Nurturing the Nurturers: Staying Well in the Salon Industry

February 6, 2023

STAYING HEALTHY, INSIDE AND OUT

For Yeager, staying healthy, both mentally and physically, is extremely important. “Without your health,” she says, “you really don’t have anything else. Health has to come first.”

“I focus on taking care of who I am and where I am with myself, my family, and my team. If I don’t take care of myself, I can’t take care of others. I have a lot of people that rely on me from my business to my home life,” says Yeager. And she’s not joking: in addition to her salon team, clients, two daughters, and husband, Yeager also runs a local Ohio-based salon networking group to help others like herself find professional solutions and community.

To maintain her health, Yeager turns to meditation, a healthy diet, and exercise. When those habits slip, she relies on journaling and music to help recenter herself. “For me, journaling has always been a huge piece of keeping myself in a good space. No matter what is going on in my life, it helps get out whatever is going on inside.” Music, too, helps Yeager create an emotional outlet or mood booster. “Anything with strings helps keep me focused, while rock and roll gives me energy. Music is an incredibly powerful tool to change emotion and energy!”

WE TOUCH MORE HEARTS THAN HAIR

As many of us have experienced, wellness (or lack thereof) manifests itself in our day-to-day life, impacting our relationships and our businesses. Yeager says she can tell she’s not taking care of herself when she has trouble focusing or starts craving sugar. “If I can’t focus on my day-to-day tasks or on what needs to be done, something needs to change. I can’t get my work done. That’s not fair to my team, clients, or family. I have to keep myself in check.”

“Our relationships with others are definitely a reflection of our relationship with ourselves,” says Yeager. She’s absolutely right. As artists, stylists’ skills can slip when their minds are on other things. They must be “on” at all times with clients, and this takes a lot of energy–energy that may not exist when something in their lives is off balance, impacting relationships with coworkers or even clients, and eventually, the business’s bottom line.

Yeager knows how important it is to encourage her team to stay healthy as well. “Once a month I also do a one-on-one with each of my team members,” she explains. “One of the first questions I ask is, ‘What’s the most important thing we need to talk about today?’ I need to make sure they are heard first.”

Studio Wish also recently opened a spa department. Yeager has encouraged all of her employees to try the services at the spa for free and plans to do so herself once all of her staff has been treated. This helps her team not only better understand this portion of the business, but also recognize the benefits of the spa as self-care.

A SUPPORT SYSTEM WITHIN INTERCOIFFURE

Yeager knows she can always turn to other Intercoiffure members if she’s having trouble. “Sometimes when we look outside of our own businesses, it helps to have another person who has been-there/done-that to offer guidance. I can go to ANY ICA member, and they will very openly sit down and say ‘Hey, how can I help, what’s going on?’” Yeager said. “This is something that makes ICA so special: we are very open and very connected.”

Rowena Yeager is pictured here with Charles and Debra Penzone of Penzone Salon + Spas, and her husband, Eric.

President and CEO
Southern Security Federal Credit Union

Dawn Graeter, President and CEO of Southern Security Federal Credit Union is an extremely accomplished, trailblazing finance executive who has led Southern Security to triple-digit growth since she took the helm in 2011. As one of the few female bank CEOs in the Greater Memphis area, Dawn has over 35 years in the finance and banking industry and has held almost every position there is as she worked her way from teller to CEO.

Dawn’s focus on the foundational pillars of people, community, and technology have ignited record-breaking results year after year and includes specific efforts for teamwork-building, employee relations, a genuine grassroots community outreach effort, and adopting technology solutions to provide greater functionality and service to customers. These efforts have increased the Southern Security full-time workforce by 37 percent and increased the annual net income of Southern Security by 127 percent poising Southern Security for even greater growth in the future. Dawn’s successes have not gone unnoticed as she was voted one of Power Poll Memphis’ Most Power People in 2023 and named a Superwoman in Business by the Memphis Business Journal in 2012. Also, named University of Memphis Outstanding Alumna in 2019. Dawn and her team are proud that Southern Security has been named Best Credit Union by the readers of the Commercial Appeal for six years running.

Dawn works tirelessly to support professional and community organizations close to the industry and community she loves. She currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Confluent Strategies, which specializes in consumer credit, commercial and mortgage credit reporting, background checks, employment screenings and association management. She also serves on the board for the Tennessee Credit Union League whose mission is to promote and support the success and advancement of credit unions in the State of Tennessee. Dawn correspondingly serves on the board for Share One which serves credit unions across the country with a comprehensive core processing system named New Solutions. As a credit union service organization (CUSO), Share One designed New Solutions directly alongside credit union clients.

Recently, Dawn was asked to serve on the Le Bonheur National Leadership Council, on the Youth Program’s Inc. Captain’s Club, charitable foundation and host organization of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and the Board of Carnival Memphis, all benefiting local children and children’s charities.

Dawn previously served as chairman of the board for HopeWorks, an organization that offers jobs and support to the under-resourced and recently incarcerated working in conjunction with the Shelby County Department of Corrections Hope 2 Hire program. Her work with HopeWorks is what she is most proud of, helping train adults for vocational careers and life outside of the Department of Corrections system. Dawn has a real drive to help adults help themselves, to be able to provide for their families, and find a skill or career they are proud of every day.

Dawn has served on various nonprofit boards over the years including Leadership Millington, Millington Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mid-South American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Team. Dawn also served at the Greenshoe Gala, benefitting Shelby Farms.

Dawn gives back to her alma matter, the University of Memphis as she is serving as an Executive in Residence for the Fogelman College of Business and Economics, on the 901 Women’s Athletic Advisory Board, has served as a member of the University of Memphis Alumni Association from 2000-2003, serving as treasurer from 2002-2003. She continued her service as the University of Memphis Alumni Association President from 2004-2005 while also being a member of the Board of Visitors for the U of M. Dawn was a participant in the U of M Women’s Leadership Council and was chairman for Homecoming Golf Classic for the Alumni Association.

Southern Security Federal Credit Union and its employees support Mid-South Employee Resource Network, Big Brothers Big Sister of the Mid-South, Youth Villages, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, YWCA, American Heart Association, Keesha Warrior Princess, Collierville Education Foundation and many other local charities through monetary donations and volunteer efforts.