The Jo Special…

Perhaps not the most eloquent name, but certainly the most well known name across three major salons in the South East. It all started with a rather rebellious idea…

Many years ago the Beauty industry was far less fluid than it is today, there was far less room for innovation and design. Training in world famous skin care houses consisted of therapists learning facials and routines by rote. Three of this, three of that, then sweep up behind the neck and give a gentle three second pull. Everything was in three’s! Now don’t get me wrong, when you are a young, inexperienced therapist, just starting out and you have very little confidence or technique of your own, this dictated routine is a blessing. No thought is required, just do the exact same thing for every client, every time.

However, within this structure, there is very little room for the growth of a therapist. How do you stand out, how do you make a treatment your own. Skincare and Cosmetic Device houses did not play well together and the thought of a mix and match situation was utterly taboo.

I needed more, I started to think outside the box, what if I combined this treatment with that treatment, this machine followed immediately by that one? Would this enhance my results? This all sounds pretty standard these days but in the early 2000’s this was unheard of. Innovation? No thank you very much!

In those early days it felt a little like I was selling moonshine from a basement, the surreptitious moving of machines from room to room, the whisper behind hands of, have you seen what Jo is doing? Whatever you do, don’t tell the Reps…

But then the results started coming in… It turns out if you combine your two best machines into one supercharged treatment the results you get are utterly outstanding! Who would have thought it!? Clients started asking for the Jo Special, everyone wanted the Jo Special! Course after course was sold. 10 treatments, 2 a week for 5 weeks, where do I sign up? Clients who had never deviated from their monthly facial wanted to try the Jo Special, and after one treatment, never went back.

I needed more therapists trained in the Jo Special, honestly it never even crossed my mind to change the name ;). Jo Special training became part of the routine for a new therapist (one who was already trained in both elements of the facial independently) and within a year it became the top selling treatment in all three Salons. Slowly the secret came out, a client asking to book a Jo Special in front of a rep is going to raise some questions obviously and as the industry was slowly changing to encompass more innovation, my facial became official.

Now standard in pretty much every decent salon in the country I cannot say for sure, of course, that this combination originated with me, but like the guy who gets 1 pence for every Cats Eye laid on a road in the country, I feel I might have missed an opportunity in there somewhere!

When I started my own venture and struck out into the big wide world alone, I knew it was time for the Jo Special to evolve, and possibly have a name upgrade… The Joanna’s Exclusive Bespoke Facial was created. I thought, What do people need, now, more than ever? Results? Yes of course! But we have all just been through a global pandemic, the cost of living is spiraling, our jobs are less secure, there is a general sense of unease. What if I could combine those outstanding results with a real sense of relaxation and mindfulness. As so many Beauty Salons are being re-branded as clinics specialising in aesthetics, treatments are becoming more clinical less personal. All business, no pleasure.

My bespoke treatment combines both results and relaxation. Not only will you look good but you will also feel good. And as a Beauty Therapist working in a Beauty Salon for almost 25 years, what is the one thing that brings me the greatest joy? It’s so simple. When a client opens their eyes at the end of a treatment and says “Wow, Thank You, that was incredible!” There is simply nothing more rewarding in the world, than that.

If you would like to try my Joanna’s Exclusive Bespoke Facial you can book it through my website at www.joannagrayuk.com

Thank you, see you in the Salon x

13/1/2023