Owner of the company, Alessandra, who would in due time become a mentor to me, as well as a close friend, and business partner.
Alessandra convinced me to wax and told me “If you don’t like it you can always go back to doing hair”. As she trained me and let me in on the trade secrets she had learned from her home country of Brazil soon fell in love with the art of hair removal and discovered my purpose was to contribute my talents to growing this small business into to an empire. I have been waxing and working beside her and our fantastic staff for five years and have had no desire to go
back to the hair industry. It’s funny, I spent thousands of dollars learning how to enhance the hair people do have and now I specialize in removing it all!
How did you work yourself from being a receptionist to a Wax Specialist Manager?
I have always had a “do more” mentality. Going the extra mile and doing more than what is required of you is a vital key to success. We must always be willing to do make a special effort and bring forth our own unique talents and gifts to any and all work we do. That is is the fruit we will bring forward in all areas of our life. I for over a year and had the opportunity to gain valuable relationships with our clients and in doing so was inspired to do more, and be more for the clients and the company.
I was eager to be of creating something bigger for this company and I was sold on the vision of where this salon had the potential of going. Had I only given the effort that was expected of me, I wouldn’t have been inspired because I would only be giving what everyone else was giving, and in order to have what we have never we must be willing to do what we have never done before. That means pushing past mediocrity and setting the bar high for ourselves and be willing to go the extra mile, not just for us, but for those around us that we serve.
People have problems of all types and when you can find a way to solve those problems, that is when success is created. I found a way to solve problems within my company and contributed to creating new strategies that would allow our department’s operations to run smoother and allow our salons to operate to the best of their ability and bring the most satisfaction to our clients. When you bring solutions to the table you are showing your managers your dedication and passion to your company’s success. Problems will always be there and problem solving people are powerful and are a commodity in the marketplace.
Knowing your company and having a 360 view of the business is essential in problem solving–I mean how will you even know what problems there are to be solved if you don’t understand the business? Research your company and know the fine details of what make the company run and have a clear view of the company’s vision and goals. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses(eh hem.. this is why personal development is so important) will allow you to gauge the areas where you are strong within the company, as well as the areas you should focus more on. So for instance, if you are weaker in the area of marketing, connect with the marketing department and be willing to ask questions and shadow them, always strive to know more, your eagerness to learn positions other than the one you are in will lead to management recognizing you.
I have always said “closed mouths don’t get fed and opportunities won’t just fall in your lap.” You have to show that you are ready to take on management tasks and be ready to step into a leadership role that will prove your commitment to getting things done. Ask your upper management if there are any projects that you can take on, and while they may start as small tasks, your willingness to grow and take on projects will result in bigger projects becoming available.
I gave my Receptionist position all of my effort and took a lot of pride in my work. From educating clients on the art of hair removal to scrubbing toilets, I did both with a great attitude and to the best of my ability. I have always strived to be the employee I would want to hire for my own company and keeping an honest work mentality and working for every dollar every hour i’m being paid is a belief I have and will always practice. It’s not how many hours you are working that matters, it’s the quality of work you are putting into those hours.
When I applied for a receptionist position you could not have convinced me I would become a Salon Manager, and eventually, an Investor in this company.
Hard work creates opportunities where your resume cannot. Success is created when you are committed to personal development, consistent in your craft, and
consistent in executing in those areas
Would you say Alessandra helped you to get inspired to grow?
Yes, working beside Alessandra has shaped me in a profound way. She is a very strong, intelligent, business woman and I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from her. Alessandra has been tough on me and she allowed me to make mistakes that made me uncomfortable at the time– but in hindsight I realized that in order for growth to happen, i had to go through those trials. She sold me on the vision for this company years ago and I have poured my heart and soul into contributing to its success. As a mentor and friend that I look up to, she has been here for me and has offered her wise counsel in all areas of my life, especially in the marketplace. The opportunity that she has given me to grow within this company has inspired me to work all around the clock to sharpen my skills as a leader and as a business owner. Having a mentor in your circle that you can go to for help and wise counsel is crucial to your success because they will give you knowledge that you cannot get from books and reassure you when you need it(and you will need it!) Seeking mentorship from someone who has accomplished what you are looking to accomplish is going to be very beneficial to you and your growth whether it be in the marketplace or in your personal life. There is truth to the saying “if you are the most successful person in the room you’re in the wrong room.”
How do you keep up with your work as a Mom Boss? How do you manage your workdays?
Balance! Balance! Balance! I wish I could give a perfect outline of what you should do to be the perfect Mom Boss and how to balance the two but that just isn’t reality! Everyday faces new challenges and obstacles and that perfect timeline will quickly prove to be unrealistic. Taking in stride and adjusting to the circumstances everyday brings is what works best for me. Be willing to make sacrifices for your children, you only have one shot at raising them. Sometimes I have to sacrifice time with my Son for my career and sometimes I have to sacrifice my career for time with him, both are extremely important to me! I want to raise my son with a strong work
ethic and the only way to do so is by having one myself, our children don’t hear what we say, they only see what we do. I never want to be spread to thin in either area so I really believe the key here is balance and learning to set boundaries, so that no areas get neglected.
What is your favorite aspect of being a manager?
Becoming a Manager has opened up an opportunity for me to step into a leadership role and use my influence and experience to create more leaders. When Honey Bunny promotes employees to managers, we refer to our managers as “Leaders” because we are doing much more than “managing” our employees. In order for their to be growth there has to be a constant development of leadership. You have to look at your employees as the people they are and develop authentic relationships with them instead of looking at them as another “spot to fill”. Creating an environment of leadership is a constant challenge and process for any company because leadership is an ongoing, life long education. I am enjoying teaching my team the things I have learned and helping them avoid the mistakes I have already made. My passion is to inspire others to develop themselves personally and in the marketplace.