Susan Wagoner
Staff Reporter
PRYOR —
Pryor’s BeBop Hair Studio is styling.
Tuesday marked the day they began working in their new location, next to Rhett Minson State Farm Insurance on U.S. Highway 69. With new digs, new equipment and three additional stylists, the salon is prepped to be the latest trendy upscale salon. And Matrix salon products of New York has taken notice.
BeBop was named one of 50 My Matrix Salons in the United States and one of five selected to meet with the official Matrix team and get involved with production of a yet-to-be-released line of products.
Salon owner Jamie Hooker converted to the Matrix line and became a retail supplier for the products in April. Soon the other stylists did the same and the salon became a Matrix-only salon.
“After I converted, I became involved in the education of Matrix,” Hooker said. Within a month of her conversion and retail status with the Matrix manufacturer, her business profits went up nearly 100 percent . Changes happened.
“We’d been wanting to move to a new location and when things got so much better, we could make the move,” she said.
Meanwhile, her Matrix territory manager submitted the salon for selection as a My Matrix Salon.
The salon was assigned a My Matrix Team, which took care of the education needs of the group.
That proved to be just the beginning. BeBop’s My Matrix Team submitted the salon to be considered as one of only five salons nationwide to participate as a testing ground for a new line of products, not scheduled for release until August 2011.
“Matrix sent 10 representatives to the salon,” Hooker said. Although she knew about the visit, she’d been sworn to secrecy and could not tell her staff.
“We knew something was going on, but she kept the secret. We were so proud of her,” stylist Jackie Wilson said.
“All of these cars kept pulling in,” BeBop creator and current stylist Sally Casey said. “Then we saw a camera crew get out. We were very surprised.”
The Matrix group, including Artistic Designer Nick Stenson, taught the stylists about the new product and then demonstrated its use.
Footage shot by the camera crew will be used later in a technical video to assist in marketing the product to salons next year.
One stylist from each of the five salons was chosen to travel to New York and work directly with Stenson and his artistic team during a photo shoot. Hooker was chosen to attend the New York event.
“We are the testing ground for this new product,” Hooker said. “I’m taking with me client input as well as stylist input to give to Nick and the others.”
Hooker believes that BeBop was chosen because of its diversity. Stylists range in age and talent from a recent beauty school graduate to seasoned veterans.
“We learn from each other all the time,” Wilson said.
“Absolutely,” Hooker agreed. “I don’t even own a highlighting cap. I only foil.”
“That’s true,” Wilson said. “We’d have to teach you how to do that.”
The ease and camaraderie between the stylists is apparent.
BeBop began as the dream of Sally Casey, who opened the shop in 1991.
“I was at a diner in Tulsa, drinking a shake and listening to 1950s music,” Casey said. “I thought it would be so neat to have a salon that offered the same kind of atmosphere.”
Before Casey opened the salon, she worked as a stylist at another shop in town. One of her co-workers was Tina Terry-McCarthy.
Later, Terry-McCarthy worked for Casey at BeBop and then purchased the salon from Casey in 1997. Casey stayed on as a stylist.
In 2002, Hooker began working at BeBop as a nail technician.
“I told Tina then that if she ever got tired of owning it, I wanted it,” Hooker said. While working at BeBop, Hooker went back to school to learn hair, having concentrated on nails her first time around.
In 2007, Terry-McCarthy was ready to sell and Hooker was ready to buy.
Now both previous owners work for Hooker and somehow it all works.
“With the diversity and history we offer, any request can be filled by someone on our staff,” Hooker said. “Sally said it and Tina said it, too. It’s always been ‘our’ clients, not ‘my’ client. As long as the customer stays in the salon, they are going to find a stylist and a technique that they like. That’s more important to us.”
Casey said BeBop still gives her what she looks for in a place to work.
“When I looked at salons to work at, I always asked if they went to hair shows, or offered continuing education,” Casey said. “It keeps you fresh.”
Wilson, who has worked at BeBop for 19 years under all three owners, agreed.
“You are never too old to learn something in this business,” Wilson said.
As for Hooker, she’s met her first goal since buying the salon.
“I wanted a new location and to have eight stylists on staff,” she said. “We’ve done that.”
She’s now setting new personal goals.
“I want to be an educator for Matrix,” Hooker said.
Eva Yao, Matrix Marketing Director for Haircare and Styling explained why Hooker was selected to travel to New York and partner (along with the other four salon representatives selected) with Nick Stenson on the Matrix photoshoot.
“We chose her because of her technical expertise, coupled with her love for the industry and her strong leadership at the salon,” Yao wrote.
It looks like Hooker is well on her way to reaching another goal.
BeBop is styling like never before and the future never looked so good.
See them at their new location at 714 S. Mill. They can be reached at 825-6630.
