Hi Melanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I finished cosmetology school eight years ago at the age of 31 after being a stay at home mom, having graduated from UT in 2003 with a teaching degree. I went through a divorce at the same time I was in school so I had to really hustle once I graduated to provide for my two kids. Upon graduation, I completed a year long apprenticeship program at Propaganda Hair Group and got on the floor there as a stylist for the next four years. It was there I built a strong clientele that gave me the confidence to go out on my own and be my own boss as a booth rental. Luckily my client list kept expanding and six months into doing a booth rental, I received a “shout out” on social media from a well know client which catapulted me even further. My cpa suggested I open a salon and without giving it much thought, I began that process. Six months later…in a spot that I had purchased home decor for ten years prior when I was a stay at home mom, I opened Deep Roots ATX. I was doing well-recruiting stylists and clients but not doing so well with the operations side.
A few months into opening Haven Tibbetts came on board to clean up the back end and implement business practices that would help us grow. Two years after our Austin location opened, Haven and I opened up our Cedar Park location. This was extremely difficult. We were over budget…a ton, I went through my second divorce after being married a short year, and we were hit with a covid shutdown. We dug our heels in and fought hard and positioned ourselves accordingly to start the process of our third location in Bee Caves. In addition to the salons, design is a major passion of mine. Haven and I purchased four condos that we short term rent and have been able to play with our love of design, even interviewing for a few designs shows in the process. It’s been a ton of hard work and strategy but we feel very blessed. We have over 55 employees currently and we love providing amazing jobs for our stylists and great hair for our clients!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road…not even a little. I had no clue what I was doing on the business side, which is how Haven came into the picture. We went into a “white box” for salon number 2 and learned a ton of construction lessons. At the same time, I went through a very ugly divorce and lawsuit to take the salons so on the litigation side, I have learned a ton, not to mention I dropped a lot of money fighting for the salons. Covid hit when our Cedar Park location was about five months old which was extremely challenging. We have had to learn a ton through that process. We have over 50 jobs to save. It has been extremely challenging and not for the Fain of ♡
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a balayage and extension specialist. I specialized in high contrast and lived in color and tape in, Handsewn, and ktip extensions. I cut hair as well. I have been featured in several publications and have a list of celebrity clientele which I’m very great full for. In addition to this, I would call myself an armature designer, specializing in color and patterns.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t think too hard and just close your eyes, jump and swim your heart out. If you don’t like to hustle…owning your own business is nothing for you!
Contact Info:
- Address: Deep Roots ATX 6203 N. Capital of ATX Hwy C100 Austin, TX 78731 Deep Roots ATX CP 1300 E Whitestone Blvd 550 Cedar Park, TX 78613 512-505-8525
- Email: Melanie@deeprootsatxsalon.com
- Website: www.deeprootsatxsalon.com
- Instagram: @melaniejacobshair
- Facebook: @deeprootsatx
Image Credits
Hollie Hart Monica Mott
