NJ MOMpreneur: Sally Monterrosa, Boho Hair Salon Asbury Park

New Jersey is home to many ambitious and talented women who juggle family, career and home. A select few of these women are also extremely busy building their own companies to help better manage the whole work-life balance. At NJMOM, we want to highlight these extraordinary women building NJ businesses and learn the secret to their success.

Boho Hair Salon Owner and NJMOMpreneur: Sally Monterrosa

Sally Monterrosa is the NJMOMpreneur and owner of Boho Hair Salon opening this July in Asbury Park’s growing, bustling downtown community. NJMOM had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Sally about her passions and priorities as a working mother opening a new business, her favorite activities in New Jersey with her little ones (ages 2 years and 6 months), and life lessons from her mother.

NJ Mom: What do you offer to your clients and how does it differ from other professionals in your field?
Sally: As a hair stylist, I like to offer more than just a hair service. My goal is to always make sure every client leaves feeling beautiful, uplifted, and inspired. I love what I do and I make sure that everyone I meet feels it and sees it with the amount of love and creativity I put into each one of their services.

NJ Mom: What inspired you to come up with the idea for your business, Boho Hair Salon in Asbury Park?
Sally: After growing and establishing a clientele for over 15 years in NYC and NJ, I realized how excited clients are about their hair appointments and how important it is to create the right environment for them while getting services. After I had my two little girls, I felt dividing my time between NYC and my NJ home studio would be something that I could not keep up with. I knew I could bring that wholesome feeling into a space that was not only for me, but for all of us to be ourselves, create a community, and receive the services that make them feel their best. This is when the dream of Boho Hair Salon truly came alive.

“My goal is to always make sure every client leaves feeling beautiful, uplifted, and inspired.”

NJ Mom: What is your favorite part about your business?
Sally: I love what I do, and everything about my business is fulfilling in different ways, but my favorite part of my business is watching transformations happen. It is beautiful to see what an new color or cut can do for someone getting ready for a big interview, having a baby and feeling the need for something new, or someone who just went through an altering life-changing event and needed something that would uplift them.  hese are the moments that really leave me feeling complete in my work.

NJ Mom: What is your background in your business expertise?
Sally: My love for hairstyling began at a very early age. Coming from a family full of hair stylists, this did not surprise my mother, at all. She immediately called my aunt and uncle who own a salon in Puerto Rico and suggested I spend my summer there learning how to cut hair. This definitely was a summer that changed my life and solidified my passion for hair. After graduating high school, I headed to NYC to attend the Aveda Institute of New York and became a licensed stylist.  From there, I went on to work with celebrity hairstylists in the city, and focused on growing my clientele. I worked out of my apartment in Brooklyn, and developed an idea to do house calls for working moms all over New York who could not make appointments during salon hours. During and after that time, I teamed up with a well-known bridal stylist who put me on her team and together we styled hundreds of brides and bridal parties throughout the New York/New Jersey area, and we continue to do so today. All of these experiences gave me the best training I would need in customer service, perfecting my skill, and ensuring I always deliver the best product possible for my clients.

NJ Mom: Who is your role model? 
Sally:

My Mother is the ultimate role model in my life.

She arrived in this country from Puerto Rico at the age of 18, alone not knowing a word of English. She worked to help support her parents and her 7 other siblings back at home. She raised me and my 3 siblings, one of which is special needs, and took care of my father during and until he lost his battle with cancer. My mother worked 3 jobs to support us, and she never once gave up on herself. To this day, she never stopped fighting for us and instilled in me not only an exceptional work ethic and core family values, but also made me a true believer in faith and the power that it holds.

NJ Mom: What is the best piece of advice your mom gave you?
Sally: The best piece of advice my mom always told me was to always work hard so I would always be able to stand on my own to feet no matter what storm may come my way. I have found that when you work hard, become great at what you do, and create a name for yourself, no one can ever take it away from you because you built it. You did it. I live by this. I plan to teach the same things to my girls. They can do anything; they have the power to be a boss and earn it proudly like anyone else.

NJ Mom: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?  Why is this quote so important to you?
Sally: My favorite quote has always been,

“If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough.”  

I have had short term goals and day-to-day dreams, however, the life-changing ones have been the most scary ones to chase.  Although scary, they have all proven to me up to this point that they have been worth every sacrifice I have ever made.  It just keeps getting bigger and bigger and better and better, and that excites me, and most of all inspires me, to keep growing.

“I have found that when you work hard, become great at what you do, and create a name for yourself, no one can ever take it away from you because you built it.”

NJ Mom: What are your favorite things to do in NJ with your family?
Sally:  I love living and raising a family in NJ. I love that I live central enough to take a drive up into NYC or a drive down to the beach. I absolutely love the seasons we get to experience and all of the fun activities we can have together as a family. Some of my favorite places include walking down the streets of Lambertville and enjoying the charming antique stores and quaint little restaurants in the spring, soaking up the sun on the beach in Asbury Park, then shopping local artists and listening to rising talented musicians.  Apple & pumpkin picking at Cassola Farms in Holmdel in the fall, and admiring the snowfall and Christmas lights in my own neighborhood in Matawan.

NJ Mom: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Sally: The best part of being a mom for me is seeing the world through my children’s eyes and having the chance to relive moments for the first time again. Everything is new and exciting to them. They experience no fear or prejudice. It is the most humbling, beautiful, and satisfying feeling for me.

NJ Mom: What are your favorite businesses in NJ?
Sally: There are many restaurants and businesses that we love and that play a big part in our social and daily lives. We are are a vegan family and lucky for us, there are many vegan-friendly places in NJ. We love waking up together on Sunday mornings and attending Hillsong Church in Montclair and having lunch in the most delicious Ethiopian restaurant called Mesub. We love our local vegan bakery Papa Ganache, that is filled with delicious vegan and gluten-free cupcakes that make our celebrations more exciting and delicious. We love yummy Thai food for dinner at Thai Thai in Old Bridge. Our little girl loves to have fun at her Cadets music program at Lakehouse Music Academy in Asbury Park. Afterwards we can enjoy the best vegan pizza in NJ at Talula’s, and indulge in soft serve ice cream from Cookman Creamery. Occasionally, my husband and I can even have date night at Watermark on the boardwalk in Asbury Park.

NJ Mom: Where do you reside in NJ?
Sally: We purchased a home in Matawan a year ago and we love it.  We live close to a small lake where people can kayak during the warmer months. We live 2 minutes from the train that takes you directly into NYC or down to the shore. There are great schools and small thriving businesses. We love that we have the outdoor space for our kids to play and that we live among people who care for the neighborhood.

NJ Mom: Anything else you would like to tell moms in NJ?
Sally: Being a mother is a special gift.  I just want to say that we are ALL so awesome!

To learn more about Boho Hair Salon and its grand opening, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @bohohairsalon.