JosAnne Sampson and Ladrea Bailey, co-founders of Two Strand Salon, share how they built a beloved Baltimore salon where clients feel at home, stylists feel supported, and every chair invites you to relax. What started with two women meeting in a Baltimore salon grew into a friendship, a business, and a brand built on faith, communication, and years of figuring things out together. After working side by side for eight years, Jo and Drea launched Two Strand Salon in 2017. Since then, they have opened a second location and built a culture so strong that clients book months in advance and travel from miles away just to be in the space. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why they call one location “grandma’s house” and the other “rich auntie”How a Craigslist listing, prayer, and perfect timing led them to their first salon spaceWhy client choice remains at the center of their business modelWhat it took to lead a salon through COVID, expansion, and consistently full booksHow grief, family values, and communication shaped both their friendship and businessThe story behind the Two Strand name, logo, and the meaning of being “two strands of one entity”Jo shares why service is part of her purpose, both inside and outside the salon. Drea talks about building a business with her best friend, working through conflict, and creating a workplace where nobody feels like they have to perform for the boss. Together, they explain why their team, clients, and community all matter. This conversation is for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, Black-owned businesses, salon culture, friendship in business, or the real work behind building something people genuinely love. Sometimes success looks like a big moment. Other times, it is built one hard day, one prayer, one conversation, and one decision to just keep show’n up. Website: Two Strand Salon
