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
Find Your Voice: Brenton and Julie Lee
Brenton Lee started his career as an educator when he was only 18 years old and fresh out of beauty school.“I love to share and be in front of people,” says Lee, who owns Brenton Lee Salon in South Pasadena, California. “I love ...
October 31, 2015
Julie and Brenton Lee, owners of the Brenton Lee Salon in Pasadena, California.
3 min to read
Brenton Lee started his career as an educator when he was only 18 years old and fresh out of beauty school.
“I love to share and be in front of people,” says Lee, who owns Brenton Lee Salon in South Pasadena, California. “I love to inspire and teach, and I wanted to be really great at it.”
So when Lee heard about Stages last year, he got in touch with co-founder Bonnie Bonadeo and signed up. He left the workshop with a better understanding of himself and his desire to be an influencer.
“They helped me develop my brand and be specific to who I am,” he says. “I knew things about myself, but Bonnie and Alejandra brought them out and made me understand myself.”
Lee, who started doing hair at age 13, lost his father at a young age but never forgot his dad’s strong work ethic. Now, he’s proud to carry on his father’s legacy as a business owner and to speak about his past with emotion when he’s in front of an audience.
“My father is the reason I work hard; his memory drives me to do what I do,” Lee says.
Soon after he completed Stages, Lee had the opportunity to share in front of an audience in Burbank at a hair show.
“I had a packed audience and wanted to shy away from being authentic,” he says. “But I did it. I broke down in tears and so did the audience—I felt like it was the best class I’ve ever done. I felt really connected to the audience, and they felt connected to me.”
Lee says the class changed his relationship with other people, too—even his wife, whom he works with in the salon.
“The program helped me pinpoint why I like to run away from emotions,” he says. “When my wife wants to argue, I like to flee. They helped me work on expressing my emotions and to not be scared doing that in front of an audience or other people in my life.”
In fact, when Lee signed up for the L.E.A.D. workshop, his wife, Julie Lee, who was a manager at the salon, decided to attend as well. The two learned about the personality types that surround them and how to connect with all of them.
“I knew my role as a salon owner was more than just doing hair,” Lee says. “When you really learn emotional intelligence, that’s how you are authentic and connect with people.”
Julie learned more about her own personality and role in the business, too. In fact, she ended up taking on a whole new role as a stylist. She went to beauty school so she could do something other than just manage the salon. She’s now thriving on the creativity and even won a big hair competition as a student.
Lee continues to implement what he has learned in his every-day life as well as on stage.
“Learning about myself helped me to understand other people,” Lee says. “As a salon owner leading people and an educator teaching in front of audiences, this has made a huge difference in my personal and professional life.”
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