For many families, work and home exist in separate worlds. For Jessica (Jessa) Colon and her family, the two have always been beautifully intertwined.
At Hairitage Hair Lounge in Somerville, the salon has been more than a place to work. It has been a second home and a place where family, business and motherhood have flourished.
As the owner of Hairitage Hair Lounge and a hairstylist with more than 15 years behind the chair, Colon has spent years helping clients look and feel their best. But building a business is only part of her story. The other part has been raising four daughters—Tia, Jayla, Hazel and Ashlynn—while creating a life centered around confidence, resilience and family.
“We’ve grown up together in this community,” Colon says. “My girls have spent so much of their lives in and around the salon, so hair has never just been my career—it’s been part of our family’s story.”
As a mother of curly-haired daughters, Colon developed a passion for helping children embrace their natural beauty. What began as a personal mission eventually became part of her professional philosophy.
“I wanted every child who sat in my chair to know their curls weren’t something to fight against—they were something to celebrate,” she says.
Like many working parents, balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship has not always been easy. The beauty industry rarely follows a traditional schedule, often requiring evenings and weekends away from home.
“The biggest challenge has always been time,” Colon says. “There were games, recitals and school events I couldn’t always make. But I always tried to make sure my girls knew that even when I couldn’t be everywhere physically, I was always cheering them on.”
Her daughters grew up doing homework at the salon, seeing hair products around the house and watching their mother build something meaningful from the ground up. As they have gotten older, they have come to better understand the work, sacrifice and heart that went into building a business for their family and clients.
Today, that influence can be seen throughout the family. Jayla, 21, serves as salon manager. Tia, 19, works as the salon’s social media director after graduating from Bridgewater-Raritan High School in 2024. Hazel, 16, is already pursuing cosmetology through Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School while assisting at the salon. Even 8-year-old Ashlynn has grown up surrounded by the supportive environment her mother created.
Along the way, the salon became much more than a workplace. It became a second home filled with clients who evolved into extended family.
Through it all, one lesson remained constant: Confidence starts from within.
“I’ve always encouraged my girls to love who they are naturally first,” Colon says. “Whether they wanted to straighten their hair, color it, braid it or try something different, I wanted them to know those choices were expressions of themselves—not things they needed to change to feel beautiful.”
For this family, beauty has never been defined by a hairstyle. It is confidence, authenticity and supporting one another.
“I hope they remember that they were deeply loved,” Colon says. “Not that I was perfect. I hope they remember laughter, salon memories, family adventures and knowing they could always be exactly who they were—curly hair and all.”
Hairitage Hair Lounge
131 N. Gaston Ave., Suite 2
Somerville, NJ 08876
908-506-1111
hairitagehairlounge.com
At Hairitage Hair Lounge, family is woven into everything they do. With four daughters growing up alongside the salon, the business became more than a workplace—it became a second home. Together, they've learned the value of confidence, resilience, hard work, and celebrating what makes each person uniquely beautiful.