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Stacy DiJulius
August 22, 1969 - March 21, 2009
Founder of John Robert's Spa
Early years
 It
is not uncommon, in situations like these, to over eulogize the person; in
Stacy's case, however, those of us who knew her would agree this would be nearly
impossible. While many of us struggle at losing her much too soon, we can all
feel good about what Stacy got out of life in her 39 years.
Her story is such an incredible one, one that
many may not know. Stacy overcame a lot from her childhood, growing up in a
dysfunctional, unhealthy family; where at 17 she found herself living on her
own, in a one-bedroom apartment in Collinwood, barely supporting herself while
going to high school in Richmond Height. Yet she had a spirit about her, a
magnetic energy that drew people to her, and a resiliency of passion and
determination.
It was obvious from the moment she started doing
hair at 16, she was born to be in the beauty industry. She loved this career
choice so dearly and had a vision for something few others could imagine.
Through her uncompromising focus and determination, 23 years later, that vision
has been more then realized. That 16-year-old kid built a collection of one of
the most successful and recognizable salons brands in the country. She
initially wanted to change a salon and she ended up changing an industry.
No woman ever made history by following all
the rules
One of Stacy's favorite quotes was "No woman ever
made history by following all the rules". She ignored traditional limitations
that said only men in beauty industry could receive recognition and demand high
prices for their skill. Stacy was a regular on all the local TV news channels
and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, performing makeovers and providing fashion
expertise. She was featured in Allure magazine as one of the top 10 hairdressers
in the country. And the other 9 were all male. She charged more than $100 for a
haircut and was typically booked out for several weeks in advance. She was a
platform artist for Aveda, traveling around the country performing on stage,
inspiring hairdressers from all over. She participated at multiple occasions
for New York Fashion Week and traveled all over the world for education, knowing
that it was the foundation of her career. She put on amazing fashion shows in
Northeast Ohio and built an amazing education program at John Robert's that
today is copied by salons all across the country for training hairdressers.
All this helped change the way the profession of
being a hair designer was viewed by the general public. It became a career that
was recognized as a rewarding one, one that had so much self fulfillment and
financial reward. As the artistic director of John Robert's, she helped groom,
inspire and train well over a hundred service providers, who today are enjoying
a lifestyle they never imagined.
The JRX
The experience she provided her guests with, as a
hairdresser, literally made them feel as if they were the only client in the
salon that day. It was personalized and she made an emotional connection with
each of them. Today we call it the John Robert's Xperience (JRX), which allows
everyone to be trained in providing the exact same type of experience. Stacy
connected the same way with the people that worked for her. They could approach
her, ask her questions, learn from her, be inspired by her, as well as ask her
for personal advice.
Anyone that knew her would admire her by how much
she did and did so well. She was the epitome of a teacher and a hairdresser
icon. She inspired others to grow into becoming better, stronger people.
Besides being responsible for more than 150 plus employees, her personal
relationships were her priority, her family and friends.
Stacy didn't understand the meaning of
moderation. She did everything the same way, 100%. If you asked Stacy for
anything, you got all of her. If you asked her about a recipe, she made it for
you. If you asked her where she got something, she went out and purchased it for
you. She was obsessive about the details, all the details. Fun was a must when
in her presence.
Stacy left an imprint of her life; in so many of
us. Stacy cannot be forgotten. Her boys worshiped her. Their lives were her
life. She was so proud of each of them and celebrated their uniqueness. You can
see her in her three boys; 17 year old, Johnni, his focus and relentless
determination to accomplish anything he sets out to. 12 year old Cal, his
energy, faith, independence, and incredible charisma similar to Stacy. And in 7
year old, Bo, you see her rebellious side, the "don't tell me I can't do
something" attitude.
*The following is an excerpt from Stacy's husband
first book Secret Service; hidden systems that deliver unforgettable customer
service
Impossible Dream versus Reality
In the 1980s the salon industry was very
different that what it is today. Many salons were poorly run businesses,
hairdressers jumped from salon to salon, and poor customer service was the norm.
Clients accepted this state of affairs, and few customers respected their salon
or its staff.
These
salons didn't make much money or survive for long. Few offered benefits such as
hospitalization and vacation, let alone 401Ks or further education.
Opportunities for advancement were rare. A hairdresser couldn't expect to
advance to a better job; nor for that matter could a receptionist. As a result,
a lot of frustrated people sought greener grass at other salons that offered
false hopes and bogus opportunities. When promises failed to pan out, the
employees often chose a totally new career.
My
wife, Stacy, and I dreamed of creating a very different kind of salon business.
We wanted it to have high ethical standards and to take the client's experience
to a new level. We wanted to reward and recognize our team members in countless
ways and to give them the same benefits and opportunities they could find in
other industries. We wanted to contribute to our community, not just take money
from it.
Basically,
our dream was to "enhance the quality of the lives around us" by being a
wonderful place where customers love to come, by creating jobs that make people
feel good about themselves, and by sharing our success with the community by
contributing to significant causes. In our dream salon, the employees would love
to come to work, would take pride in what they did and whom they did it with,
and in the process would find a purpose that touched their lives and their
clients' lives.
It
looked great on paper. To carry it out was such a huge challenge that it
sometimes seemed impossible. We had to create this vision clearly so that we
could measure real life against our ideal. We had to keep reminding ourselves
that we were on the right path no matter how rough it got.
We
had to ignore the voices of critics. We had to resist the temptation to follow
industry tradition and cheat a little along the way; that might solve many of
our problems in the short term, but we believed it would not be beneficial in
the long run. We had to believe that if we built the business the right way and
trusted others, eventually we would all benefit even more than we had originally
hoped.
We
had to walk the talk every single day, making sure we were what we said we
wanted to be, making sure we did everything with integrity. We had to revisit
our mission and vision constantly to make sure we lived up to it, adjusting it
and evolving rather than allowing ourselves to think that what worked yesterday
would work today and tomorrow.
Today
we are a team of individuals who enhance the qualities of the lives around us.
Above all else, I am proudest that with all the success of John Robert's and all
the careers we have created, none of it happened at the expense of other salons.
We owe our phenomenal success to the passion our core team has shown from the
beginning. You don't need rules and policy if you have a team of people who are
totally engaged. Even now, with well over 100 employees, that passion and family
feeling are strong. Our core team shared our dream and faith and made John
Robert's what it is today. Without our core team, we would be nowhere today.
The following quote best describes Stacy DiJulius' unique qualities and approach
to life
Risk More
than others think is safe
Care More
than others think is wise
Dream More
than others think is practical
Expect More
than others think is possible
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