Exploring Life & Business with Jessica Lessard of HERA Goddess

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lessard.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Jessica Lessard: Journey starts about 10 years ago, I went to a hair extension class and that changed my entire career. I transformed my entire clientele into hair extension clients, I studied this industry like crazy because I wanted to perform and give my clients the best solutions to their hair problems through extensions. I got so invested in the hair extension world, and working with them every day, I started to realize what was lacking in this industry. These clients come in and spend thousands on dollars on their hair, and then would piece together a makeshift bundle of products to try to protect it. At the time there wasn’t a brand that focused on hair extensions, and had ingredients that would protect all the money they just spent on their hair. There wasn’t a brand that I fully trusted, that would deliver the results necessary to keep the extensions healthy and long-lasting. For an example, hair extensions need moisture, but a lot of moisture based products would be too heavy on their natural hair, and weigh it down. It would make their natural hair feel “greasier” because it was too thick. I then thought to myself, “Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I do the work and put together a product line that delivers that moisture without being heavy?” This is when HERA Goddess started. I spent 2 years working with labs to create a line that not only keeps extensions healthy but delivers results to the clients natural hair as well. I wanted to build not just a product line, but a brand that thought about the hairstylist first. I thought about everything from ingredients, to what the hairstylists gets out of these products and this brand. What’s the thing that’s going to benefit the hairstylist the most!?
This is where a shift happened. Now with online retail, these multi-million/billion dollar companies are taking revenue away from the hairstylist community, because clients can purchase products online, rather than in the salon. I wanted to be different. I wanted to eliminate that competition completely, and set up a structure where we only retail to salon owners and hairstylists, because they shouldn’t have to compete with Amazon, Target, Ulta, etc. I wanted to create something that was really simple for not only the stylist but the client as well. The hair industry and being a stylist can feel really lonely and daunting at times, and I wanted to build a community and learn these stylists names, and faces all across the country. So many brands are just in it for the sales. They look for stylists to buy their products and then nothing. No tools on how to retail it, no education on the products, no community, or collaboration. That’s the opposite of what I wanted. When stylists get plugged in with HERA, they join a community of like-minded stylists who want to be motivated, confident, educated, and be the difference that this industry needs. They get the opportunity to be a part of FREE monthly coaching calls, 1:1 product education opportunities, talk to a real person on the other side of the phone to help with any questions they may have. We have a team that is available to answer questions, help with sales and marketing strategies. Stylists shouldn’t go into retail blind, they need to feel confident in order to turn retail into revenue. We want to bring revenue back into the hairstylist community through these products.
The entire HERA line is clean, paraben-free, sulfate-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, protein-free and woman owned. The line is made up of 6 products.
3 in-shower products: Goddess Shampoo, Goddess Conditioner, and our Superhuman Hair Mask
3 post-shower products: Starlit Smoothing Spray, Goddess Gloss Serum and our Heavenly Hair Fragrance
The client gets a product that protects their hair from the second they step into the shower, to their finished look.

HERA is 3 years old, and we’re now in over 100 salons nation-wide. We’ve been able to help stylists increase revenue behind the chair by 45%! We’ve had stylists bring in over $900 in retail in just 1 day! Because of online shopping, hairstylists have turned away from retail all together. We want to help stylists realize the revenue growth and potential that they can bring into their suites or salons. Sales fund innovation and growth, and we want to be a small part of their journey.

Our goals for the future are tremendous! I will be opening a salon in 2026! We want to grow HERA into over 1,000 salons nation-wide. We want to throw education courses and events for stylists to attend, to get more confidence in sales behind the chair. We’re going to become the difference that this industry needs. We’re going to become the brand that hairstylists can trust whole-heartedly is there for THEM and their success!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With creating a business, there will always be bumps in the road. I’m a new brand trying to shake up the hair care industry, there’s always going to be questioning or push-back because people don’t know you. I’ve had days where I’ve questioned everything, and wanted to quit. But I’ve heard this quote that says “If you think you can, or think you can’t you’re right.”
If you go in with the mindset that you can’t do something, odds are that’s going to be the outcome. If I want to be different than the “norm” in this industry, I have to be bold. I have to keep pushing. How do I expect other people to follow my lead, and have confidence in their retail skills, if I don’t believe that in myself? So I kept going. I showed up even when I didn’t know what the future would hold. I’ve worked and continue to work into late hours of the evening because I know the work I’m doing will pay off. I’ve built structures and a team that share the same goals as me, and want to succeed in their own lives! The difference between average and great are the people that show up and keep grinding even when you don’t want to. There have been many obstacles, but I’ve now trained my brain to learn from these challenges, and become comfortable in pivoting, and taking that knowledge in a different direction to keep moving my business forward.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
HERA Goddess is a haircare brand that is built with extensions in mind. It’s moisture-based, yet lightweight so it won’t weigh down the clients natural hair!
It’s a 6 product lineup: Goddess Shampoo, Goddess Conditioner, Superhuman Hair Mask, Starlit Smoothing Spray, Goddess Gloss Serum, and Heavenly Hair Fragrance.
All of these products are: clean, paraben-free, sulfate-free, gluten-free, protein-free, cruelty-free, and woman owned. It’s moisture-based, yet lightweight. So even clients with the finest hair won’t feel greasy or weighed down.

We only retail to licensed hairstylists and salon owners because they should not have to compete with large retail stores for revenue. We’ve erased the competition completely, because we do not sell to the general public. We’re a brand who thinks of the stylist first, and wants to help them bring revenue back into their suite/salon. When stylists retail HERA, and their clients run out of product, they can’t go buy it online, they come back to the stylist. This sets up a residual income for stylists behind the chair. Retail should be a pillar of your business, not just a bonus.
HERA Goddess is a brand full of real people who can answer your questions, and ran by a stylist (me, Jessica Lessard) who still works behind the chair to this day! I’m an active working stylists who knows what it’s like behind the chair, and be a resource for other stylists who want to be great.
The thing that sets us apart, and the thing that I’m most proud of, is the fact that when you join HERA you’re not just getting good products, you get added to a community of stylists who want more for their business. You get into a group of like-minded stylists who want to be the difference in this industry. Stylists who want more for themselves and their business. Stylists who want to be great. Stylists who want to show others and themselves that they can build the business of their dreams.
HERA Goddess provides FREE monthly sales coaching calls, along with 1:1 product education and marketing/sales strategies to use behind the chair. We want to set the stylist up for success. We’re not just in it for sales, we’re in it for the stylists and this industry. We want stylists to hit their goals with confidence and scale their business’s!

When you first sign up with HERA, the stylist is provided with different bundle options to immediately get into retailing! They then can join our Backbar Society – an exclusive stylist-only group where we host free monthly coaching calls! They also can purchase our Product Academy Course – a 1:1 call with our Marketing & Brand Consultant McKenzie, who gives the stylists and/or their team an entire deep dive into all of the products, their ingredients, with sales and marketing tools on actually how to retail these products, and gain confidence.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice for any stylists trying to grow their business:
– There are going to be people who don’t align with your business. Not everyone you hire is going to align with your goals, your mission, or your vision for success, and that’s okay. Don’t get defeated when this happens. This just means that you’re making room for the people who will align with you. It takes time to find your team, because not everyone is meant to climb the mountain with you. But these people will come into your life, and help you reach where you want to go!

– When it comes to retail, your success is built on your mindset. If you have a negative mindset about retail and sales then you’re not going to perform well. You have to get mentally strong in order to succeed the way you want to. When you shift your mindset about retail to: this is a part of my business, not just a bonus. Retail is essential and just as important as the appointment, because we’re sending the client home with products that will protect their hair investment. When you stop viewing it as a bonus and make it an essential business aspect, you’ll see a shift in your confidence, and your sales!

– The hard truth is you will be tired. If you’re really trying to build a legacy and a business that makes a statement, you’re going to have days where you’re exhausted. You’re going to question yourself more than you thought you ever could. Don’t give up. Keep going. Keep pushing because that’s going to be the difference between someone who’s got the “IT” factor and someone who just wants a job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hera-goddess.com/pages/create-pro-account-page
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heragoddesshaircare/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/backbarsociety
• Other: https://hera-goddess.com/

Image Credits
AnnaKM Photography