JCPenney Salon Closure Sitting in the chair that spins in a full circle, with mirrors all around you, wearing a cape that makes you feel like a super hero, you study your hair and wonder what should you do to it? Should you cut it? Color it? Do the same thing; something different? Make it extremely colorful or something natural? These are the questions the stylists at Marquette JCPenney Salon thought they only had to answer that day. Working another busy, talkative, and creative day these intense, hardworking stylists had to answer the question of what do we do next? The place they have worked at for 24 years are closing their doors; leaving them with a million things going on in their mind. Questionings are exploding, words are flying, tears are falling, and hugs are happening. What will we do? Every day you have decisions to make about your life. These women had the same routine of coming to work every day, to the same place, opening the black glass doors and turning into the salon that had god awful red walls and the tacky wood floors that must of came out of the dollar store. They loved what they did, did they love the clients that want to make their hair look like a celebrity even though it wasn’t possible. They joked about leaving this place and doing something different but never did they think they were going to have to act on this. Never thought that day would happen that we actually had to make a decision and do something when they are shutting the door to our life. Ideas went flying in the air like it was raining outside. Everybody had different ideas thoughts feelings. Lisa Maki a stylist that had been with JCPenney since they first open says “I don’t like change; change is never good for me.” She was as scared as if it was her first day at the job not knowing what was going to happen. Listening to all their worries and ideas knowing that I wanted to do everything I could to help them even though I wasn’t going to be with them much longer. Katy Dow a stylist for 3 years but only had worked for JCPenney for 6 months says “I enjoy these ladies I work with; I want to continue to work with them.” The best idea then came about and something amazing happened to all these ladies; the opening of the U.P Hair Company. They found their new home, new beginnings and where their new memories were about to form. The smell of a fresh beginning was in the air and smiles were beaming across everyone’s face. The new salon would be next to Arby’s even better the smell the delicious roast beef cooking while putting the new color on clients hair and looking at freshly painted walls that are not red. The manager of the JCPenney Salon Barb Brahman, now the manger of U.P Hair Company was able to help fund the money to provide her employees with the new salon and a new home for them to show their creative, hardworking skills on the wondering clients that walk through the glass doors and are greeted with smiles on their faces knowing they are made a difference in Marquette.
They realized that when one door closes another one is another to be opened. Opening the next door as slow as you can; knowing you are scared as hell for change and thinking that your life is now over because you have nowhere work and feeling lost on the inside. They took this scary situation and stuck together and showed everyone that even though they lost a place they loved and enjoyed working at. New and better things can come out of every situation even if you loss hope, have bumps in the roads, the smell of failure and the weight of everyone telling you that you’re going to fail. The new doors opened on May 12, 2014 (Kwon, 2014) one week after the closing of the old one. They are working together and making great business and having the time of their life in there new place. They took what should have been the end to their friendship and showed the town that with each other they can do anything. Watching the ribbon cutting through pictures and seeing the smile on everyone face. They figure out what was the best thing for everyone and took what was and made it bigger and better.

References
Kwon, E. (2014, May 16). U.P Hair Company Gets a New Start. In UP Matters. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.upmatters.com/1fulltext-news/d/story/up-hair-company-gets-a-new-start/32716/A4dreGuwz0uXSgu2RA7leA