A Back Porch view: watching cows while you wait
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LANETT — Offering cuts for the whole family, the Back Porch Salon opened in February 2022 and offers a comfortable environment for hair care needs.
“We offer a wide range of services here — we offer spray tans, facial waxing, hair extensions, Brazilian blowouts — which are straightening treatments for the hair — eyelash extensions and a wide range of services with colors and cuts,” said owner Danielle Fuller Jordan.
While waiting on a cut or color, Jordan said clients can enjoy one of the Salon’s porches and she has toys for playful tots to stay entertained.
“We definitely try to make it very kid-friendly here, while also keeping a relaxing space,” she said. “We offer lots of toys, we have TV but we also have that special option [that customers are] able to go out on the porch — we have the rocking chairs on the front porch, we have a side porch where people can just go out there and watch the traffic go by or my lovely neighbors have cows. People can go out and sit on the side porch — watch the cows in the pasture beside us. So we do try to offer a wide range of flexibility, but also relaxation in the salon.”
Jordan said she began cosmetology school after high school and knew she wanted to open her own salon, but when she first began cutting hair she was nervous. A creative solution from her brother-in-law helped her get practice, confidence and a name for her future salon.
“I was terrified when I first started cutting hair,” she said. “So, my brother-in-law was like, ‘Hey. I have all these friends, and they come and hang out at my house to watch football on Friday nights. Why don't you come to my house on Friday nights? And you can cut all my friends' hair.’ He was like, ‘They all wear hats. They don't care.’ So I would be on the corner of his porch, on his little side porch. They'd all be sitting around watching football, talking, playing cards or whatever. I would be over there in the corner with tears in my eyes, just cutting all these people's hair just practicing on the porch. And so that's actually where the name of my salon comes from, because I started cutting hair on my brother-in-law's back porch. And so ever since then, I kind of just built this passion for wanting to do hair, and it has just become such a great thing for me. And I have loved getting to meet people and getting to be involved with so much stuff in the community. It has just been wonderful.”
Since opening the Back Porch Salon, Jordan said she has enjoyed connecting with other small business owners and seeing the community support for local commerce in Chambers County.
“I've seen it grow so much,” she said. “I started getting involved in community things, and then you realize that this person does this thing for the community, and then this person does this thing for the community. When you start putting it together, it's a lot of small businesses supporting another small business. It's so cool getting to have that experience and just watching it grow.”
As she has experienced customer and community support for her business, Jordan said she has also enjoyed investing in the Chambers County community herself and watching local events bring people together.
“My favorite thing about owning a small business is getting to be so overly involved,” she said. “I would say my main thing I [enjoy is] helping other businesses or events in the community. Over the last two years I have sponsored one of the LaFayette Main Street pageants in LaFayette. My range of expertise is in the beauty industry, and I love events like that — because I think it helps bring us together.”
With Jordan’s support of other businesses and community events in Chambers County, she said there are four people who have supported her to help her build her business to what it is now.
“I would definitely not be where I am right now, if it wasn't for my mom, my dad and my aunt, those three people… then not long after them, my husband swooped in,” she said. “I also appreciate having that support of my husband, Dawson, behind me, he always told me, ‘I'm going to support you. Whatever you want to do, follow your dream — let's do it.’ I would say those are the people that helped with my success story.”
To book an appointment at the Back Porch Salon call (334) 630-1222 or message The Back Porch Salon on Facebook. The Back Porch Salon is located at 7335 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Lanett.
