Jody Thongoulay

BBBY: What words best describe you?

JODY: CREATIVE

BBBY: Who is one of the most inspirational women in your life? And why?

JODY: #girlpower

I don’t have any single woman that inspires me, also there's so many women to recognize! The idea of women's empowerment is so important, is to why I LOVE sharing my ideas, and things I learned as an entrepreneur, an owner, and being a woman is important to share. 

BBBY: What was the inspiration for starting your own business?

JODY: Working in a barbershop/salon as a front desk receptionist. I helped clients select hair; shopping local beauty supplies and various websites for quality hair that best suited clients wants. As the client base grew. I knew then that I wanted to provide luxury hair that lasts. 

BBBY: What is the mission behind your business? 

JODY: PASSION!  It is what really shows in your work and what drives me to want to provide excellent product and excellent customer service.  Behind my passion is where I found my company name "Jai"...it's named after my son and translates to "heart" in my Laotian/Thai language.  

BBBY: What challenges did you face when starting your own business?

JODY: I chose a very overly saturated industry, also chose to enter an industry that isn't new.  Niche and my target audience,  I knew was that where I'd have to get creative.  After spending a year and a half writing my business plan I thought that would be the most challenging part...boy was I wrong! Getting someone...ANYONE to hear me out was the most challenging hurdle.  Of course I overcame that and MANY more challenges.  The thing about obstacles and challenges is remembering your basics ABCs and 123s... asking myself, why did I start this in the first place? What was the core part of my ideas and company? 

BBBY: Do you have a life mission or inspirational quote that you live by?

JODY: "LOVE what you do and you will never "work" a day in your LIFE!" 

BBBY: What inspires you to do what you do?

JODY: Lets just be honest, I don’t make money off of inner beauty... BUT my job is to ENHANCE all of her beauty... I am "extending" her beauty.  She already has hair, and with Jai Hair Extensions I am just extending length and volume.  If she beats her face, I am just enhancing her look with Jai Hair Extensions 100% Mink Eyelashes.

The inspiration I get is the reveal and the reaction when she looks in the mirror and smiles, then a hair fluff and flip or a extra batting of her eyes.  I get to give woman THAT feeling!

BBBY: Tell us about a time in your life, where you felt most powerful as a woman.

JODY: Hitting that LAUNCH button, when my website went LIVE! That right there, was a powerful moment in my living room wearing my pajamas. I am on the WORLD WIDE WEB! 

BBBY: What has made you most proud and why?

JODY: One of my target audiences is the pageant world, and I get so much joy from sponsoring and seeing young woman wearing my product on the big stage.

BBBY: What's the most important lesson you've learned as an entrepreneur?

JODY: The most important lesson I learned was networking with EVERYONE AND ANYONE! You never know who you'll meet!

BBBY: What are 3 tips you can share with aspiring entrepreneurs or someone ready to go after their dreams?

JODY:

1. Do everything in threes. 3 price points, 3 options, 3 payment avenues etc..

2. Always remain PROFESSIONAL... you never know who will meet... live and breathe your brand!

3. Write it down: your ideas, your thoughts, your contacts.  Once its written in black and white; its like its out in the universe... also it’s a great way to keep a time capsule and looking back at your progess.

BBBY: Fill in the blank: I feel most empowered when I_____:

JODY: wear heels!  "The higher the heel the better you feel!"