Pigtails & Crewcuts

After spending time as a stay-at-home mom,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-putnam-4521342b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-stay-at-home-mom-to-successful-franchisee-angel-putnams-journey-with-pigtails-crewcuts-2726376" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Angel Putnam</a> knew she wanted the next part of her journey to be a child-based business. When she came across&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-stay-at-home-mom-to-successful-franchisee-angel-putnams-journey-with-pigtails-crewcuts-2726376" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a>, she fell in love with the brand. From the colors to the concept to the corporate team — Putnam was sold. She and her husband quickly bought two Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts salons in North Carolina. “We hit the ground running,” Putnam said, “and it’s been amazing ever since."&nbsp;Having grown up in foster homes and group homes, Putnam has a big heart for the community and giving back.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a> allows her the opportunity to do that. “Being able to make a difference and give back to our community, I think is why we have been so successful,” she said.&nbsp;1851 Franchise spoke to Putnam about her franchise journey and plans for the future.&nbsp;1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us.&nbsp;What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Angel Putnam: I was a stay-at-home mom for five years. Before that, my entire background was retail — so, corporate America. My husband was also in corporate America.&nbsp;&nbsp;When our youngest hit kindergarten, I started thinking about what I was going to do next now that I had more free time. I love kids, absolutely adore kids. So I knew being a mom and I knew kids.&nbsp;So I started Googling and doing research on kids-based businesses. We looked at a few, but then stumbled upon Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts. I went and spent a week in Atlanta and I absolutely fell in love with the brand. The concept, corporate staff is phenomenal. They make people like family instantly, and that's something you want when you're investing a large chunk of money into something.&nbsp;So we hit the ground running and it's been amazing ever since. I have a big heart for community and giving back. I grew up in foster care and group homes, so we do a lot for the foster system here in North Carolina. Just being able to make a difference and give back to our community, I think is why we have been so successful.1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?Putnam: I really didn't give much thought to it. I've always been corporate America, you know? I've always been, “You work when you're told to work and you make numbers and meet all these goals for these big corporations,” so it never really hit me to think of starting our own business. But I knew, with the timeframe and the life that we wanted to be able to provide for our children, that my husband and I going back into corporate America was not an option. The work-life balance just wasn't there prior when we both did it, so we wanted something with flexibility and the franchising world gave us that opportunity. It allowed us to be able to build a financial future without sacrificing the time and the quality of life that we wanted our children to have by being able to be there for them. And we actually now homeschool our children. So buying into a franchise allowed us to build that perfect kind of work-life balance for our family that we would not be able to have otherwise.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Putnam:&nbsp;What made me first fall in love with Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts is, honestly, just the wholesomeness you get when you walk into one — the bright colors, the staff — it all kind of trickles down from our franchise office. When you have a franchise office that knows you by name and not just a number in their world, it builds that connection to owners to build that same kind of wholesomeness with their staff. And so I feel like when you walk into Pigtails, you get that feeling of a small business family because there is a quality.You get that small mom-and-pop feeling from the very tip-top down to every stylist that's in our salons, and our families feel that and our clients feel that. So that was the number one thing — the connection overall that Pigtails strives to give is one of a kind. And then, when you immerse yourself into the actual brand, it's just — you just walk in and you're like, “Oh my gosh.”We have a lot of competitors in the franchise world, but I really feel like we stand out because of our colors, the way that we are set up. Our corporate office trusts us as owners enough to build a business — still respecting the brands, but understanding that markets are different — and so they allow us the freedom to build a successful business that works in our market.1851: I understand that one of your goals with Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts was to provide a safe space for families with sensory sensitivities. Can you tell us a little bit about that?Putnam:&nbsp;Our salons were the first two in the nation to become sensory certified. Children really do hold a special part of my heart, so it's not just about being sensory safe to me — it truly is just about being a safe place for all children. Not everyone has a sensory issue — some kids just need a safe place — so for me, it's just making sure that we are always learning and growing and achieving new certifications and taking advantage of all programs that are out there to create that space for all children to be able to come into our salon, no matter their background. They're all just so cute and they're all safe with us and they're all meaningful, so to me, just making sure that we're always striving to be that space at all times and when programs become available — like sensory safe — it's our duty as a business to to participate in all of that. A lot of stylists will say working with kids is hard — and it is — so it's also about making sure I provide my team with the tools to continue to become their best. This allows us to continue to excel and be the best we can be for our amazing families.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Putnam: Honestly, my major thing is I want to be able to continue to be the parents that we are for our children while building a financial future for them and being able to create a ripple of change in our community. One of my biggest mottos that I teach our team is that, as a small business, it is our responsibility to take care of the community that takes care of us. So being able to continue to build and grow those relationships and create change with other organizations in our community is huge.&nbsp;My personal goal for our company is to hit a million dollars this year. That's my life, but that's not the main focus on my goal line. It just happens to be one of them. In the end, maybe a third store, I'm not sure. I kind of balance a lot, but I don't think there's a stop for me. I like being able to see each year we achieve more and accomplish more, and so I like keeping my finish line moving.&nbsp;1851:&nbsp;What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?Putnam:&nbsp;You write your own story. If you have a dream or you have a goal, you kind of have to set aside everything else and continue to write, keep pushing forward.&nbsp;1851:&nbsp;What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?Putnam:&nbsp;Just do it! I talk to all of our potential franchise owners and I'm very honest with them. A lot of them will buy in and think that the business is just ready to go and they're going to be making money from day one, and it's not that. With any business, you get out of it what you put into it. I understand some people will not work as hard as my family and I do in their business. I mean, we're very hands-on, but you have to be able to make that culture. You have to be able to make sure your standards and expectations are in place before you say, “Now, let's open and be successful.” That's not the case. It is work, but overall, my number one thing I tell everyone is you get out of this business what you put into this business.About Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts:&nbsp;Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts is a kid’s hair salon franchise designed with family in mind. Franchising since 2005, it has become a premier destination for children’s hairstyling and a stress-free experience for parents. Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts provides a range of hair care services for boys and girls aged zero to 12, and offers a custom line of child-friendly hair products, hair accessories, toys, and gifts. Each salon is a fun, engaging space where children can feel comfortable and enjoy their haircuts, complete with activities, event areas and a family-friendly atmosphere. With over 80 locations across more than 20 states, Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts is continuously expanding and establishing itself as a leading franchise in the growing niche market of children’s hair care. To learn more about Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts or to find a salon near you, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-stay-at-home-mom-to-successful-franchisee-angel-putnams-journey-with-pigtails-crewcuts-2726376" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com</a>. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-stay-at-home-mom-to-successful-franchisee-angel-putnams-journey-with-pigtails-crewcuts-2726376" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com</a>.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchisee Transitions From Stay-at-Home Mom

1851 Franchise

With a passion for giving back and making a difference in her community, this North Carolina franchisee has found success with Pigtails & Crewcuts. 

This brand page has been paid for by PIGTAILS & CREWCUTS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Successful Franchisee: Angel Putnam's Journey with Pigtails & Crewcuts

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In Happy Valley, Arizona,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/a-safe-haven-for-kids-haircuts-yvette-stumpf-marks-four-years-of-pigtails-crewcuts-in-phoenix-arizona-2729794">Yvette Stumpf</a>, a franchisee with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a>, the 85-plus unit kids salon franchise, is turning an ordinary haircut experience into a learning and community engagement opportunity. Stumpf, who earned an education degree before starting her family, came to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a> after spending time as a stay-at-home mom. As she has grown her business, she’s blended her own passion for learning and reading with her care for her community and the families in it.“I’ve always been an advocate for education; I think that ignorance is not bliss,” she said. “It benefits everyone to be educated. I like Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts because it’s a part of the community with the mom-and-pop type feeling, and one of my goals was to give back. That’s always been near and dear to my heart. With these two things in mind, the Little Free Library was the perfect idea. I’m in a great little shopping center, and people from neighboring establishments come check out the book selection, too.”When Stumpf started the Little Free Library, she built it with her kids’ own used books. Over time, though, those have been “checked out,” and the community has kept the Little Free Library alive.“I didn’t do this because it draws people back to the salon,” she said. “I did it because it makes the community more kid-friendly and more family-oriented. It’s being utilized.”<h2>A Lifelong Advocate for Education</h2>Stumpf’s passion for reading goes back to her own childhood. With a Colombian mother and Hungarian father, she grew up in a multilingual household."I speak three languages, and it was English that helped me move forward," she said. "When I was younger, my parents didn't help me separate all three languages. When you speak the other two, you don’t use pronouns. You just conjugate the verb. School for me was beneficial because English explained the pronouns, and reading was a big component to figure it all out."As a child, reading felt like a chore for Stumpf because she was navigating the language learning aspect in addition to trying to understand the story itself, but over time, she came to love “reading to read.” Encouraging her own children to read for pleasure showed Stumpf a new side of things.“My kids love books so much,” she said. “Reading is one of their ‘fun things’ to do. We go to the bookstore, and I can’t say no to books!”This informed her current understanding of how kids approach reading, and it was a key driver for her not only to establish the Little Free Library but also to incorporate the Yoto Player, a screen-free audio player, into the salon experience.&nbsp;“A lot of parents don’t want their kids to have phones, iPads or TVs now,” she said. “With the Yoto Player, a kid can hear a story and use their imagination to visualize what’s happening. It’s also a helpful tool for the kids who have a sensory need. With the Yoto Player, they’re able to sit there and focus on the story. Maybe it’s the vibration of the box or the voice of a specific reader, but they love these stories.”“I think the books and Yoto Player are a natural fit for kids — especially all the different kinds of kids,” she continued. “We have the hardcover books with sensory elements, and the Yoto Player as an auditory option for kids who have different sensory needs. Some kids like visuals, some use their imaginations and some like to be read to. It’s about mixing it up so we can serve everyone.”<h2>The Little Free Library as a Shared Community Investment</h2>Stumpf spurred the literacy push in her salon and community, but its continued success has been driven by the passion and contributions of the entire community.To stock the Little Free Library initially, she drew on her own family’s collection of children’s books, but the response from her team and community was immediate.“Even our stylists were getting excited about the books,” she said. “There are beautifully illustrated books that the kids get really excited about. We had clients who got so engaged with the Little Free Library that they were just glowing and so happy about these books. It’s awesome.”Over time, co-tenants at the shopping center have gotten involved in the effort, too. For example, there is a Bricks &amp; Minifigs location in the same center, and they have contributed Lego books to the Little Free Library.“That helps because our neighbors are encouraging reading, too,” she said. A couple of people locally have pitched in, and it’s been so worth it.”<h2>Purpose Beyond Profit</h2>The Little Free Library and Yoto Player may have brought more attention to Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts of Happy Valley, but Stumpf said that was never the point. For her, giving back is simply part of how she wants the salon to show up in the community.“We like giving back. It benefits us, but to me, it’s not a monetary benefit,” she said. “In the long term, it’ll be great for the kids. It’s something for the mind and the heart.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.">https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.</a>&nbsp;

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Yvette Stumpf brings literacy into her Happy Valley, Arizona, kids salon with a Yoto Player and a Little Free Library outside the shop.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchise Owner Champions Children’s Literacy in Salon and Beyond

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How Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchisees Like Angel Putnam Are Making a Difference Beyond the Salon

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Tech Leader Signs 3-Unit Deal To Build a New Legacy With Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchise in Chicago

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<a href="https://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a>, the children’s hair salon franchise, is targeting Miami and the rest of the Southeast Florida market for franchise development. Currently, the franchise has a strong presence in Central Florida, but no existing locations in the southern part of the state.&nbsp;“Our existing Florida locations are doing fantastic, so there’s a lot of validation,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-holliman-2132313/">Michelle Holliman</a>, Vice President of Franchise Development. “All of southern Florida is still available, and they have great demographics. We’ve been doing market analysis and we see a lot of kids and population growth, and the median and average household incomes really match our target audience.”&nbsp;Florida's population has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/florida/article_4c96744e-c143-11ef-829c-bb17727f2977.html">grown by over 8% since 2020</a>, with Southeast Florida being the most densely populated region in the state,&nbsp;<a href="https://floridadep.gov/southeast">home to more than 7 million people</a>, about one-third of Florida's total population. Almost 30% of households in&nbsp;<a href="https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Florida/Miami-Dade-County/Household-Types">Miami-Dade County</a> alone have children under the age of 18.&nbsp;“You have so many different types of families in Southeast Florida. There’s so much diversity in different types of hair and the opportunity to be able to cut children's hair in that market is fantastic,” Holliman said. “This would be great not only for our haircuts, but also for our other services, like ear piercing. We do a lot of different things that would match the market.”<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts’</a> existing Florida owners have been successful, and most have expanded. For example, Warin Epstein has grown to five units in Central Florida, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmarnold2018/">Heather Arnold</a>, who started with one location in Clermont, added a second in Davenport last year.&nbsp;“The franchise system has been a very important part of our growth,” Epstein said. “From branding to operational tools, the support provided by the corporate team helps us daily. Having access to established systems, vendor relationships and marketing resources is the exact reason we looked to get into the franchise space and not go it alone.”The franchise encourages prospective Florida owners to talk to these franchisees themselves to get a real idea of what it's like.&nbsp;“They do a fantastic job not only explaining their experience of what it took for them to open their own business, but also what kind of support they get,” Holliman said. “I tell my franchise prospects, I want them to give you the good, the bad and the ugly of what it means to own a business.”<h3>Why Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts Succeeds No Matter Where It Goes</h3>One of the best things about opening a children’s hair salon is that demand never goes away. No matter the situation, kids need haircuts.&nbsp;“You might go six to eight weeks to get a haircut, but you need a haircut,” Holliman said. “It’s a service that any family needs. We make the experience worthwhile. That's why our customers love coming to Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts. Getting a haircut might be scary for their child, or their child might have sensory sensitivities. We make them feel more comfortable. And that's the beauty of our brand.”Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts wants to ensure it's offering that experience in markets it believes would be a great fit. Southeast Florida is wide open, and there’s plenty of room for single or multi-unit operators to reach as many families as possible in areas like Miami, St. Pete, Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and more.&nbsp;To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts">https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts</a>.

The franchise has already seen success in other parts of the Sunshine State. Now, it is looking to expand in southern areas like Miami, where there are no locations yet and plenty of opportunity.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Sees Southeast Florida as a Strong Market for Kids Hair Salon Franchise Development

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From Stay-at-Home Mom to Successful Franchisee: Angel Putnam's Journey with Pigtails & Crewcuts

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