Courtesy of Dawna Jarvis
- Dawna Jarvis closed her hair salon when COVID-19 hit and pivoted to business strategy.
- After a few months she realized she missed hairstyling, so she started doing hair again too.
- She spends 30 hours a week on each job; she does her agency work in between hair appointments.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dawna Jarvis, a 43-year-old in Los Angeles. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I've been a hairstylist for 26 years because I love making women look and feel beautiful. I opened a hair salon in New Hampshire in 2016, but since then I've had this lingering feeling that being a hairstylist isn't enough, and I wanted to do more.
When COVID-19 hit and my salon had to close down, my best friend, who lives in California and owns a communications agency, invited me to stay with her for a few months and help her with her business. I'd been doing my own digital marketing and PR for my hair salon, so I had experience with getting press and optimizing for search.
I took her up on the offer, and in May 2020 my husband, my two sons, and I moved to Los Angeles. I started shadowing my friend and learning as much about the job as possible. The transition was really hard at first. I'd stood behind a chair doing hair for 20 years, and now I was sitting behind a computer all day, but I enjoyed it.
The shadowing experience highlighted my expertise in business strategy. It gave me the confidence to start my own agency, combining the knowledge I'd gained working for my friend with my passion for helping others grow their businesses.
After six months away from my salon, I missed the creative and personal aspects of hairstyling. I began to offer my hairstyling services to friends and acquaintances I'd met around the area.
At first, because of COVID-19, I was providing these services at home. This led to an opportunity at a Westlake Village salon, which allowed me to work there a few days each week. My schedule with hair clients picked up quickly.
By January 2021 I was spending 30 hours a week doing hair and 30 hours a week on my agency. I'm still balancing them now, and I'm reaching the point of burnout.
I rarely have a day off
Each day begins around 5 a.m. with my agency work, which includes checking emails, making phone calls to East Coast clients, and pitching my clients to the media.
Next it's time for mom duties. I get my kids ready and drop them off at school by 8 a.m. Before my first hair client arrives at 10 a.m., I catch up on more agency tasks.
I never double-book clients in the salon and try to maintain at least a 30-minute buffer between appointments. These intervals are crucial for squeezing in additional agency work. I also use the time when a client's hair is processed or when I'm waiting for someone to arrive.
After returning home, it's back to handling emails, making client calls, and completing any remaining agency work, often until about 11 p.m. I also make time for mom stuff in the evenings, like attending my kids' hockey games and other activities.
My clients are aware of my 2 jobs
My hair-salon clients are well aware that I manage two careers. This dual role has been beneficial for my business. Several salon clients have even sought my agency services for their small businesses.
Though my salon clients support my agency, some have told me they fear I might one day step away from hairstyling, particularly if my agency work continues to grow and requires more time. To balance the demands of both jobs, I've had to adjust my pricing in the salon.
My hair-service rates have increased by 25%, which was especially important for longer services that take three to four hours. These adjustments are necessary as they compensate for my time away from my agency work, which now makes up 75% of my total income.
While the extra money from two jobs helps me pay my expensive California rent, it's not the main reason I'm doing this. The balance that comes from doing two very different things in two very different environments is a thrill.
Time management is a challenge
Even though I'm my own boss for both jobs, time management is stressful to figure out. I have to coordinate my clients' hair appointments around calling agency clients, answering pressing emails, and pitching the media before opportunities expire.
It does help that my agency work can be done from anywhere. I'm often seen around town with my laptop and will pull over in a parking lot if I have to do something immediately.
Because I can set my own hours at the salon, I'll often block off days in advance if I know a client has a big launch coming up. That way I don't have to be pulled in two directions, and I can focus on the client when they might need me.
After doing this for 3 years, I'm burned out
Working two jobs is tiring and stressful. I'm very burned out. On both the agency and the hair side, clients can decide at any moment that they don't need my services or work with someone else. I feel like I'm constantly nervous about losing clients.
But I've chosen to work two careers, so even when I'm overwhelmed I wake up and show up for both jobs. I hope to hire more employees at my agency later this year, but it's just me for now.
Recently I was sick with COVID-19 and had to stop working. I was behind on deadlines, and my hair clients all had to reschedule. It felt impossible to catch up on work after taking a full week to recover.
I'm not going to do this forever
We miss the snow, the lakes, and the outdoor activities in New Hampshire, but my family appreciates life in California, and we've decided to stay in LA.
I'm starting to figure out how to cut back while still giving to the different career paths I love. My goal is to do hair just once a week.
I love both of my jobs, but I love my agency work more right now because I can do it from anywhere and the success of getting my clients in the media or landing them a speaking engagement feels incredible. What helps me get through it is that both careers are all about other people, and I've always loved making other people happy.