MENU
SEARCHUrsula Stephen makes a living styling famous celebrities for music videos, magazine shoost and the red carpet, and she also runs a salon in New York. In an exclusive video with SALON TODAY, she gives us a look into her fascinating career.
Ursula Stephen, owner of the Ursula Stephen Salon in New York, and a freelance celebrity stylist.
Over the past two decades, Ursula Stephen has built a successful career as a freelance stylist catering to celebrities. Amid working behind the scenes on magazine shoots, music videos and for red carpet appearances for celebrities like Rihanna, Rita Ora, Kerry Washington and Mary J. Blige, Stephen also launched a thriving, namesake salon in Brooklyn, New York.
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Stephen gave us a behind-the-curtain look at her unique career. Here’s a few gems from the interview….
On getting into freelance beauty…
“I got into hairstyling overall at a very young age. My high school was a beauty school. I started in ninth grade and never looked back. I worked after school and on the weekends at different salons. I graduated and I tried the whole Brooklyn College thing, but it didn’t work for me. I was simultaneously working at the salon still, so I was getting different opportunities. One of these opportunities which I call a ‘fork in the road’ was to go on tour with Kandi. She was an artist, she was in a group and she was working on her solo career and one of her managers asked if I’d like to go on tour. At this point I was mid-semester in college, and I was so happy for that option. If I hadn’t taken that chance, I wouldn’t be here now.”
On developing both sides of her career….
“I was probably with my agent less than a month when I got with the opportunity to work with Rihanna and she and I hit it off. I juggled the salon and working with her, and after a while she outweighed everything. I became her hairstylist and worked hard with her for eight or nine years, I did everything with her from music videos to album packages to editorials to whatever else she was doing while becoming this crazy mogul. After traveling so much and working so hard, I felt I needed more, even though I had reached all my goals. I wanted to create something I didn’t have and that’s when I decided to open my own salon.”
On the revolutionary decision to give Rihanna a new look….
“I was the one who cut her hair into a bob. She was still wearing the long brown hair and we were still having fun with that. As she started to develop and was working on new projects, she said one day, ‘I want you to give me my new look.’ I was very excited—everybody made a big deal about it, but I didn’t look at it like that, because I was trained in the salon. I was used to changing people’s look and when she said it, I was like, ‘OK, that’s not a big deal, let’s do it.’ When we did it, I couldn’t believe the impact it made not just on the world, but the beauty industry as well.”
On her favorite kind of work…
“I think my favorite kind of job is being able to do what the hell I want—when you’re a stylist and a client really allows you to work and create and play without a roadblock. That’s heaven to me. I work off feeling and energy, so if I feel something for you—like you should have a bang or a side part—then you might want to listen to me and let me create it, because it’s going to be amazing. Other than that, I really like to do a red carpet. I like the quickness, the short time frame. People don’t realize we only have two hours to send someone down the runway and the whole world will be watching. I love the rush of that—I can see my work quickly, and then it goes away. It’s great for my creative energy.”
On her favorite memory….
“In 2007, right after cutting Rihanna’s bob, we shot a magazine cover in Barbados and I was literally in the water with her. I was in the Caribbean doing what I love in cut off shorts and a T-shirt and I remember thinking ‘I love my life!’”
On why it’s hard for her to watch her work walk the red carpet…
“I watch it with a cringe. I want to see it, but I don’t want to see it yet. What most people don’t realize is you usually don’t go with the client to the red carpet. So, you worry whether she made it and a piece of hair isn’t sticking up, or there isn’t lipstick on her teeth. I can’t look (at the images) right away, I usually wait for the next morning.”
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.
