Meet Jessica Lancaster

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Lancaster a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My oldest brother was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. The winter before he passed away he had given away 5 coats to people who needed them. These weren’t extra coats that he had, they were ones that he was actively wearing at the time. He taught me that when you have the means to help people, you do take the time to do so. It could be the things that keeps them going.

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?

I manage the Sport Clips location in Frisco off of Legacy and Lebanon. I’ve always loved helping people grow in their careers, as well as helping my clients feel and look amazing. Watching my stylists grow and evolve is one of the most rewarding part of my job. Our franchise specifically is incredibly close knit and it definitely feels like I’ve found my second family!

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?

I would say the three most important skills for this industry would be soft people skills, the ability to practice active listening, and a willingness to always keep learning. This industry is constantly changing when it comes to techniques, styles, and personalities. Being able to adapt to those changes and continue learning is extremely important when it comes longevity in the hair industry.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My brother passed away in January. That alone has come with a lot of person obstacles, as well as some obstacles on a professional level. He worked for this company as a mantaince man and it hit us all so hard. I’ve had to learn how accept help from my peers, and I’ve also had to learn that it’s okay for me to step away and be a little more hands off with my stylists when I’m having a rough time. I’ve learned that I really do have so many people that care about my well being over my performance and communicating when I need help is far better than having a “I can do it myself” attitude. The rest of managers that I work with are amazing and this has definitely been one of the most impactful times in my life.