Empowering Others with Daymaking

February 8, 2017

Teaching others, whether it’s a kindergartner or a college student, is one of the most rewarding professions.

And teaching someone to be a Daymaker is not just rewarding, it’s an intimate, bonding experience for both teacher and student.

Maria Sapletal, manager at Juut’s Uptown location, has been with the company for eight years. For some of those years, she managed the academy, where she coached new stylists through their training, including a weekly Daymaker class.

“Training new stylists was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever been a part of,” she says. “They work so hard for so many hours—it’s awesome to be able to support them and watch what they will become.”

During the Daymaker classes, students from all different backgrounds and areas come together to find themselves and learn how they can impact the world.

“It’s a cool bonding experience because we learn not just what our purpose is in being an artist, but also how we can change our clients’ day, year, etc.,” she says. “Students feel empowered by the fact that they have that purpose and it’s so much more than a job.

“You see them transform into someone more mature with the confidence to do what they want to do—they can’t wait to tell people how much more their career is than ‘just a stylist.”

For many students, becoming a stylist is their first job; however, there are some who come to Juut for a second shot at finding a career they love.

“One of our artists used to be a sports newscaster,” Sapletal says. “She married a professional athlete, had two kids, and decided she wanted to start over. She felt so vulnerable at first, but eventually realized it was the right step for her to follow her heart.”

Sapletal adds, “She may have been making more money before, but that career wasn’t speaking to her heart. She is the type of person who is most emotional and impacted by their career as a Daymaker—it’s exactly what she wanted and she’s so happy and proud of her career.”

While in college to study human development studies, Sapletal found herself working at Juut in guest services to help pay the bills.

But like many of the new stylists who come through the academy, she found herself drawn to the culture and never left after graduating.

“It’s such a special place, and it’s where I wanted to be,” she says. “I thought I’d be working with at-risk youth, but I’m still able to impact the future and careers of all these talented, beautiful artists.

“And helping them when they feel vulnerable plays into all the skills I learned in college. It’s not about the beauty industry for me—it’s about the environment I’m in and the tools I’m given. I don’t take that for granted. It has changed me personally and professionally,” she adds.

While being a Daymaker 100 percent of the time can sometimes be difficult, Saplatel says she advises stylists to admit it’s tough and then shift their mindset to see how they’re impacting others.

“It’s really about the energy you create,” she says. “For example, even when I have to let an employee go, I find the Daymaker part of it. Maybe their career here wasn’t the right fit, and by letting them go, they will find a new path to what makes them really show up 100 percent of the time,” she adds.

“Being a Daymaker long-term means having your support system and shifting your energy to the positive.”