We had the good fortune of connecting with Wendy Gross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wendy, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
In my professional and personal life I have values and principles that I always stand by but the most important to me is trust. You can not have happy or successful relationships in life without trust being the most important. When I hear a client say they trust me, it means the world to me. They trust me with not only their hair but also as someone who they can always turn to for support, whether it be during cancer treatments when they just need to feel beautiful or a shoulder to lean on during life’s challenging times as we walk through life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
WKG Design is my salon business name. I have been in my own salon suite for the last 7 years of my 33 year career. I moved to AZ in 1998 with my husband and daughter and had to build a clientele all over again. Any stylist will tell you it is not a quick or easy task. It takes years, but I did it thanks to my persistence, loving what I do and not looking back!

At one of the first salons I worked in the owner told me to pick a specialty and focus on that and only that, and the clients will follow. It was of the best words of advice I have been given.

I now specialize in hair color but love all aspects of the business.

I also volunteer my time to the Look Good Feel Better Foundation which is dedicated to improving the quality of life and self esteem of people undergoing cancer treatment.

Every October I raise funds for the Donna M. Karlis memorial fund that supports Metastatic Breast Cancer Research.

As stylists we have so many opportunities to help people through so many avenues.

I had a 92 year old client with dementia say to me, “I really hope you understand how good you make people feel.”

That’s all that really matters to me. Someone once said, “If people were blind, how would they remember you?”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Right now I am an Ocean 44 addict! This restaurant has the best food and best service along with a killer song playlist. It never disappoints.

The Grand Canyon is a must see for everyone at least once in their lifetime.
For some quiet and beautiful scenery a horseback trail ride is always fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been a hairstylist for 33 years . I love to create and getting to do that and build lifelong relationships has been a blessing. There are so many people along my journey responsible for the success I have today, but one that stands out is a husband and wife team. The salon owners of Frank Anthony Salon in Chester NJ. Frank and Joy offered me my first job in the hair world as a teenager on the weekends. I was the salon assistant and Joy would pick me up every Saturday and drive me into the salon where I would soak up everything I could watching and learning. I swept hair and offered refreshments to the clientele.
I am so thankful I had the chance to send Frank a thank you message a couple months before they were both tragically killed 2 years ago this month as I am writing this.

Life is short, don’t wait to thank someone and tell them what they meant to you.

Website: WKGDesign.com

Instagram: @WKGDesign

Facebook: WKG Design

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