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A Systems-Based Leader
With a numbers mindset and an attention for detail, Operations Manager Kyla Bilancione is the perfect complement to Kelly Weary, the owner and a working stylist at Belle Ciel Salon in St. Johns, Florida. Find out how she helps the salon thrive.
by Mya Shepard
July 15, 2025
Operations Manager Kyla Bilancione keeps the salon's inventory on track, prepares KPIs for one-on-one meetings and helps handle any staff or client challenges.
Belle Ciel Salon
3 min to read
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 Kyla Bilancione, an operations manager, whose sharp organizational skills keep Belle Ciel Salon in St. Johns, Florida, thriving.
Kyla Bilanicione, Operations Manager
Nominated By: Kelly Weary, Owner of Belle Ciel Salon
SALON TODAY: What is Bilanicione’s background and why did you believe she’d be a good fit for your business?
Weary: “Kyla was with the company when I purchased it from the previous owner. She has a background in engineering and has worked in Aveda Institutes for more than a decade. The previous owner informed me of how much Kyla was an asset, but it was clear to me early on as well.”
ST: What personality characteristics does she have that make her a good manager?
Weary: “Because Kyla has a numbers and spreadsheet mindset, which is not where my own strengths lie. She loves putting numbers together so that we can see the growth and needs within the business. She is also a very caring person, so she brings support to the staff in that way.”
ST: What is Bilancione's role withing the business?
Weary: “Kyla manages the training and scheduling of salon staff, including time-off requests. She also handles the inventory and ordering for the salon. She helps me put together all the information before quarterly one-on-one meetings with staff, and organizes the PowerPoint for staff meetings.
ST: How is she held accountable for the performance of the business?
Weary: “Kyla makes sure front-end staff are properly doing their jobs. Together, we have one-on-one with stylists to hold them accountable if they’re not meeting benchmarks.”
ST: What type(s) of continuing education do you offer her?
Weary: “Together, we attend Aveda Business College with Aveda Florida three times a year, and she also attends business conferences with me.”
ST: How often do you meet with this manager, and what do you go over?
Weary: “We meet daily in the salon, but our most important meetings are on Mondays when the salon is closed. During these meetings, we go over weekly expectations for the week, important tasks, and discuss issues that we can't address in front of staff.”
ST: How has Bilancione helped you as the owner?
Weary: “She's literally my right hand person and I can't imagine the salon ever being without her. She's everything I'm not, and she takes as much pride in the business as I do. Kyla has an eye for detail and documents every thing, so we have a paper trail for anything in the salon. She handles any employee or client challenges at times when I'm behind the chair or out of the salon. I know I could leave the salon for a period of time, and not worry that things aren't handled as if I was there.”
Editor's Note: If you have a marvelous manager you'd like to nominate for SALON TODAY's Meet the Manager series, please fill out this form.
About the Author: Mya Shepard, a Chicago-based communications graduate with a multimedia journalism background, 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.
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