Customer of the Week: Stanley and Co

Opening Stanley and Co was a leap of faith for Joe and Laura Orlowski. They were expecting their second child, had one income, and had worked hard to save for a deposit on a house — but Joe wasn’t happy. Laura suggested that he quit his job, and go out on his own.

The couple bit the bullet, and risked their life savings to open their own business. They haven’t looked back.

“I was hesitant but grateful for the push. It’s always been my dream to own a salon.”

The couple started small, running their business from a 25 square meter room in an old warehouse. They had one mirror and a chair. Joe cut hair, while Laura would take bookings from home while caring for their new baby.

Now with a team of 6, and a salon that stretches over a large polished wooden floor, the business is flourishing.

As a family run business, it’s important to Joe that these values permeate the culture of the company. As a business owner and boss, Joe ensures everyone is looked after in a thoughtful and positive way. For Joe and Laura, work/life balance is key for his entire team, and ensuring this culture stays true is what Joe loves about being a business owner.

As a business owner, it’s your job to set the tone for your team and clients. All interactions must be positive — an easy ask if you truly love what you do.

“My dreams have come true, I can support my family whilst doing what I love.”

Timely has enabled Joe and Laura to create balance. Laura is able to do the grocery shopping and look after the children, all the while taking care of the salon’s bookings.

“It gave us absolute freedom to be wherever we wanted and still run our business.”

For Joe, the business was able to flourish once he could truly embody his passion. Joe stresses that money should never be your main objective, and if you love what you do, that will shine through and you will be successful.

Joe brings 14 years of fashion experience to his business. Former art director at Toni and Guy, Joe fuses his knowledge of fashion and his ability to do things quickly. The team provide everyday people classic hair, with a modern and fashionable edge. The salon’s goal is to make every client feel in control of how they look, offering fashion-forward, innovative style.

Joe believes that fear is crippling, “Stress and fear will ruin everything. You can basically push through any obstacle if you have a can-do attitude.”

One of the salon’s proudest moment was hiring their first employee, and being able to remunerate them well. “Being able to show someone what they’re worth is an incredible feeling.”

Inspired by his forebears, Joe watched his grandfather cut and style hair and he learnt that good old-fashioned hard work was a great way to make a living and an even better way to support his family. Stanley and Co is a tribute to his family’s creativity and work ethic, and we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the Orlowski family’s journey.