Going Strong and Continuing On
Ross the Boss has been serving the community with professional haircuts and services for more than 40 years. We talked to current Ross “the Boss” Badgett about his retaining the family business and the importance he puts on continuing to create a loving, yet professional, work environment. All of the Ross the Boss stylists are trained in-house to ensure that you receive quality services every time you walk through the door of one of their salons. Our conversation with Ross continued…
EK: How exactly did hair salons become your family’s business?
Ross: My dad, Ross the III, decided to purchase a local franchise that was going into bankruptcy when I was still in grade school. He soon discovered that “their way” of doing business did not line up with his best business practices, so he changed the company name to Ross the Boss & Co., upgraded the way the staff were treated, and eventually became known for quality service – and his good-humored, cheesy ads!
I bought my dad out in 2019 when he retired. Since then, we have remodeled our salon interiors to more accurately reflect our professional skill set, added some needed services including hair extensions, and put some employee appreciation milestones into practice. I have come to really enjoy continuing to improve our “family business.” We are very serious about our Mission Statement: “Our purpose is to create an environment where people can experience professional excellence and genuine love.”
EK: 40 years and counting is quite the legacy! What do you think Ross the Boss specifically has to offer its clientele?
Ross: I think people appreciate our emphasis on quality and integrity. We stand out because we truly are different, and we are genuinely trying to do what’s best for our guests. We may not be “the coolest place in town,” but that isn’t what drives us. We aren’t trying to have 100% market share either. We simply want to be the place where people who appreciate honesty, and who enjoy authentic and meaningful interactions, can come to get some perspective – and some great looking hair! Again, we may not be for everybody, but people that share our vision and values truly love being a part of the Ross the Boss community.
EK: So then your Mission Statement is about your clients and your employees?
Ross: Most definitely! It really does encompass what we are about. We want an environment where our clients feel like part of our loving, somewhat crazy, family. We want you to know that this is a place where our end goal is to make you look and feel amazing. Our staff and stylists truly enjoy our clients, and we treasure a positive work environment. Somehow, over time, people have made “work” a dirty word, but we say that’s just ridiculous. Ross the Boss is a place where we can all spend time together laughing, sharing, and loving on our clients, as well as our co-workers.
We really have a wonderful staff. I have always dreamed of having a workplace where everyone is happy to be there and does well financially, mentally, and emotionally. Although life likes to throw curveballs at us all, having an enjoyable and supportive work environment certainly helps. At Ross the Boss, we consider ourselves a cheerful (albeit maybe slightly dysfunctional!) family. We treasure our business environment, and, especially lately, our salons seem to be a positive and happy respite in this increasingly crazy world! We are always looking for like-minded staff, so if you are a stylist looking for a place to demonstrate professional excellence and genuine love, give us a call!
EK: Ross the Boss comes across as a business with a higher calling than just the “bottom line.”
Ross: I think the importance of priorities in business can’t be overstated, and that is what honestly makes Ross the Boss different. We realize that life is about far more than just bringing in more money. It’s about relationships and doing things for people that matter. Our salon goals revolve around making our clients look and feel amazing. There is an undeniable motivating internal reward for achieving that!
As a business, we have also been participating in activities to unite our staff across our salon locations. We’ve had several employee events (bowling and a Race Against Cancer team being a couple examples), and we have even taken smaller groups on trips. Many of us still laugh when someone references the inside joke of certain “vocabulary” that we picked up on our outing to Arizona! Professional excellence and genuine love really can’t be beat!
EK: How can people find out more about Ross the Boss?
Ross: So many ways – look for before & afters, stylist spotlights, and more on our website RosstheBoss.com or on Instagram and Facebook @rossthebosssalons, but our favorite way is for you to come in and talk to us – we still prefer “face to face” whenever possible! If you like what we are about, then we’d love to have you as a client or a stylist!
Ross the Boss Salons
Center Park • Moss Grove • Forest Park • Fountain City • Chapman Highway • Morristown • Emory Road • Powell • Oak Ridge • Maryville
RosstheBoss.com