MENU
SEARCHTo ensure a bright future for professional beauty, it’s critical to engage top potential talent, convince them of the promising careers in cosmetology and provide them with solid educational opportunities. In the past several years, many salon owners have personally shouldered some of this burden by launching their own academies.
ENGAGE OUR FUTURE
To ensure a bright future for professional
beauty, it’s critical to engage top potential
talent, convince them of the promising careers in cosmetology and provide them
with solid educational opportunities. In the
past several years, many salon owners have
personally shouldered some of this burden
by launching their own academies.
For Sasha Rash, owner of La Jolie
Salon in Princeton, New Jersey, launching
The Lab Paul Mitchell Partner School
(paulmitchellthelab.com) was a tremendous
undertaking—financially, legally, professionally
and personally.
“Academies are not large hair salons, and
students are not salon guests,” Rash says.
“The business model is totally different
from a salon or manufacturing model and
obtaining the unique and specific school
expertise can be a lengthy process.”
Rash says the Paul Mitchell Franchise
was of great assistance in providing vision,
global concepts and experience—so it made
the process somewhat easier. However,
the specifics of opening and operating a
school in the state of New Jersey was a
whole new set of skills she had to learn.
Although it was difficult, the pay off has
been worthwhile. “My salon leadership
team has grown tremendously,” she says.
“Starting and growing a new business created
a real opportunity for the team to step
up and stretch their own leadership. My
focus shifted to the school and their focus
intensified on the salon. The fulfillment
you get when you participate in a student’s
success is without a doubt one of the most
rewarding things you will ever do.”
For Gary Howse, co-founder of Gary
Manuel Salon, Phase 3 and Gary Manuel
Aveda Institute (garymanuel.com), in
Seattle, Washington, the most significant
contribution the school has made to Gary
Manuel Salon aside from providing a new
source of future talent, is the advanced
training program.
“When we were developing the Instructor
Training Program at Gary Manuel Aveda
Institute, we worked with those who wanted
to teach at both locations,” Howse says.
“We had taught them to how to train others
technically for years. However, this was the
first time we taught them to teach. This has
improved how well and how quickly new
employees progress through the training as
well as making teaching a more impactful
career path for the instructors. It has had a
profound difference in the salon’s training
program and culture.”
Another great synergistic result of launching
the academy, Howse says, is the school
has become a new career path for some
designers. While building their business,
some have gone through the Instructor
Training Program to hone their customer
service and technical skills in a new way. “It
provides them with another revenue source
while providing the school with talented
teachers,” he says. “A few have even made
it their full-time career. This also helps us
ensure that the two cultures are tied to one
another and continue to be similar.”
Lastly, Howse says, the school’s presence
has enabled Gary Manuel to expand
the services provided to guests. With the
lower price point offered at the school,
they are able to service another sector of
the market. “And,” Howse says, “with a
spa, it allows our guests, and our team, to
enjoy services not offered at Gary Manuel
Salon.”
More articles in this series, 2010 Vision: The New Rules of
Engagement:
2010
Vision: Engage New Business
Engage
Your Employees
Engage
Your Conscience
Engage
Through Marketing
Engage
Your Social Media Networks
Engage
Your Budget
Engage
Through Accountability
Engage
Without Compromise
Engage
Our Future
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.
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.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
