
A Partner in Business and in Life
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
While the Robert Andrew Salon and Spa in Gambrills, Maryland, had a healthy roster of dedicated spa clientele, management realized that a good percentage of salon's longtime hair clients never took a walk on the spa side. They also realized ...
While the Robert Andrew Salon and Spa in Gambrills, Maryland, had a healthy roster of dedicated spa clientele, management realized that a good percentage of salon's longtime hair clients never took a walk on the spa side. They also realized these spa-shy clients represented untapped potential.
At America's Beauty Show last spring, Robert Andrew's spa director, Kay Wright experienced an express facial from Repechage founder Lydia Safarti. Wright believed these mini facial services were a fantastic way to introduce salon clients to spa services.
Today, the salon's main retail lobby features a facial bar with four comfortable reclining chairs. Guests can experience express facials and threading services ranging in price from $25 to $75. “We are finding that most of the clients who experience the facial bar are hair clients who are either shopping in the retail area, or add the facial service after their hair or nail service or while their color processes,” says Leeanne Decker, director of business development. “None of the mini facials is longer than 30 minutes, and they are perfect escapes during a lunch break.”
Wright believes the express service still offers guests relaxation, but in a more comfortable environment for those who are a bit spa timid. The facial bar menu even boasts, "No Changing Required." Says Wright, “It gives clients a taste of spa, and we believe that will translate into more spa clients.”
Before launching the facial bar, the salon/spa hosted a promo party for its stylists to expose them to the new concept and to show them how to invite their guests to the experience.“We also sent an e-blast to our our database, mailed flyers to our clients and posted messages on Facebook. We even had a men’s event and had quite a few guys experience the express facials,” says Decker. “I’d say we are roughly doing about 20 a week so far.”
As an added touch, facial bar clients are invited to a complimentary makeup touchup with one of the salon’s makeup artists. Says Wright, “For those who do take advantage of the service on their lunch break, they’re ready to go back to work. We wouldn’t let them leave without a touchup.”

At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.

Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest

At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.

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.

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.

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
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
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