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.
by Stacey Soble
Drumroll, please...
We divided the 1,440 Best Practice entries among the editors of SALON TODAY and MODERN SALON (Alison Shipley, Laurel Nelson, Rosanne Ullman, Melissa Hill, Debbie Ogilvie, Jan Hillenmeyer and myself) and asked them to judge each application within its category and provide a ranking from the strongest salon on down.
January 2, 2010
2 min to read
EXPANDING THE FOCUS of the SALON TODAY 200 beyond growth to reflect best business practices necessitated changing the way the competition was judged. In years past, we simply entered in the total sales revenue figures (which were backed up with tax return forms) from one year to the next into a computer—which calculated the growth percentages and spit out a list of the 200 fastest-growing salons. But when you start exploring areas such as customer service, environmental sustainability or advanced education, there simply isn’t one clear-cut number that points to success. Although we asked for as many statistics as possible, when it came down to judging the Best Practice sections, we had to take your written word for it—meaning that the quality of the essay responses became far more important.
We divided the 1,440 Best Practice entries among the editors of SALON TODAY and MODERN SALON (Alison Shipley, Laurel Nelson, Rosanne Ullman, Melissa Hill, Debbie Ogilvie, Jan Hillenmeyer and myself) and asked them to judge each application within its category and provide a ranking from the strongest salon on down. For weeks, we read, scrutinized and evaluated each entry, developing a ranking for each of the best practice categories.
With the shift in this year’s competition, we also allowed salons to compete in as many categories as they wished—this meant they also were eligible to win in multiple categories. But we still wanted to select, honor and profile 200 individual salons in this issue.
To determine our 200 different honorees, we first selected the top 100 in growth using our statistician and her trusty computer. Then, simultaneously, we worked down each Best Practice ranking selecting the top salons in each category. When we came across a salon that had already been selected as a winner in growth or another best practice section, they still captured a “win in the category,” but they would be listed at the end of the section in the additional honorees box. We kept working down the rankings until we named and profiled 200 different salons. In this issue, 200 salons are profiled only once—either in Growth or in the Best Practice category where they had the highest ranking. But when you factor in their multiple wins, we actually have 346 winners.
Sound confusing? Well, it is a bit, but I think it will become clear as you work your way through all the Best Practice sections of this issue and absorb all their successful ideas.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
Back to Business with the Pinstripe Trend
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
by Stacey Soble
5 Essential Hair & Beauty Industry KPIs And How to Master Them
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
Bella Style Salon's Ride or Die
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.
by Stacey Soble
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
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