What is your name?
Louisa Schneider, Founder & CEO of Rowan
How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
My husband and I have three wonderful children – my oldest son just turned 16, my second son is 14, and my daughter is 10. She actually helped to inspire Rowan!
Tell us about your business and how you got started.
As I was considering taking my daughter to get her ears pierced, I dug into researching every option on the market, but I didn’t feel comfortable with a single one of them. None of the piercing parlors felt safe enough, but the pediatrician’s office didn’t feel “celebratory” enough. I created Rowan because I wanted a piercing experience that was as safe as it was celebratory.
I’m proud that Rowan is able to offer that experience to all with ear piercings by licensed nurses only with hypoallergenic earrings always.
Ear piercing necessitates expertise, skill, and a keen understanding of hygiene to prevent adverse outcomes like infection and tissue damage – that’s why it is important that you choose to get pierced by a medical professional. Nurses understand bedside manner and can manage anxiety and all of the big and little fears. Coupled with stringent guidelines and training of the Rowan Clinical Piercing Standard, Rowan nurses ensure that ear piercing is safe, hygienic, and worry-free. Plus, our colorful, modern studios are joyful and vibrant, so every piercing is sure to be celebrated!
Is Rowan safe for kids?
All of our ear piercings are performed by licensed nurses, which allows us to safely pierce everyone from 2 months to over 100 years old. We pierce with a hollow needle and with a hand pressurized device depending on nurse assessment and customer preference. At Rowan, every piercing is a milestone, and every milestone can be celebrated with a piercing (or a new pair of hypoallergenic earrings!).
Why did you choose to open your latest studio in Essex County?
We have always been keen on expanding our presence in the tri-state area. We opened our first New Jersey studio in Closter Plaza last year and have been hard at work expanding this year with studios at Palmer Square Princeton and Cherry Hill Mall. We’re thrilled to open our studio at The Mall at Short Hills to continue building our presence in New Jersey to provide the safest, most celebratory piercing experience to all!
What do you love about your job?
I love that I get to go to work everyday surrounded by people who are as passionate about Rowan as I am. It is a real honor to be fulfilling a dream of being an entrepreneur that I have had my whole life.
Tell us about your role as both a mom and business owner. What does that look like for you? How do you manage it all?
It’s incredibly important to have a team you can truly trust, not just professionally, but personally as well. Having a great community around me helps me feel supported and confident as both a mom and a Founder & CEO. Mutual respect creates an environment where everyone can thrive, and a support system makes all the difference. Community also makes it all worth it! The wins aren’t worth it if you have no one to share them with.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
The best piece of advice I’ve received (and one I now love to give to others) is “celebrate yourself daily – for wins big and small.” There’s always something to celebrate, whether personal and professional, and it’s important to take time to acknowledge every milestone.