Meet Jess Letkemann

We recently connected with Jess Letkemann and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is a bold word in my vocabulary. The best way I can say I became resilient is by learning how to cope with anxiety my whole life. The mental struggle has controlled the better part of my life- I didn’t join sports teams, I went to the nurses office every time there was a field trip in school, I would literally be over a sink in the mornings before school because I didn’t want to go socialize. Isn’t it funny I’m now a hairstylist? My entire career is fueled by socializing.
I’ve always had a drive in me that would battle the anxious parts of me. After witnessing my first husband, Alex- who was full of life be taken from this earth at a young age, it was like someone lit the match in my gas filled brain. I became resilient by realizing life is just too short, we are not promised any day of it and the first thing I tell myself every morning- take the bull by the horns because everything works out for me, now get up and make your bed.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

When I was in High School, I always knew art would be my path in life. I didn’t know what it would be specifically until I started touring trade schools during my senior year. The first time I walked into the Aveda Institute in Chapel Hill I knew that would be my place and those were my people. It instantly felt like a second home. During my time there, I flourished. Everything just happened to ‘click’ I was even rewarded with the “Director’s List” which was Aveda’s version of a Dean’s List.
I was offered my first salon job while in school and started working the day after I graduated at Lather Hair Salon. Things went well at Lather for a while and I eventually ended up moving onto my own studio suite after gaining a clientele.

I happily worked a few years in my suite before I received the scariest news of my life. My fiancé became ill. He had a brain tumor recurrence he had when he was younger. At that point life simply became too hard to handle. I no longer could take care of my clients. On a day to day basis I had to call them to reschedule because I had to rush him to the ER or take him to appointments. I tried to push through to be able to afford his care and his specific diet by taking on another job part-time at a beauty supply store to keep my feet in the industry. When that got to be too much I decided I needed to step back and change my routine.

I ended up reaching out to my first salon, Lather, to ask for a position back. I was grateful when they allowed me to come back to work part time while we managed Alex’s hospital routine. Sadly, his situation just got worse and worse. After more bad news we decided to no longer wait on our wedding day. Alex and I got married on a 24 hour notice in my parents’ backyard. We were married for a beautiful 4 months.

After 4 brain tumors, 3 brain surgeries, 1 round of chemo, 1 round of radiation, 1 clinical trial, and 1 Optune cap, my warrior lost his battle on January 8th, 2018.

I took some time off of work but eventually got back to my passion behind the chair. My clients mean so much more to me then they’ll ever know, they waited upon my return and took me back with open arms. Through my grief I threw myself back into work at full force. I worked hard and cared even harder about the work I was doing. I say it all the time but I believe everyone who ends up in my chair ends up there for a reason.

I was able to fall in love again with my best friend, Tim. In September 2021 we ran off to Vegas and got married. We lead a happy and simple life together and have 3 fur babies- Presley, Ragnar, and Floki.

As for my career, I’ve always dreamt to own a salon so I eventually grew out of Lather and found a new salon suite to call my new salon home. I’ve been working at my suite “milk&honey” for over 2 years now. But you see this is where life is funny, because I’m so happy to share that in February I became the new owner of Lather Hair Salon. I’ve been in the process of building a strong team to lead and revamping the salon to give it a touch of Jess. We are growing and thriving and I’m so excited to see where the next year brings us! Our calender will be filling soon with events and pop ups! So come check us out, bring your friends and loved ones- we can’t wait to pamper you!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

If you’re like little high school me trying to figure out your path in life and you’re thinking of becoming a hairstylist then I am so happy for you! This industry is not for the weak but it can be so rewarding. The three most important qualities that I’ve witnessed in the most successful hairstylists would include: Work ethic and drive, a gentle touch, and patience.

Having a great work ethic and drive to push your skill will go far. It doesn’t matter if you end up working in a famous hair salon, the clientele you build will choose right off the bat if they want to come back to YOU. The salon can bring clients in, sure. But if you’re not driving the car home and putting in the back breaking work to try to expand on that then your career will just fall flat.

A gentle touch, I don’t just mean be gentle (but please also be gentle). I mean the therapy side of you. I go a full days work hearing about the highs and lows everyone is going through. Emotional turmoil to full blown celebrating. It’s joked about in our industry that we are hairapists. It’s true. You need to remember at the end of the day you’re there to bring beauty back into your clients life, be there best friend. But protect yourself and your inner peace as well.

Patience. Ah, the tough one. Being booked out 6+ weeks in advance with full blonding and extension clients sadly won’t be handed to you. It’s unfortunate I know, and social media will make you feel like you’re always doing something wrong. Put in the reps, the hard part. Your daily grind will show for your monthly evaluation and will only brighten the big picture of the year. Be patient but be consistent.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes, I’m absolutely open to collaborations! I’m in an exciting season of growth, building a salon culture that’s rooted in connection, creativity, and community. I love teaming up with fellow small business owners, hearing their stories, and learning from their journeys. I especially value being at the table with people I can grow alongside—I’m not afraid to be the newest or the least experienced in the room.

I’m especially interested in service trades, cross-promotion, and creative partnerships that help get the word out about my salon and the talented stylists on my team. The goal is to fill their books and build a local network that uplifts everyone involved.

If you’re a business owner, creative, or community builder and you’d like to collaborate, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out via DM or email me directly—we’re always open to new ideas and connections.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.latherhairsalonnc.com
• Instagram: @latherhairsalon

Image Credits

Lotus Selene Photography