The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
A 4-Day Work Week Forges Team Loyalty
One Louisiana salon sets a schedule that leaves team members with big chunks of nonworking time.
December 20, 2021
3 min to read
When the feedback Jennifer Baudier received from her team at Bella Style Salon near New Orleans pretty much boiled down to “I feel like I’m always here,” the owner finally said: “I hear you!” The team watched Neill’s “Serious Business” in 2019 and learned about a salon framed around a four-day workweek. They thought that they could borrow this idea.
Then Covid paused everything. For the two months the salon was closed, Baudier and her team met often through Zoom and dove deeply into what they wanted their salon business to look like when it reopened. Baudier committed to the shorter workweek, and switching to that type of shift structure made it easier to keep the salon open longer hours and six days instead of five. The schedule she devised also gave staffers a 5-day weekend every three weeks. But she didn’t want to stop there.
Fearless Price Hikes
When she took PIP University’s four-month “Rich Life CEO” course, Baudier had to figure out how much it cost per hour to run her salon. That reality check led her to increase prices by 20%, and just like that she set her salon apart in the tiny town of Slidell, Louisiana.
“We’re surrounded by salons offering $35 haircuts,” Baudier explains. “When we raised our rates to $68 per hour for a level-one cut and $200 per hour for color, we created our own little niche. That would frighten most owners, but you just have to walk through some fear. Set your prices and don’t look back. That’s the only way we can pay our teams what they’re worth so they’ll stay. Now I have very little turnover. I get lifers!”
With the new focus on hourly earnings, Baudier changed compensation to hourly as well. Team members are paid for the time they’re at the salon whether they have guests or not. This provides them with a consistent, anticipated income.
Baudier credits an investment in a facial machine and new skincare line with a $40,000 increase in revenue in just the first nine months of 2021. Hiring a specialist in extensions, along with implementing a payment plan making it easier for guests to afford the extensions, added another $122,000 in yearly revenue and positioned Bella Style as Louisiana’s leading extensions salon.
With this influx in cash, the owner could expand benefits, so now adding to the feeling of stability are perks including life insurance, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance, 401K and paid time off (PTO).
Go Team!
In addition, Baudier puts 1% of total revenue into a “team sharing” account that she splits among the team members when they hit quarterly goals. If the team has to wait more than one quarter to hit the mark, the money continues to grow.
“I want to distribute this money,” Baudier says. “I’m trying to breed a culture full of ‘team,’ not ‘me’ and ‘my.’ Team members who are strong at prebooking, retailing or upselling help younger stylists to earn more for everyone. There’s no ‘mean girl’ aspect. We’re loving and supportive of each other.”
Just Ask
Employees fill out an annual survey, and the owner takes their responses to heart.
“Our culture is ‘ask,’” Baudier says. “What would you like to see? If it’s important to the team, eventually we’ll say ‘yes.’ We will figure it out.”
Team members were right about how much they’d appreciate the four-day week with a five-day weekend every three weeks. This gives them more family and travel time. Now they can show up for important occasions even for out-of-state family.
“We’re flexible,” Baudier says. “We don’t tell them ‘no’ if it’s the wrong weekend. We just ask them to be responsible and not abuse it. Flexibility, money, and autonomy are the top reasons people stay.”
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
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.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
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.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
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.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
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.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
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.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
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.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
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.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
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
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
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
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
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
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
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.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
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.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
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.
by Staff