The talented Mrs. Jen Cortez is embarking on another exciting adventure, this time for all to share. So if you're one who wants go to a salon that is environmentally aware and responsible, and provides amazing services and artistry, you'll definitely want to check out The Hive Salon, co-owned by Jen Cortez and Rebecca Bighley, opening this Spring in this Spring in Northeast Minneapolis.
I am lucky enough to know Jen through a friend and was able to finagle some of her valuable time in an email interview Q & A. Her bubbly, yet determined personality was unmistakable throughout her responses making for a delightful read.
When I say embarking on another exciting adventure, I am of course implying that there was a first exciting adventure, which is referring to Jen's fortuitous rendezvous with Lady Gaga. I wanted to know how the situation came about to create the 'hair-phones' for Lady Gaga and of course what it was like meeting the now legendary pop-star, so I asked Jen.
She colorfully responded, “The hair-phones were a funny situation. A dear client who works for Best Buy Corporate mentioned that Ms. Gaga would be stopping through for a meet and greet. The client herself had been rocking the platinum blond bob look for years and was constantly compared looks-wise to Lady Gaga; what started out as a joke about making the client a giant hair-bow to wear upon meeting Lady Gaga ended with me constructing a pair of headphones out of hair for Gaga herself!
When I finally presented them to her I almost peed when she immediately popped them on her head and declared she loved them! Lady Gaga is a very articulate little thing. She hadn’t exploded quite as much as she has now, but she came off as very humble, devoted to her fan base, and very much aware of herself and how she wanted to be seen. Also, her butt is amazing. Just saying.”
So who exactly is Mrs. Jen Cortez? Here's a little insight on the inside world of this eclectic new business owner. I first inquired about the ever important question of her favorite places to shop. She answered, “I honestly don’t get to shop nearly as much as I’d like but when I do go I love to start with a trip to Rewind, Blacklist, or B-Squad for a good vintage hunt. I Like You is the next best thing since sliced bread when it comes to gifts, hair do-dads, and trinkets.”
The next subject that was touched on involves one of Jen's favorite subjects: food. Knowing that Jen is pretty much obsessed with food I wanted to know where her favorites places to stop for a bite were. The thrill in her feedback was crystal clear as she responds, “Food!? Yum! The King and I Thai has been a staple in my diet for the last 10 years, the palatial made with mock duck, and the tequila gimlets are amazing! I LOVE Indian food, but good vegan Indian food is hard to find in Minneapolis—an oxymoron I know. It’s out of the way but Dosa King serves up some reasonably priced and delicious Indian food.
The bakery at The Wedge Co-op is to die for; they make these amazing little vegan cupcakes, and I swear they’re made for me because they never put too much frosting on top! Also, the Jasmine Deli makes killer cheap pho and bunh mi, and their sister restaurant Jasmine 26 has the yummiest lemon-grass noodle salad and salt and pepper fried tofu.”
Wanting to dig a little deeper into the life of Mrs. Cortez, I was curious to know else she does with her time. Jen responded, “Cooking and eating. Before The Hive went from a plan on paper to a real tangible consumer of time and energy, I blogged regularly about vegan food and wrote recipes. (You can check them out @www.midwestvaygun.wordpress.com) If I wasn’t doing hair I think I would have pursued culinary arts or baking and pastries.”
Jen's home life consists of Dan, her husband of 3 years, and their 3 cats, Boo, Peter, and Stewart. When I asked about having any pets, Jen was especially enlivened in her reply affirming, “if I had my way I’d rescue and keep anything shorter than me!”
Being as talented as Jen is, one must wonder how they would like to be remembered, so I asked her. Jen countered, “As the world record holder for the most cupcakes eaten at one time, or just as a really nice lady with a lot of cats.” It's fairly obvious that Jen has quite the sense of humor.
Another fun fact I was agog to know about Jen was what other time she would want to live during and the reasoning behind it. Her reply was rich with a love of vintage fashions, “I love the forties and fifties; there was this everyday glamour that you don’t get anymore. Women used to always have their hair and their faces done and would put an effort into their clothing. Now it seems no matter where I go women in sweats, messy hair tied in a bun, and Uggs bombard me!”
Another major topic that surfaced in the interview was that of The Hive and business advice. I wanted to know what kind of advice she might have for someone wanting to start their own business. Her advice, “Do your research, be patient, and double, triple, quadruple check your numbers!”
I then was interested in her start-up process and wanted know what she thought the most important concept that she learned was. Jen concluded, “Writing your business plan will be one of the hardest papers you ever write, but the most rewarding thing you will complete. The rest really, is easy.”
I wanted to what Jen wants the public to know about The Hive Salon. Her response was, “the Hive is an anomaly of a salon. I wanted a salon that was run by fashion forward individuals who also cared about the environment, chemical exposure, organics, local farming, etc.—not just hair. I also wanted a salon that was run as fairly as possible; I’m not running a salon to make a million dollars or to end up in a magazine.
All employees pay to work at and are in the salon because they share the same ethics and beliefs—not because the salon is “cool” or is in a convenient area. Each stylist gets to decide how many hours they want to work in a week, and how much compensation they want for it. In a traditional salon, your boss gets a 50-70% cut of your earnings, and the environment tends to be 'More! More! More! Sell! Sell! Sell!' I wanted to be as far away from that mentality as possible. Lastly, at The Hive, we don’t just sell a “natural” shampoo and call ourselves a “green” salon. We actively seek out the safest, minimally toxic products available whether it’s our retail, hair colorants, straightening treatments, or our cleaning products. We will continue to evolve our offerings as superior alternatives come along.” In this intriguing excerpt from The Hive's Facebook page, “we recycle all of our hair foils, waste and paper and send our hair clippings to Matter of Trust to help clean up nasty oil spills,” you can plainly see The Hive's dedication to providing environmental solutions.
To have accomplished business ownership at such a young age is quite a feat. It is clear that Mrs. Cortez possesses a powerful passion and love for life. She wants to share her musings with others by way of The Hive Salon, in addition to her blog, Midwest Vaygun. So if you're hungry and in need of dinner tonight, try out one of Jen's delicious vegan recipes like the Spicy Tofu "Pad Thai". If you're in need of a fresh new look you must be sure to stop by and check out The Hive Salon located: 400 NE Lowry Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55413.
Want to know more?
- http://www.thehivesalon.com
- http://www.facebook.com/thehivesalon
- http://www.jencortez.com/
- www.midwestvaygun.wordpress.com
- http://matteroftrust.org/
- www.kingandithai.com
- www.rewindminneapolis.com
- http://www.blacklistvintage.com/
- http://www.ilikeyouonline.com/
- http://ameliaville.com/
- bsweetfoto.com
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