Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliene Featherman.
Hi Juliene, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I founded my salon in Philadelphia in October 2005. Previous to this, I had worked as a Senior Litigation paralegal and worked at length in toxic tort class actions, litigation etc. I was immersed in the world of dire consequences that befell workers in the chemical and asbestos manufacturing industries: severe health consequences from repeated exposures. Knowing this, I sought to make my salon as low tox, organic, clean, fume-free and healthy as possible. I researched color and product lines extensively eventually finding that non-toxic, PPD-free, no ammonia hair color was only available in Europe at that time.
I opened my salon’s sister organic spa iin 2008. It leaned heavily on Ayurvedic practices and treatments. I sold the spa in 2014 and began an expansion of the salon. After the pandemic, I pivoted to an intimate studio space with just me at the helm. Times had changed! One of my pandemic projects was creating my own product line – Red Letter Day for hair, body and pets. Completely organic, plant forward and results oriented. I carry the full line at my Studio and all of the products are refillable.
In addition, I opened a vintage homewares store in Stone Harbor NJ in 2023. I moved the operation from the shore to my Philly hair studio location in 2024. My current hair studio is a hybrid salon/vintage store. You can see my curation at @jujuvintagehome and @jujusalonandorganics
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been both! Here were some of my challenges in no particular order:
– having to abruptly move because the landlord was selling the building
– having to be the HR Department, the IT Department and the Finance Department with no training in any of these worlds!
– having to work through a Pandemic
– dealing with rising costs, inflation, taxes, insurance premiums, tariffs
– the physical toll of doing a very physical job
-being a therapist to so many clients
Overall, a unique combination of challenges. I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe the pandemic!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a chronic innovator. I can’t help myself! I love to grow my business creatively. I am a hair stylist and in that one on one role I get to flex my creative muscles repeatedly throughout the day. But it is the bigger picture where I excel creatively: making my own product line, adding a vintage store to my hair studio, opening an organic spa with Ayurvedic treatments, writing health and wellness articles for a local paper, hosting artists openings and Spanish conversation classes at my salon and providing interior design services for my clients and friends (www.DesignNestStudio.com) to name a few.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me, the best networking has never felt like “networking” at all—it’s just been about showing up consistently in your community and being genuinely curious about what other people are doing with their lives. When I switched gears years ago from working as a paralegal into the beauty industry and eventually grew my own salon and vintage shop on Fabric Row, the real magic happened through local relationships and mutual respect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jujusalon.com www.designneststudio.com
- Instagram: @jujuvintagehome @jujusalonandorgancis
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/juju-salon-and-organics-philadelphia
