Today we’d like to introduce you to Naresh Patel.
Hi Naresh, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After spending the first half of my life preparing for a career in medicine, my views for my life’s plan quickly changed. While I was accepted into a pre-med program, I knew I didn’t want the eventual lifestyle of a doctor. This led to a year’s hiatus while I worked for my parents. While they had a successful career being self-employed, this was mainly due to hard work and strong budgeting. I was happy to see that my “out the box” way of thinking allowed from some creative growth in their business.
Within a year, I knew that I wanted to create my own path. My first “real” job in the salon world was as a receptionist. As an introvert, I learned that my path to growth would be knowledge. I thrived to know everything I could about the business and the industry. This gave me the confidence to speak with authority and gain the respect of staff and clients alike.
After a couple of years, I decided to get my cosmetology license and did this while stepping into a management role. The decision came from seeing how mentally stimulating the salon world could be and seeing how rewarding the job can be. While I truly appreciate the artistic world, it’s not something that comes easy to me. Like most things, I feel the need to be informed about the science and facts that back up anything I’m truly passionate about. Seeing that I could blend the art and science to make people feel more confident about themselves was my driving force.
Adam, my partner and now husband was an integral part in my progress from this point forward. Not only did he step into my management role as I am starting doing hair full time, but he also went on to be the GM for the company we worked for. I was and still am (to a degree) hesitant to make grand gestures to further my career. He has taught me through the years that you DO have to ask for what you want. Just doing your job, and doing it well, doesn’t always garner the attention of the powers that be. As he climbed through the ranks of management, I used my skills as a stylist to become part of the education team; eventually creating a series of classes to help younger stylists grow their business.
After nine years and 14 years respectively, Adam and I were presented with the opportunity to purchase one of the salon’s locations (which we now call Truman Grey Salon). Our collective talents, skills, and goals have allowed us to take a thriving salon to one that truly embodies the culture and inclusivity we think is crucial in our industry.
We purchased the salon mid 2019, incorporated a home decor store (Truman Grey Market) in January 2020, encountered a tornado that ravaged our neighborhood in March of 2020, and we (like many) had to close for a few months during COVID-19 lockdowns. While I wish none of this would have happened, it definitely showed us the extremes needed to keep a business going, and I think we’re stronger than ever because of it. Despite all these challenges, my husband started a candle company (Love People Do Good Candle Co.) in the latter half of 2020. It began as an exclusive brand for our Market, but this year grew to a brand available in 10 states.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Everything started out smooth enough, but we have definitely had our fair share of struggles. During the March 2020 tornado in Nashville, I became acutely aware of the limitations of a power generator. I thought you can just rent a big one, and it would make a building run like there were no power issues at all. It turns out with TWO generators, you still have to run a series of temporary lights, a maze of extension cords, and figure out which stylist can (or can’t) use their blowdryers at the same time. The intermittent rain during this time also proved challenging as I had a construct a makeshift structure in our back parking lot to keep the generators dry.
The COVID lockdown was also educational but in a very different way. Having a business with only about half of year of accounting information made getting a PPP loan especially interesting. I learned more about Quickbooks and corresponding accounting forms than I really cared for in such a short amount of time. For a service-based industry, this was especially important, as we did not have the option for shipping or pick-up options. I will say it was amazing to hear the response from clients when we were finally able to call to reschedule them. It was almost like they had literally been waiting by their phones for us to call.
Beyond that, it has been challenging but exciting to find a fun, diverse staff. It has always been important to us to be able to accommodate whatever service a client may call for, and without current staff, it is finally possible.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Truman Grey is a community of highly educated and widely experienced professional stylists who are dedicated to providing high-quality hair services. Built on the ideal of self-expression, collaboration and craftsmanship, we strive to create a genuine and welcoming environment that cares for every style and personality. When we expanded Truman Grey to include the Market, we knew it had to include the same staples of creativity and comfort.
We come from a variety of salons and professional arenas, but we all agree that we’re thrilled to finally have the chance to combine our old-school craftsmanship with new-school techniques for a beautiful mosaic of services inspired by and devoted solely to you.
Our carefully curated Market is an expansion of our combined visions. The collection was made with our salon clients, stylists, and community in mind. Inspired by you, we know you’ll love it!
We are so excited to share our unique space and talent with all of you!
We chose the name Love People, Do Good Candle Co. because it represents our hope that we all personify the best in ourselves and respect that in others. We want to use our brand to cultivate a following that shares these ideals, and hope you’ll join us! We’re so happy to bring a little light into your home. Hopefully, you can feel all the warm vibes added free of charge. (We put a lot in there.) You deserve it.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Of course, my husband Adam Hayes. We both have our personal strengths in our business, but his skills with Graphic Design Marketing and Management have proved crucial in our business growth. He is also my biggest advocate and is constantly pushing me to get to my next milestone.
I have also had a collection of several managers and coworkers in the past that have not only helped me grow my craft but also helped me to be able to participate in exclusive learning experiences and a few seasons styling hair during New York Fashion Week.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@trumangrey.com
- Website: www.trumangrey.com, www.lovepeopledogood.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/TrumanGreyXO, Instagram.com/LovePeopleDoGood
- Facebook: Facebook.com/TrumanGreyXO
