SALON TODAY's Meet the Manager series celebrates the managers, team leads, and directors in the industry who work to maintain the vision and goals of salons, spas, and barbershops. In today's profile, we learn about Karla Patterson, General Manager of Cynergy Color Bar in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Last year, the team secretly collected money to honor her with a gift, and the tribute they wrote to her will make you shed a tear or two. 

The Manager: Karla Patterson, Salon Manager

Nominated by: Cynthia Perry, Cynergy Color Bar in Wake Forest, North Carolina

Date of Hire: October 2022

SALON TODAY: What about Patterson’s background made you believe she’d be a strong manager?

Perry: Karla holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Parks, Travel, and Tourism from the University of North Carolina- Greensboro. This gives her a natural foundation for guest experience, organization, and team support. She joined our salon 3.5 years ago, initially seeking a part-time receptionist position while her children were in school. From the moment she joined our team, she blended seamlessly into our culture. Both our team members and our guests quickly connected with her warm, service-driven personality. 

When our previous Salon Coordinator relocated to Spain, Karla stepped forward and offered to take on additional responsibility. Her motivation was simple—she genuinely loves caring for people and supporting the women on our team. Over the following year, we worked closely together to train and develop her for the management role. What originally began as a two-day-a-week position gradually evolved into a leadership role of approximately 30 hours per week within her first two years. Throughout that transition, Karla proved herself to be an exceptional leader who naturally supports both the operational needs of the business and the emotional well-being of the team.

ST: What personality characteristics does Patterson have that make her an excellent manager?

Perry: Karla has the rare ability to balance professionalism with warmth. She is naturally nurturing and genuinely cares about the people around her—both our team and our guests. Because of that, she creates an environment where people feel supported, heard, and valued.

One of the most recognizable things about Karla is her joyful spirit. Her laugh carries through the salon, and when we hear it, we know she's there helping keep the atmosphere light, positive, and welcoming. That energy has a ripple effect on the entire team and contributes greatly to the culture we've built.

She is also incredibly organized and detail-oriented. We often joke that she's a little "OCD," but that level of precision is exactly what keeps the salon running smoothly. From managing schedules and logistics to anticipating what the team needs before they even ask, she brings structure, consistency, and reliability to the business.

ST: How is she compensated?

Perry: Karla is compensated on an hourly basis. We chose this structure intentionally to ensure she is fairly paid for the work she performs while also allowing flexibility in her schedule. At this stage of life, it was important to both of us that she remain at approximately 30 hours per week until her youngest son graduates from high school in three years. 

Beginning in 2026, we also implemented a performance-based bonus structure. Karla receives 1% of the salon's net profit every six months. This allows her to directly share in the business's financial success while reinforcing the leadership mindset that strong operations, team support, and guest experience ultimately contribute to the company's health and growth.

ST: What are the most important tasks Patterson takes on?

Perry: Here are the top four:

Protecting the Guest Experience
Karla oversees the daily flow of the salon to ensure every guest receives the exceptional experience our brand promises. She manages our Guest Happiness team, making sure both our stylists and guests are fully supported throughout the day. This includes overseeing communication across all platforms—our CRM, email, two phone lines, guest check-in and checkout, and prescheduling future appointments. Because Karla is bilingual, she can also assist Spanish-speaking guests when translation is needed, helping to ensure clear communication and a welcoming experience for everyone. Her hospitality background and natural ability to care for people ensure that every guest interaction is handled with professionalism, warmth, and efficiency.

Supporting and Connecting the Team
Karla plays a major role in keeping our team connected and supported. She attends every leadership, stylist, and full team meeting and leads our Guest Happiness meetings to strengthen our service standards. She sends weekly team updates to keep everyone informed and aligned, and she brings thoughtful insight and input to our leadership conversations. Karla also helps cultivate our culture by recognizing the personal milestones that matter to our team—celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and important life moments. Throughout the year, she also prepares holiday goodie bags for the team, creating small but meaningful moments of appreciation that help everyone feel valued.

Coordinating Events and Operational Details
Karla manages many of the operational and cultural details that keep our salon running smoothly. She plans and organizes important team events such as our Girls' Nights Out and our annual Awards Banquet, which celebrate the team's hard work and strengthen relationships within the salon. Her strong organizational skills and attention to detail ensure schedules, communication, and day-to-day logistics run efficiently so the entire business can operate at a high level.

Serving as a Trusted Leadership Partner
Karla is also my trusted partner in leadership. She is the early-morning point of contact for our team, while I tend to be the late-night point of contact, which allows us to support the salon throughout the entire day. Because of her commitment, reliability, and genuine care for the team, I feel incredibly supported by the work she does for us every day. There is truly no one else I would rather share these responsibilities with.

ST: How often do you meet with this manager, and what do you review together?

Perry: Karla and I meet every Tuesday for a dedicated Zoom meeting that typically lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours. Throughout the week, we both keep running lists of items to discuss so our time together is productive and focused. During these meetings, we review anything that needs to be adjusted, finalized, revisited, or followed up on within the business.

Our conversations often include reviewing operational updates, discussing team needs, addressing guest experience opportunities, and making decisions that keep the salon moving forward. Because we both come prepared with ideas and observations from the week, these meetings serve as an important space for collaboration and problem-solving.

Right now, for example, we have been spending significant time working through a chair split-shift strategy for our team. This involves analyzing schedules, ensuring fairness, and designing a structure that supports both stylist productivity and the overall efficiency of the salon.

These weekly meetings allow us to stay aligned, address challenges quickly, and continue refining the systems that support our team and our guests.

ST: What kind of education do you offer Patterson?

Perry: Karla and I have attended several leadership and business development events together in the past, including High Performance–focused conferences that emphasized mindset, leadership growth, and operational excellence. More recently, we have focused on attending the Data-Driven Salon Summit hosted by Salon Today. This event is especially valuable because it focuses on the financial and operational side of running a successful salon—analyzing metrics, benchmarking performance, and understanding the data that drives growth. In addition, each January we hold our own Managers Retreat where we review the previous year's numbers, evaluate performance, and set projections and strategic goals for the upcoming year. We also host a Train-the-Trainers retreat to strengthen our internal education systems and leadership development within the salon.

Looking ahead, I would also like to incorporate larger industry conferences such as the Serious Business Conference. The timing can be challenging since January is already a busy leadership development month for us, but expanding those opportun

ities for industry-level education is a priority as we continue to grow.

ST: How has Patterson helped you grow the business?

Perry: Last month at our annual Awards Banquet, the team secretly pooled their own money together to purchase a special gift for Karla. I matched their contribution so we could present it to her as a surprise that evening. When the team shared the words they had written about her, it perfectly captured the impact she has had on both me and the entire salon. They wrote:

"There are people who simply do a job. And then there are people who become the heart of a place. You are the heart of ours. You don't just manage schedules, metrics, or events. You carry people. You carry our stress, our tears, our big dreams, our hard days, and our victories. You steady us when we feel overwhelmed. You encourage us when we doubt ourselves. You protect this team like it's your own family. And what makes it even more powerful… even when life is heavy for you—even when you're walking through your own storms—you still show up. You show up with strength. With grace. With patience. With love.

That kind of leadership is rare. It is selfless. It is steady. And it changes people. We truly could not function without you—not just operationally, but emotionally. You are the reason this salon feels like more than a workplace. Because of you, it feels safe. It feels supported. It feels like home. You pour into us constantly, often without anyone fully seeing what it costs you. Tonight, we want you to know we see you. We appreciate you. We are deeply grateful for you. You are not just our manager. You are our anchor. Our steady ground. Our proof that leadership can be both kind and strong at the same time. We love you more than you know. And we are so thankful you choose us every single day."

As the owner, I could not say it better than the team already has. Karla has allowed me to grow as a leader and focus on the long-term vision of the business because I know the daily culture, team support, and guest experience are in incredibly capable hands. Her leadership has helped create a salon environment where people feel cared for, supported, and inspired to grow—and that foundation is what has allowed our business to thrive.