What every self-employed person realizes at some point is that no matter how hard you work, you need to have people around you who you not only trust, but who also understand how to help grow your business. What I've come to realize throughout my years of individualized client service is that this is just one portion of what being self-employed is all about; the rest involves strategy, planning, and proper execution of ideas - this is where I rely on my partner, advisor and sister Jo.

About a decade ago, as I watched the demand for my services increase, I knew I'd need a formidable plan for continued efficacy in the process of entrepreneurship. And it seemed like everyone who'd had any level of success understood that, as Oprah Winfrey once put it, "Nobody makes it alone."

So I set out to woo my only sister from her own established entrepreneurship to make her a partner in Klassic's International. It wasn't easy - she'd spent decades of her own time generating and maintaining awareness, publicity and credibility for high profile Fortune 500 companies. Because she understood all the inner workings of building a business, I knew I'd have to offer the world in order to compete with her already-established success. I knew I'd have to offer the world in order to compete with her already-established success.

But the wait turned out to be worth it. Her invaluable journalistic skills and years of strategic marketing, advertising, and public relations experience were just what I needed to take Klassic's International to another level of success. I was hoping to make her, effectively, the Gayle King of our own Oprah-and-Gayle approach to business. I knew she'd already proved by example to be the only person who could shoulder all the responsibilities associated with the demanding challenges of bringing Klassic's International from just another salon to a global company-to-watch.

Only a few months after she'd come on board, I had newspapers, television shows, and people from all over the world contacting me, giving me the opportunity to be a voice for women and their hair. Women needing help with their hair concerns thanked me for reaching out to them. This was a turning point in the business - I knew I'd be at the helm of a different Klassic's International than I was before.

What's even more interesting about having your sister work with you is that she knows first hand the struggles you've endured. As a family member, she too is touched by the experience of thinning hair and hair breakage: years of taking medication and the inheritance of follicles prone to breakage make her passionate about her work, and she shares this personal and professional knowledge of the industry with clients on a daily basis.

Jo's ongoing efforts of developing our brand with both clients and the industry means the day is typically filled with marketing exercises of every kind: education tools for customers, developing ongoing relationships with press, developing partnerships between Klassic's International and the community-at-large, and final execution of all corporate programs. Not to mention the challenge of managing a full offsite staff - and that's just the first 8 hours!

You can expect that well after our last client leaves, Jo has a host of projects waiting for her - whether it's another chapter in a book we're working on or developing a package for our next business adventure. The day - and her ever-growing to-do list - never ends. When our clients try to convince her to take a break (or better yet, take a day off), she reminds them that she traded relaxation for entrepreneurship decades ago.

Most importantly she keeps me reeled in, always providing the feedback I need to move our collective ideas from simple thoughts to hard-core reality. And as you might imagine, the Blackberry is her closest friend. But the reward of watching the success of Klassic's International and its clients far outweighs any of her daily demands. Hang in there, sis: one day we'll have time for a margarita!

Our clients often joke that if they see Jo once during the day they're satisfied, as her home at Klassic's International isn't the salon but rather the office, always generating ideas for keeping the business upwardly mobile. As one client put it, "Jo is the guts of the business," as her dedication to her work reflects.