Growing a Business True to Your Vibe

It was 2020, and at only 22 years of age, Carley Powell opened Empress Beauty Salon in the middle of Empire Ink, a Warsaw, Indiana, tattoo shop. This solopreneur was confident that her skills in vivid coloring and men’s cuts would complement the tattoo shop’s cool, inked clientele. And she wasn’t wrong.

“Everyone loved my vibe collating with the tattoo shop, seeing all the different clientele from everyone, and being able to see all the different artwork and piercings through the glass windows,” mentioned Powell.

“After a year, I realized how limited my clientele was, and I knew it was due to the tattoo industry. Either my clients were too afraid to walk in because it wasn’t their vibe, or they just plain didn’t like the tattoo industry. I decided to relocate my salon to the suite next door with a combined entrance. I could still receive the tattoo shop’s clientele, but my more timid clients could enter separately and have their privacy.”

The move confirmed Powell’s suspicions. Her business grew quickly, and she soon needed more space. In 2022, Carley and Sage Powell - her tattoo artist husband - and their friend and business partner, Mike Vest, bought a 2400-square-foot red brick standalone building that once housed a video store.

Empress Beauty Salon’s first two spots in the couple’s building had no walk-in exposure, visibility to the entrance, or signage. However, Powell’s clientele continued to increase, and she added more service providers. Eventually, she needed to allocate more space, so this determined business owner moved her salon up front and into the largest portion of the building.

The Right Balance

It took relocating the salon three times to ultimately find its sweet spot. Today, Empress Beauty Salon is a thriving commission business with four stylists, a professional body piercer, a lash specialist, a nail tech, a body waxer, and a female tattoo artist.

Empire Ink, the tattoo shop that once housed the salon, is now in a private studio within Empress Beauty Salon. By having the tattoo shop inside the salon rather than the other way around, women feel more comfortable walking in to talk to someone about getting a tattoo. With an 80% female clientele and a team of seven artists with a lineup of talent clamoring to get in, Empire Ink draws in clients from many neighboring towns. Since the move, business has skyrocketed.

Adding tattooing to the salon’s menu was a great way to expand services, but piercing, the latest addition, has opened even more doors for the salon. “We are breaking a threshold in our industry and our area at the moment by introducing body modifications to the cosmetology world. I mean, it makes sense, right? Beautifying our bodies and creating art makes sense to have a cosmetologist do it - of course, with appropriate training and qualifications. I am proud to say that one of my licensed cosmetologists has trained with a piercing and tattoo artist with a decade of experience. After taking further classes and expanding her knowledge in every way possible, she has now taken over piercing in the Warsaw area,” she added.

“Having my first salon in the middle of the tattoo shop was my vibe. However, some clients were uncomfortable walking into a tattoo shop to get their hair done. The same goes for walking into a tattoo shop to get their ears pierced safely. With my salon at the main entrance, my piercer is right there to greet clients. It sends a message that this is a safe place to get their daughter's ears pierced or anything the client wants for themselves. Our piercing clientele has since doubled, and many more women are coming in - we even had an 80-year-old not long ago getting pierced. Since piercings are part of a beauty salon, our clients know our piercers were trained safely, and they take comfort in being in a room with another woman.”

On Success

According to Powell, the most challenging part of being a salon owner is twofold. “There are always people rooting for you, and they want to uplift and be supportive on the outside, but I feel deep down that isn't true to success. Looking back now, I know that even if someone gave me the perfect advice, it wouldn’t work the same for me as it did for them. And if I told somebody else, it's not going to apply to them like it did for me. You really have to learn it all on your own.”

The second aspect of salon ownership is hiring well. “I feel like in our industry, you must be a good human being more than anything. Because you're like a therapist to all your clients, they come to you for everything. You can give them the best haircut ever, but if you're not there for them as a person, they're not coming back.”

Powell emphasizes the importance of finding team members who not only have the right skills but also the right attitude and personality to fit into the salon's culture. She shares that she looks for people who are not just good at what they do, but also good people who can connect with clients on a personal level.

The Empress team is like a family. Powell admits that getting close to the workers makes it challenging to draw that line and be a boss. However, she says it’s also created a stronger relationship and salon culture, which is worth the stress it puts on her to have that close-knit team. Building a strong team culture is a challenge, but the rewards in terms of employee satisfaction and customer experience are immense.

Reputation Matters

The only salon in Warsaw with a five-star Google rating for five years straight, Empress has a unanimous share of positive reviews. This success is partly thanks to reputation management software, which helps the salon team monitor and maintain their online reputation. However, Powell also credits the salon’s welcoming atmosphere and cool mix of personalities for much of its success.

“We're not a stereotypical salon. We truly do welcome everybody here, and we can vibe with anyone. We’ve even had a client from the LGBTQ+ Community post us on a website, strandsfortrans.org, stating that Empress is a perfect salon to come to that is judgment-free.”

“As far as our team, it’s not just one solid personality. Each must be a good person, but I also try to find different genres with people. For example, I'm a little bit edgier; we have a stylist who is on the shy and introverted side, another who is goofy and boisterous, and one who is just silly but very personable. She can listen to everybody's stories, and everyone wants to just open up to her. So, we can serve anybody from any age range, genre, etc., and it's just awesome.”

Getting the Word Out

Building a business and getting the community through the doors can be arduous. But for Empress, they have found homegrown ways to get the word out. “I don't do a lot of advertising, as I still think that word of mouth is the number one retention builder. But thanks to technology, it's also word of keyboard. Social media has definitely helped because people post selfies a million times a day, and most are willing to tag their stylists. If someone comments on their hair, we hope that person will tag them back and be like, ‘Thank you! I got it done at Empress Beauty Salon.’”

Empress Beauty Salon joined the Chamber of Commerce in their community in 2023, which has helped get the business’ name out there. A radio station in the area also offered some free advertising to help the local business. Hosting events and providing unique experiences to clients has also helped the salon stand out and build customer loyalty. The salon learned that smaller, unique, and meaningful events were more successful than larger events, and focused on providing pampering services and unique experiences to its customers.

Most recently, Empress provided free back-to-school haircuts to those who have supported the business over the years. In 2023, over 300 people came through Empress’ doors, and the team of four, including a six-month-pregnant Powell, gave 174 kids haircuts during the weekend event. At the second annual event, the salon provided haircuts for over 100 kids and lunch for them and their families. The event received coverage from a local news station, further increasing the salon's exposure and community impact.

“It was such an amazing feeling to give back and be able to do what we do to help these families that support us daily. Our clients deserve it,” Powell said, beaming.

Growing the Business

Part of running and growing a beauty business involves finding ways to make tasks easier. That’s why Empress uses management software to automate processes and free up the team whenever possible.

“It really helps us as a business and even personally that we can refer our current and new clients to our website. There’s a booking link where they can select the service they want, any days or times they prefer, even a stylist preference, and it will show their options. They can choose and book their appointment without even contacting us. I feel like it also gives the client freedom; instead of being limited to a few dates and times we send them off the top of our heads while we’re busy.”  

Powell had never owned a business until she opened her salon. She admits that she and her husband were just trying to figure this out on their own: what would work, what wouldn’t, and fixing all the little things as they went along.

“Overcoming everything I’ve been through with my business has been a huge challenge, but I’d say the best and most rewarding challenge is stepping out of my comfort zone to prove that cosmetologists can do more than hair and overcome the beauty standards of our little realm and that you don't have to belong to a corporate society to be successful. It can be a scary, challenging industry to thrive in, but it's worth it if you’re willing to fight through everything.”

“Losing the clientele that isn’t right for you or your vibe, the judgments you get for believing in yourself, and fighting through every obstacle, it’s worth the life you’ll get for believing in yourself,” Powell explained in closing, offering this advice to others looking to venture out on their own: “I think if you have a goal, if you're determined and willing to put in the fight and the struggle to do it and whatever it takes, then you've got to do it and prove to everyone that you can.”