Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy McDougle.
Hi Jeremy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was introduced to hair at a pretty early age from my Uncle Dennis. He was superstar hairdresser for one of the biggest brands in the hair industry. I had no idea what a hairdresser really did back then as I wore short hair and never once touched a blow-dry unless I spilled water on my shirt and had to dry it quickly. I later learned that my grandma was a hairdresser too and worked in Beverly Hills for many years. Fast forward10-15 years my older brother, Micah was living in Utah where my uncle was living and after what he thought was some serious misfortunes, he was introduced to the hair industry and he, my big, football-playing brother, was a hairdresser. After he finished school, he worked behind the chair at one of Southern California’s top salon for seven years. At the end of those seven years, he and my parents had the opportunity to open Paul Mitchell the school in Colorado Springs. I didn’t move to Colorado with them initially, but eventually ended up and worked as the janitor at the school, while I went to “real college.” I knew I wasn’t meant for traditional schooling; I was always a mediocre student and struggled to be mediocre. with that being said I wasn’t super excited about school and dropped out pretty quickly, before the point I couldn’t get a refund for my credits. I continued to clean the school and I was so intrigued that it seemed that people liked going to school. So eventually I decided it couldn’t be as hard as cleaning the bathrooms, so I signed up and after a failed blow-dry where the brush got stuck in the hair thought I might have made the worst decision of my life. with a little help and encouragement from my brother and uncle I stuck it out and soon realized that very few people are naturally good at hairdressing. it was a skill that came from practice and discipline and that inspired me and I thought. I might be able to be better than mediocre at it. I stayed quite mediocre for some time but I was enjoying it so I didn’t care. After finishing school, I move to Utah to work with some amazing stylist at a salon that I worked with for over 8 years. these were the most formative times in my career and wouldn’t be the hairdresser I am without those mentors. and after 8 years I thought I needed to pack my things and head home to southern California. after doing my research and realizing I had spent the last 8 years building a clientele that I absolutely loved, my time is Slc wasn’t done. So, in 2019 I was talking to my brother and uncle who both own a salon in Colorado Springs I realized it was time to try salon ownership. So, we opened a sister salon in Salt Lake City and it’s been an amazing ride of growth and pandemics, but we the prodigy group continue to grow in the city that I’ve fallen in love with of the past 12 years
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth road… absolutely not. From a buildout that was supposed to take 6 weeks taking 6 months and double the budget we had set, you could say that wasn’t the smoothest start we hoping for. Once we did get open, we started with 3 stylists that were so patient as I pretended to have everything and every challenge under control. Thankfully there were understanding and patient with me. About 10 months in we were introduce to a pandemic and that’s when the real fun began. we hadn’t been open a year and were forced to close with no concrete answer if and when were would be able to open. we finally did open and we spaced all the chair and followed all the guidelines and then went for it. It was one of the scariest times in my life as I am an absolute germaphobe. and that leads us to today were we continue to grow and create amazing hair for our amazing clients
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Prodigy Salon?
Our business Is a salon that specializes in creating beautiful, healthy hair. Our stylists train weekly to assure that you and your hair feel better than when you walked in, we do everything hair-related above the shoulders. We cut we color, we perm, style our team is quite diverse so between everyone we can get you anything you need hairwise. Our biggest point of difference is our team. right now, we have an amazing team of 12 stylist at different stages of their career. we work super well together with each other and with the client. I’d say if we were to define our brand it would be just that our team Is our brand and we are always working our team
How do you define success?
Success, I feel like my definition of success changes daily. I think success is a combination of all the little things and all the big things that allows us the opportunity to be hairdressers. I honestly think hairdressing is the most amazing jobs that allows you to be part of so many different types of people’s lives. So, success Is moving forward in a way that you have designed for you own life
Pricing:
- colors start at 70-185
- cuts start at 40 – 90
Contact Info:
- Email: prodigysalon.slc@gmail.com
- Instagram: prodigysalonsaltlake or mcdougle86
