Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Galati.
Jackie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Sometimes I think it was just pure luck that I ended up in a career that really doesn’t feel like work to me. When I graduated high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life, all I knew is I wanted to be in the arts and to require little to no math. I was that girl in high school, the one who had a different hair color every other week. All too often there was teenage me in my bathroom, lightening my hair and coloring it every possible color I could imagine. It was something I really liked doing, something that felt really natural to me, it seemed pretty obvious that cosmetology school would be a choice I wouldn’t regret, I was already dabbling in doing hair, cutting my sister’s bangs with Fiskars scissors and giving everyone rainbow locks, so I felt it was a good career while still being artsy enough. Following my heart I signed up and started two months after I finished high school.
After graduating I went to work at Hair Cuttery for a few months, it was not the place for me. I had some very supportive people in my life who encouraged me to try out and apply at Big Hair. If you are from the Roscoe Village community you know it was such a staple in the neighborhood, The owner, Patty, hired me and there I started to build my love of color and hair cutting while surrounded by some of the most talented and inspiring ladies. They would stay after hours and kept me formulate and would let me watch them like a weirdo, I am so grateful for the people I have worked next to for giving me so much insight. I worked at a few salons throughout the years moving east through the neighborhoods. In 2014 I opened my first salon, Bad Wolf Salon, in the Northcenter neighborhood, I had that for four years. I learned so much about owning a business from having my own place. I was giving the best I could but I really wanted something else. This summer I closed the door on that salon and switched gears. I moved back into the Ravenswood neighborhood and opened a private studio, Honey Hive Salon. Wanting to give my clients the best possible service, amenities, and experience I could provide, I had to leave behind a place I loved to build something even better.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an introvert in an extrovert industry has probably been one of the hardest parts. I usually don’t like to stand out and talk about myself, but I love to make people feel beautiful and good and I like to think I am pretty good at that. Trying to put myself at the forefront and still feel humble when I talk about my work can be such a hard thing to do for me. I try to let the photos and clients speak for themselves because that’s what really matters.
Owning my own business meant putting a huge part of myself into it, closing it was really bittersweet. I am so excited for my next adventure but was moving on from a part of my life that really shaped me.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Honey Hive Salon – what should we know?
Honey Hive Salon started because I wanted to give my clients what I felt was best, no questions asked. Creating an environment where people feel welcomed and cared for. When you start seeing a new stylist it can be a little nerve wracking, I want to make that experience awesome, I want you to feel like you are in good, comforting hands, because you are. Your hair is your crown and I want you to love it.
I specialize in balayage, dimensional color, textured haircuts and pixies. I spend most of my training on balayage classes. Most of my clients are busy women who can’t come in too often, I try to give them a look that will last. Taking multiple classes a year specifically on balayage so that I don’t become complacent has really created a passion in me. Finding balayage has opened up a new love for hair. It brings back my love of painting and really creating something beautiful.
My business is new but since I am Honey Hive Salon, and I myself have over a decade of hair love, I would say I am proud that I opened a place where I can make people feel beautiful and really look forward to coming to their next appointment. It is important for me to build relationships in this industry. I see some of my clients more than I see some of my family. They are there through the good and bad, and I am there through the good and bad. It’s a different sort of dynamic
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Humbleness, remembering it’s always a journey. I started somewhere and grew from that, I still have so much more to learn, I know that always have something to attain from another stylist. Even with my clients, I may know how to cut it and help but they are helping me learn too, they have had to deal with their hair for a very long time and we both have stuff to teach each other. I am always thriving and improving, I make mistakes but that makes me a better hair artist.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4636 N Ravenswood, suite 104
- Website: www.honeyhive.salon
- Phone: 7739405252
- Email: contact@honeyhive.salon
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/honeyhivesalon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeyhivesalonchicago/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/honey-hive-salon-chicago?osq=Hair+Salons
Image Credit:
Kat Dennis
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