MENU
SEARCHWith more than 17 years of dedication and experience at Savvy Salon and Day Spa, Darlene Odom has been a trusted presence behind the salon's continued success. Here's why salon owners Pat Helmandollar and Lauren Springer call her both the right and left hand of the business.
So trusted is Manager Darlene Odom at Savvy Salon and Spa, the owners say she has become both their right and their hands.
Savvy Salon and Spa
Salon Today’s Meet the Manager series celebrates and highlights the managers, team leads, and directors in the industry who work to maintain the vision and goals of salons, barber shops, and spas. In today's profile, meet Darlene Odom, guest coordinator at Savvy Salon and Day Spa in Cornelius, North Carolina. Odom’s background as a hairdresser and balanced leadership style have been a driving force behind Savvy's smooth day-to-day operations.
The manager: Darlene Odom, Guest Services Coordinator
Nominated by: Pat Helmandollar and Lauren Springer, owners of Savvy Salon and Day Spa
Date of Hire: May 2007
SALON TODAY: What is Odom's background/experience that made you believe they'd be a good fit for your business?
Helmandollar: “Darlene was formerly a hairdresser in New York State. She moved to North Carolina and started as our guest services team member, but when the front manager left, she recommended Darlene, and she has been here ever since.”
ST: What personality characteristics does Odom possess that make her a good manager?
Helmandollar:
“She is extremely even-tempered and calm, which makes her the perfect mediator. Her decisions are well-measured and without an emotional impact. Very practical. With her background in the industry, she is practical and fully understands the nuances and expectations of both the guests and employees.”
ST: What are the three most important tasks Odom takes on at the salon?
Helmandollar: "Maintaining smoot operations and coordination, scheduling, and overseeing money management. I would trust her implicitly with anything I own."
ST: How is Odom held accountable for business performance?
Helmandollar: “Darlene is held accountable through monthly manager meetings, periodic one-on-ones, and performance and pay reviews.”
ST: How is Odom compensated?
Helmandollar: “Our salon is a team-based pay salon, and Darlene is paid an hourly rate, plus a management fee. If there is a profit, she shares in the monthly team bonus, which is a great incentive to encourage all team members to go beyond normal expectations with our guests and each other.”
ST: How has she helped you professionally or personally?
Helmandollar: "Personally, she is my left hand and my right hand. The trust is huge. Her judgment is sound, and she is always on the job. She sometimes points out my shortcomings, which are many, I am sure. She is just great, and that is all there is to it.
About the Author:Mya Shepard is a Chicago-based communications graduate with a multimedia journalism background. She draws inspiration for her beauty writing from her time as a salon manager at Salon Lorrene in Palatine, IL. Known on social media as Mya Ame'rie, she shares her perspective on community, beauty and culture.
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
