Picking a hair salon, for many women, can be as important a decision as picking a college, or a spouse. There are adults who have been going to the same stylist since their teens, despite having moved out of town. Many women can relate to the experience of having a “substitute” stylist for one reason or another, and then crying all the way home because that person “just didn’t know how to do my hair.”
Sometimes, however, there are good reasons to switch—either stylists or salons. Moxie Salon in Livingston provides such a reason to hair-covering women: the salon offers a “styling room,” which is intended for women who would prefer to be tended to in a private setting. In the room is everything necessary for a woman to have her hair, sheitel or fall cut and/or styled, while enjoying the comfort she deserves and the privacy she requires.
Josh Wasserman, co-owner of this franchise location, happened upon this novel idea by a happy accident. When he and his partner, Joe Attanasio, purchased the location, it was a bit larger than necessary. Wasserman’s wife commented that the extra space would be a perfect spot to cater to frum women, to allow them to have the full salon experience, including a mirror, while getting their hair cut. Wasserman and Attanasio immediately jumped at this opportunity, making it a reality when the salon opened its doors in mid-January, 2019.
Wasserman travelled an interesting road on the way to purchasing the salon. He worked, and still works, in corporate America, but always envied people who “were their own boss,” he said. “I knew I needed a better work-life balance, so I finally decided to join them. Better to try and fail than never to try.”
He and his business partner were both seeking a professional change, and a serendipitous encounter with someone while on vacation put the idea of a hair salon, and buying into a franchise, in their minds. Why hair? “It is recession-resistant,” Wasserman said. Also, “I wanted something where I would feel good about myself. It’s rewarding to see how happy women feel when they leave the salon.”
They decided on a franchise rather than opening an independent salon because “we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” said Wasserman. “Neither of us has a cosmetology license or any professional experience with hair. We would rather rely on someone else’s business model, who already has the right industry expertise.” The salon’s manager, Nicole, an expert in all things hair, handles all of the day to day operations and management.
The decision to become the seventh franchise location for Moxie Salon also came about somewhat by chance. Wasserman and his partner were having a phone conversation one morning about how they could get information on franchises. Wasserman Googled “franchise expo Javits” and it just so happened that the expo was that day. The two traversed the Javits Center, already thinking about hair, in part because the cost of entry for that industry is lower than some others, when they met two women (the Moxie twins, Jenn and Jamie, co-founders of the franchise). The sisters were “warm, passionate and bursting with energy. They were excited to share their business model and vision with us,” Wasserman said. The smaller size of the Moxie franchise was appealing as it allowed the company to be more flexible, and they were clearly thrilled to have the men’s interest in the company. “We felt much more relevant in a smaller franchise, which was one of many variables in our decision to work with Moxie,” noted Wasserman.
“We opened our doors almost a year and a half from when we met them,” he continued. “The spirit of entrepreneurship is terrifying, but a bigger risk would have been doing nothing.”
The salon is located at 277 Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston, at the Livingston Circle in the Aldi parking lot, across from the Container Store. In the eight weeks since they opened, “we’ve had a lot of traction,” said Wasserman. “Not much use of the ‘styling room’ yet, but we’re still getting the word out.”
What else sets Moxie Salon apart from the competition? “We offer Lexus service at Toyota prices,” Wasserman added. “Women like the atmosphere, and enjoy the premium experience at practical prices.”
Wasserman also has plans to give back to the community that has welcomed him and his staff. “We hope to engage with St. Barnabas Medical Center, which is close by, to send a team and maybe make people up when they are in need of an emotional lift,” he remarked.
Moxie Salon also offers “Extreme Makeover Ladies Edition,” where women write in about why they deserve a Moxie makeover, and then they do the makeover and “big reveal” in the salon.
Moxie offers all manner of salon services, including women’s haircuts, kids cuts, men’s cuts, color, hair extensions, wig/sheitel styling, eyebrows, facial waxing, nails and eyelash extensions. They do birthday parties, date nights, prom parties and ladies nights and have packages available with different options and at various price points. They are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m..
For more information, visit moxiesalonandbeautybar.com and click the link to the Livingston location, or call 973.513.4000.
By Jill Kirsch
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