I spent a few hours good hours at Balance Salon because I wanted to get to know the whole team and really get a feel for the vibes and how everyone interacts with each other… I didn’t want to leave! In fact I asked Carla if I could get a job there….Anyway, Carla insisted I sit in Elena’s chair and get my hair done by her. Elena is a total bad ass bombshell, she is a really cool and super fun chick… She’s the girl I always wanted to be BFF’s with! I realize now, that I think I have a type…  after interviewing stylish peeps Kari, Zoey Ramone and now Elena…. I think I have a thing for rocker chicks with tattoos. Sorry mom!

Elena did my hair and made me look incredibly fabulous for my date with mini chicpea! She also gave me the inside scoop on working at Balance. Stylish peep Balance Salon edition!

What’s your name? Elena.

What do you do? I’m a hairstylist and a makeup artist here at Balance. I am also a model, I throw parties in the Lower East Side and I DJ sometimes.

How long have you been doing hair? Probably about 12 years

How long have you been working for Balance? I’ve been here for a little over 2 years now

Do you live in Jersey City? I don’t, I actually live in Queens.

Do you have a favorite Jersey City hangout spot? Third and Vine is awesome. We like to wind down there after work sometimes… but definitely Lucky 7’s for those frequent times we don’t.

How did you find this place? I was dating somebody that lived here a couple years ago, and I was very disgruntled by the business and didn’t wanna own my own business….  I used to have my own business, and was just kinda over it and I didn’t want to be around other hair stylists… so he kept telling me to come check this place out…that it would be different and that I would like it and finally I did and met Carla and it was over after that. I fell in love with her.

Tell me a little more about Carla… So Carla, as far as bosses go, she is pretty much the best person I could ask for to come into my life, and I think we all have the same kind of relationship with her. The family bond that we have….and I feel like she came into our lives at a time when we weren’t really grounded and we’re sort of lost…

What do you like about working at Balance? I love everything about Balance… from my coworkers to our clients. Everyone is laid back and likes to laugh… you are what you attract you know?

What is your favorite style of hair to do? I’m very versatile. I spent a lot of years apprenticing different experts in different aspects of this field. I guess I love doing color the most. Especially color correction. If someone fucks up their hair, I’m your girl!

Can you tell me more about the clients that come here? I’ve worked in many different settings as a stylist. From the Plaza hotel to Balance. One thing for sure; you are what you attract. Clients tend to reflect their stylish in demeanor and attitude and vise versa. Since everyone who works here rules so do our clients. Like Carla says “it’s an asshole free environment”.

Right, I find like Balance is more of like a community center in a way right? People come through here because they like to chill out, not everybody here lives in Jersey City so people come by and say hi and catch up with you, sit on the couch, have coffee, we also have the art gallery here so sometimes people come here to see that.

Aww I love that, it really feels like a family here.. It’s absolutely family here. Sometimes we get in explosive fights that we forget about in two seconds once one of us cracks a joke. We we’re honest with each other. If someone’s being a bozo we call it out.

That’s how you have a good strong relationship… it’s real as fuck in here.

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