Got a Gorgeous New Business? SALONS OF THE YEAR Application Now Open!
The landmark, photo-based interior design competition has opened its application process. We'd love you to hit us with your best shots!
by Stacey Soble
2023 SALON TODAY 200: Employee Education
They build strong training programs to build new team members, bring in outside educators to encourage all team members to stretch creatively, and develop education funds that help individuals travel to learn new skills. Meet the 2023 honorees in Employee Education, including Laura Boton, owner of Sine Qua Non in Chicago, Illinois.
February 21, 2023
5 min to read
For the most successful service providers, education is a career-long process. The strongest salons and spas develop education systems that enhance the skills and confience of their newest team members while enoucraging and supporting the seasoned staff to continually stretch creatively.
The team from Davanti Salon and Spa bond over some laser tag in Denton, Texas.
DAVANTI SALON AND SPA
Denton, TX
davantisalon.com
Tracee Herring
SQUARE FEET: 2000, 1120
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda, Cosmedix
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Textel, Meet Your Stylist, Vish
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10, Beauty Changes Lives
“In May 2021, we needed to add several new stylists to the team all at once, so we created an intensive eight-week training boot camp. When we revamped our education program, we shortened it to 13 weeks based on the success of the boot camp.”
The team from DL Lowry in Indianapolis, Indiana.
DL LOWRY SALON
dllowry.com
Indianapolis, IN
David Lowry
SQUARE FEET: 6000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Davines
COLOR: Davines, Revlon
SKINCARE: Davines, Comfort Zone, Jan Marini
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, Nora Neighborhood Association, Arden Neighborhood Association
“We have a strong alliance with PSC, a local distributor. They support our education with additional cutting, coloring, and styling classes complimentary to our team. This offering is a differentiator in our market as stylists would normally pay out of pocket for this type of education.”
The team from Interlocks in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
INTERLOCKS
Newburyport, MA
interlockssalon.com
Ginny Eramo
SQUARE FEET: 6400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 56
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: R+Co, Oribe, R+co BLEU
COLOR: Goldwell
SKINCARE: iS Clinical, Environ, Skinbetter
TECH SUPPORT: STX
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“The Black Lives Matter movement brought many social issues to light that demanded change. As a result, we have immersed our team in DEI training and participated in over 30 classes in textured hair.”
Jyl and Jason Craven from Jyl Craven Hair Design in Canton, Georgia.
JYL CRAVEN HAIR DESIGN
Canton, GA
jylcraven.com
Jason & Jyl Craven
SQUARE FEET: 5000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 38
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Shu Uemura, L’Oreal Professionnel
COLOR: L’Oreal Professionnel
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Tippy, SureTint
ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure
“Each October, we send a survey out to the team asking what they’d like to learn in the upcoming year to get a feel for what they are interested in and where there are opportunities to enhance our education.”
The team from Legato Salon & Spa in Farmington, Michigan.
LEGATO SALON & SPA
Farmington and Birmingham, MI
salonlegato.com
Sheridan Cassidy, Karlyn Cassidy, Diane Cassidy
SQUARE FEET: 3300, 1500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
“Typically, 75 percent of our core classes are taught by outside educators, and the other 25 percent comes from our in-house coaching. We find that our inside team can only excite each other so much, and that the power of outside education is more valuable.”
Tracey and Mike Franklin, owners of Loxx Salon and Spa in Cookeville, Tennessee.
LOXX SALON AND SPA
Cookeville, TN
loxxsalon.net
Mike and Tracey Franklin
SQUARE FEET: 3200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 16
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, Beetles
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, Vish
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“We began working with the Department of Workforce Development in 2021 to create the first registered cosmetology apprenticeship program in the state of Tennessee. This paid apprenticeship is subsidized by the state and allows us to extend training to include high-end services like extensions and specialized color.”
Patrick Thompson, owner of Nurtur Salon in Columbus, Ohio.
NURTUR SALON + SPA
Columbus, OH
nurtursalon.com
Patrick Thompson
SQUARE FEET: 4000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 50
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda, Ultraceuticals
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Beekeeper, Textel, Unifocus
ASSOCIATIONS: ISBN
“We frequently have incentives around retail and service growth that help the team earn trips and tickets to events like Serious Business and Aveda Congress as well as fashion shows and editorial opportunities.”
PAUL KENNETH SALON
Woburn, MA
pksalon.com
Paul Costa and Jackie Maniaci
SQUARE FEET: 3650, 1650
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 9
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: PK hair care line, Eco Chic, Matrix
COLOR: Matrix
NAIL CARE: CND
TECH SUPPORT: Milano, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: Intercoiffure, Gathering
“After any educational program they attend, our employees are required to present at the next staff meeting to the team as an important part of their development. It's so powerful for the service providers to hear from their peers.”
Lindsay Lowe, owner of Platinum & Company in Manhattan, Kansas.
PLATINUM & COMPANY BEAUTY BAR
Manhattan, KS
platinumandcompany.com
Lindsay Lowe
SQUARE FEET: 2000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 25
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, L’Oreal Professional, Redken
COLOR: Redken, Pravana
SKINCARE: Bioelements, BareMinerals, Farmhouse Fresh
TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Meet Your Stylist, Salon Scale
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“We are proud to offer several four- to six-week courses around finances, mindset, training the trainer, and many more to our entire team. The team loves these classes so much they have shared them with our guests and the classes have rippled into other businesses in our community.”
An inside look at Salon Blu in Raleigh, North Carolina.
SALON BLU
Raleigh, NC
salonbluhair.com
Sara Davis & Tara Gardiner
SQUARE FEET: 1800, 2500, 2500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 80
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, L’Oreal Professional, IGK
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Envision,
“We created an internal training program that solved our need for faster salon growth, with an emphasis on quality work. Our associate academy is mutually beneficial for both mentor and associate.”
Laura Boton, owner of Sine Qua Non in Chicago, Illinois.
SINE QUA NON SALONS
Chicago, IL
sinequanonsalons.com
Laura Boton
SQUARE FEET: 2000, 2300, 900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 54
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: R+Co, Oribe, Aveda
COLOR: Wella, Redken, Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Rosy, Vish, Tippy
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmetologists Chicago, Intercoiffure, 2 to 10
“Every new stylist gets an out-of-salon class and plane ticket one year into their earning their chair, as a gift from me for being a great part of our team.”
An inside look at Verde Salon in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
VERDE SALON
Winnipeg, MB
verdesalon.ca
Roberto Sinopoli
SQUARE FEET: 2000, 2000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Zenoti, Vish, Thrivo
ASSOCIATIONS: 2 to 10
“One of our senior stylists went through a runway styling class with Jon Raymond and discovered her passion for creative styling. She came back and created a Verde Salon Creative Team where she practices and encourages this passion with other team members.”
VIVO BEAUTY BAR
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
vivobeautybar.com
Samantha Sharpless & Mike Roe
SQUARE FEET: 2500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin Murphy, Milbon, Leaf And Flower
COLOR: Kevin Murphy
SKINCARE: Dermalogica
NAIL CARE: OPI, Valentino
TECH SUPPORT: Rosy, Salon Software, Tippy
“We bring on beauty school students to enter our Beauty Tender in Training program as interns. This program typically lasts six months and teaches them every aspect of the salon industry from front desk to consultations to technical skills.”
Megan Robertson and Jolene Zinke of Zinke Hair Studio in Boulder, Colorado.
ZINKE HAIR STUDIO
Boulder, CO
zinkehairstudio.com
Megan Robertson Jolene Zinke
SQUARE FEET: 2100, 2100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 32
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKINCARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Aura
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“As a new Aveda Color Purefessional, I am able to bring more education to the salon with multiple tools to teach to our educators and team.”
Megan Robertson and Jolene Zinke of Zinke Hair Studio in Boulder, Colorado.
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