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
First-Time Philanthropist
Partnering with a charity to host an event not only raises money for a good cause, it can generate some goodwill, welcome publicity and new clients for your business.
July 10, 2011
Karie Bennett, stylist, writer and owner of Atelier SalonSpa and Atelier Studio in San Jose, California
3 min to read
Partnering with a charity to host an event not only raises money for a good cause, it can generate some goodwill, welcome publicity and new clients for your business. One young stylist recognized this potential and reached out for some guidance:
Dear Karie,
I am a stylist with Fiesta Salons, which is located in Mansfield, Ohio, about an hour north of Columbus. Mansfield is a small city for a creative stylist—there's not a lot of room for change or inspiration. I am part of a staff of eight stylists. We are a young staff—ranging in ages from 18 to 26. We are always striving for excellence and aspiring to be better stylists. I was speaking with my manager and we were trying to come up with a way to create some excitement over a charity organization and involve our salon. We thought we would choose a charity and have a runway show with lights, DJ/MC, models, valet parking, etc. Our biggest problem is getting the ball rolling. I want the team excited, so any help would be greatly appreciated.—Heath Cordas, Fiesta Salons
Heath's enthusiasm is very inspiring and I know as a salon owner, it's wonderful to have a cheerleader in the salon who is interested in generating excitement and creativity.
No matter the size of your salon or your community, there is an event at every level. If this is your first event, consider starting small, getting your feet wet, seeing the response, and measuring the success of the event. You'll have the chance to learn from the first one, and your salon will start to be recognized as the one with the cool ideas!
The first step would be to identify the charity with which you'd like to partner. You might request a meeting with them, and they might have some ideas already. Next, choose a date for the event. Give yourself 4-6 months to plan. If it's a holiday event, you'll already know that it's an indoor function. A summer soiree might be fun outside, and that will direct you towards a specific theme. Bonus: If it's a daytime event, you won't have to worry about lighting, just provide shade, and maybe a local spa will donate sample-sized sunscreen!
Next, how will you pay for your expenses? Would your vendors all donate services in exchange for promotion to the guest list?
Speaking of guest list, how many people are you going to invite? Who would these people be—the 18-26 age group of your staff or everyone in the community? Think about what kind of a show would appeal to your audience. High fashion, trendy or contemporary fashion for all ages? How much space will you need? Again, that will direct you toward a venue and a theme.
If it's an outdoor runway show, who will your models be? Is there an agency in your town, or would it be more popular to use local celebrities or even members of the city council or the local high school? Where will you get the clothing? How much would you charge for admission? Would local businesses donate little goodies, like coupons, for a swag bag that each attendee could be given?
Finally, I see that your salon is part of a national chain. I would recommend speaking to the corporate office to see if there is any co-op for charitable outreach. They may have some resource funds that you can hand out, like product samples. Keep your out-of-pocket costs down, since you'll need to recover expenses from what you collect, and give the rest to the charity. Your team will be donating their time too.
Heath mentioned that his city is small, and he feels that there's not a lot of room for inspiration or change. You know, the Indian philosopher, Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You have taken the first step in making it happen—just by thinking about it and inspiring others to do the same.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
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
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
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.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
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.
by Staff