The team at Tailored Salon dive into a culture-building activity.
Although invisible, salon culture is that tangible energy that binds and propels a team, attracts clients and forges a brand. A strong culture is hard to define and even more difficult to build, but when a salon or barbershop masters this task, they are unstoppable.
A.SALON
Chicago, IL
asalonchicago.com
Amy Daniel-Moser & Rudy Moser
SQUARE FEET: 2000, 1000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 27
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $80
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin.Murphy, Eleven, Milbon
COLOR: Kevin.Murphy
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmetologists Chicago, PBA, Green Circle
“Inclusivity is a core part of our culture. We are welcoming and respectful to everyone, regardless of gender, race and ethnicity. Our culture is based on an empowering environment where every individual feels valued. Our haircuts are based on length, not gender. We’re mindful and respectful of pronouns within our space.”
BASE SALON
Chicago, IL
basesalonchicago.com
Krysta Rojas
SQUARE FEET: 900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 9
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $93
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, K18, R+Co
COLOR: Redken, L’Oreal, Pulp Riot
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Vish
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“When someone has a promotion, we all celebrate with champagne, balloons and a mini photo shoot. We celebrate birthdays with a team card and cupcakes or pizza. We celebrate anniversaries with a small gift representing what year it is. And we maintain a team chat group to share funny messages, formulation questions, etc.”
The team from Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana.
BELLA STYLE SALON
Slidell, LA
mybellastyle.com
Kayli Abney, Tiffanie Landa
SQUARE FEET: 3800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $76
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Bob
COLOR: Colorspace
SKINCARE: Skinmedica, Glymed
NAIL CARE:
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“We moved from monthly 1on1 meetings to a team meeting the first Friday of every month, where we talk about new contests, celebrate wins and have team votes on any decisions, then 1on1 meetings quarterly. Our team app helps keep them on track with their goals and we use the BAND App as our form of communication. The team can create polls and have private DMs with us. It’s a free app that has improved our internal communication tremendously.”
BELLE SIRÈNE SALON
La Jolla, CA
bellesirenesalon.com
Sherri Belanger
SQUARE FEET: 3200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $82
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines
COLOR: Davines
TECH SUPPORT: Vagaro
“We have something called Culture Commandments that everyone that works with us must align with. One of the most important things I look for when interviewing new stylists is that they love caring for the people in their chair as much or even more than the actual art of doing hair. I could have the most influential stylist on social media apply to work with Belle Sirène, but if they have ego or don’t actually love people and realize what an honor it is to serve our clients, I will not hire them.”
The core values at Blo Out Lounge and Colour Bar in Hamilton, New Jersey.
BLO OUT LOUNGE AND COLOUR BAR
Hamilton, NJ
blooutloungeandcolourbar.com
Caterina Young
SQUARE FEET: 1200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $75
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin.Murphy, Davines, private label
COLOR: Kevin.Murphy, Davines, Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Vish
“In our daily huddles, we take the time to choose a guiding value for the week, celebrate each other’s wins, review our team goals and share any exciting news. We’ll have different team members take the lead and share a win with their fellow teammates, and we applaud it. This helps them feel more connected as a team, but also proud of a moment.”
The team from DAME Salon Spa in De Pere, Wisconsin.
DAME SALON SPA
De Pere, WI
damesalonspa.com
Maggie Dame
SQUARE FEET: 2000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 13
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $65
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, The Gel Bottle
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Emma
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA
“The Book of DAME is our salon culture playbook. It is the experience of our salon from a team member’s point of view and how we function as a team. It is the foundation for every new team member’s orientation (including how we ensure we are a match for each other) and is the how-to guide for all existing team members.”
A stylist at Folawn's Medical Spa and and Salon in San Antonio, Texas.
FOLAWNS MEDICAL SPA AND SALON
San Antonio, TX
folawns.com
Terry, Ken and Hailee Folawn
SQUARE FEET: 6000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 50
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Kerastase, Braszilian Blowout
COLOR: Aveda, Redken, Pulp Riot
SKINCARE: Skinceuticals, Aveda
NAIL CARE: Kiara Sky, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Vish, Green Circle
“We host quarterly clothing swaps where team members bring in clothes to donate, filling the office with items that they can browse through and pick anything out for themselves. At the end of the week, any leftover items are donated to a local women’s shelter, creating a sustainable, charitable activity that everyone look forward to.”
Abbie Icamina, owner of Gray & Graham Salon in Madisonville, Louisiana.
GRAY & GRAHAM SALON
Madisonville, LA
grayandgrahamsalon.com
Abbie Icamina
SQUARE FEET: 1500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $82
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Kevin.Murphy, Brazilian
COLOR: L’Oreal, Redken Dia
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Tippy
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“Every Friday, we have a meeting to talk about our core values. My operations manager and director of education go over wins and challenges, and I use examples of in-salon behavior that directly relates to our values. These meetings used to be venting session, but now they are productive and always have our values at the core of the meeting.”
GREAT LENGTHS HAIR SALON
Memphis, TN
greatlengthssalonmemphis.com
Carol Bakowicz
SQUARE FEET: 1400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 10
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $115
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Curly World, Innersense, Phyto
COLOR: Goldwell, Sunlights Balayage, Ortego
TECH SUPPORT: STX, Vish
“We have a not in our bathrooms that encourages clients to try new stylists if they want and their stylist won’t be offended. This past year, this worked to our advantage when three pregnant stylists were due within a month, and we had to work as a team to pick up the slack. We also worked with two other salons in the area to collaborate with and work with clients we couldn’t accommodate, and did so without fear because we have created a place our clients love to come back to.”
HABITUDE SALONS AND SPA
Seattle, WA
habitude.com
Inez Gray
SQUARE FEET: 10000, 1400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 50
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $75
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Davines
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda, Comfort Zone
NAIL CARE: Spa Ritual, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Hownd, Reach.Ai
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, 2 to 10 Network
“As leaders, we have handed over the awards and shout outs that we used to do to the team to decide, because it had begun to feel like favoritism from ‘upstairs’ and we weren’t always seeing the day-to-day wins and the sacrifices team members were making. We implemented a peer-to-peer recognition system, with them nominating then voting on who deserves to ‘win’ at our meetings. We are surprised this has enforced our values in a way we didn’t expect.”
INTRIGUE SALON
Marietta, GA
intriguesalon.com
Jeff South
SQUARE FEET: 4200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 36
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $78
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Goldwell, Kerasilk
COLOR: Goldwell
SKINCARE: Oribe
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Textel, TrueLark, Goldwell Digital Dispenser
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmetologists Chicago, ICA, PBA
“Our Journeys are our annual review process, taking our stylist team on a personal and professional progression of goals and growth. The Journey template is a map, not a spreadsheet, through the past, present and future. Each section is carefully curated, giving our team a voice in their Journey and coaching and feedback to help them reach their new destination.
LUNA SALON
Tallahassee, FL
thelunasalon.com
Lindsey and Todd Bullock
SQUARE FEET: 2500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 14
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: L’Oreal, Kerastase
COLOR: L’Oreal, Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Vish
“During our hiring process, we give potential team members a worksheet asking them to choose five-eight worlds from a list of values. It gives us a good look inside the person to see what is truly important to them. They may not choose the exact words we use, but we can easily see if what they value aligns with us.”
Enjoying a staff dinner, the team from Oyespa-An Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota,.
OYESPA - AVEDA LIFESTYLE SALON & SPA
Inver Grove Heights, MN
oyespa.com
Hitesh Soneji & Iranna Sannuli
SQUARE FEET: 5000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: Sparitual, Orly
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Green Circle
“A mission and vision, no matter how profound, are mere words unless interwoven into the daily fabric of the organization. Oyespa Aveda’s mission to provide unparalleled holistic experiences was amplified by our commitment to sustainability, reflect in our association with Green Circle. Our vision also resonates with the principles of eco-friendly, ethical and minority-led initiatives that BCorp certification stands for.”
Rochelle Peetoom from Rob Peetoom Williamsburg in New York, New York.
ROB PEETOOM WILLIAMSBURG
New York, NY
robpeetoom.com
Rochelle Peetoom
SQUARE FEET: 3500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 35
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $180
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines
COLOR: Davines, Rekden, L’Oreal
SKINCARE: Comfort Zone, Biologique Recherche, Katini SKin
TECH SUPPORT: Zenoti
“We have a strong Anti-Harassment Policy, ensuring that the work environment is free from any form of harassment. Every employee participates in annual anti-harassment training, and we take any reports of harassment seriously, investigating them thoroughly and taking prompt disciplinary action when needed.”
ROOT SALON AND SPA
Wauseon, OH
relaxwithroot.com
Kate Gnagey, Ashley Kunesh, Dara Lavinder
SQUARE FEET: 3700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 27
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $48
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin.Murphy, K18, Brazilian Blowout
COLOR: Kevin.Murphy, Pravana
SKINCARE: Osmosis Beauty, Farmhouse Fresh
NAIL CARE: Luminary Nail Systems, Luxa, Magpie
TECH SUPPORT: Vagaro, Mya, SalonScale, Green Circle
“Our Code of Honor is enforced by the team. Accountability options include donating $10 to our favorite charity, bringing a team snack for the breakroom or doing a chore from the chore chart for someone else. When a team member who broke the code chooses from these options they feel in control of their response, and they are completely ‘debt free’ in the eyes of the team, which helps us avoid grudges.”
The team from Salon Ish in Puyallup, Washington.
SALON ISH
Puyallup, WA
salonish.com
Katelyn Corrado
SQUARE FEET: 8000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 60
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines, R+Co, Color Wow
COLOR: Davines, Schwarzkopf, Blondme, Redken
SKINCARE: Lira Clinical, Dmk
NAIL CARE: CND, DND
TECH SUPPORT: Boulevard, Vish, Green Circle
“We start each year with a full team meeting to brainstorm and create goals and plans for the new year ahead. Our Ishmas event is our year-end celebration that is just for the team to celebrate the success and hard work that goes into the wild world of Salon Ish day in and day out. The team talks about it all year long and it creates a buzz for new team members. We are starting a mid-year retreat in 2025 to connect, check-in and finish the remainder of the year strong.”
Andrea Wintzer, owner of Studio 16 in Yakima, Washington.
STUDIO 16
Yakima, WA
studio16salonspa.com
Andrea Wintzer
SQUARE FEET: 2900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 5
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $75
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Oway
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Vish, Mya
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Green Circle
“A big move we made was from ‘CULTURE’ to ‘ETHOS’ as culture seemed to be a word that was being overused and we felt it was losing its true meaning. Ethos, however, feel more like a vibe, a commitment to the future. We then took each of our core values and redefined what they meant to us, promising each other we would live our values and hold each other accountable.”
The team from Talored Salon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
TAILORED SALON
Milwaukee, WI
tailoredsalon.com
Laura Graven
SQUARE FEET: 1700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines
COLOR: Davines
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Vish, Texty
“Our annual retreat is entirely voluntary, but the turnout is almost always 100%. The front desk team gathers loads of review of the technical team and we print them on sweet note cards. The stylist write ‘love notes’ to the front desk to show support and encouragement. The salon provides swag bags that vary each year, but always include a team member’s specific favorite candy and a handwritten card. We work hard at making this time special and truly create an intentional time of belonging for our team.”
THE SHOP SALON AND STYLE HOUSE
Brookfield, IL
theshopstylehouse.com
Kelly Thompson
SQUARE FEET: 1100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 5
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin.Murphy, Color Wow
COLOR: Keune, Oligo
TECH SUPPORT: Vagaro, Tippy, Vish
“By empowering our team to stay on top of the latest trends and techniques, we noticed big changes. Client satisfaction went up, and our stylist el more fulfilled as clients begin recognizing the elevated skill and care they received. This led to more referrals, repeat visits and ultimately a 20% boost in revenue.”
The team from V's Salon in Crown Point, Indiana.
V'S SALON
Crown Point, IN
vsaloncp.com
Vanesa Martinez
SQUARE FEET: 1600
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 5
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $61
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Verb, Malibu C
COLOR: Redken ,
NAIL CARE: Young Nails, Moroccanoil, Elegance
TECH SUPPORT: Vagaro
“We review our mission statement, vision statement, and our values with their definitions and behaviors at our monthly staff meetings. We rate ourselves on how we are doing with living out our mission statement and values. As a culture-building idea at our monthly staff meeting, we picked one value word and behavior to focus on and share with each other of what action steps we are taking to grow and have accountability.”
COME CELEBRATE the 2025 SALON TODAY 200 at our annual Award Dinner, which is part of Data-Driven Salon Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, Sunday, April 27th. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.datadrivensalon.com/st200.
