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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
Growing a Salon Business from Rootz to Endz
After losing three great stylists to booth rental salons, Sheila Barco and Jen Tryon, owners of the employment-based Salon Rootz in Medina, Ohio, created their own experience for free-spirited, successful stylists who were ready to be their own ...
July 13, 2016
The individual suites at Endz show off their stylists' personality.
3 min to read
After losing three great stylists to booth rental salons, Sheila Barco and Jen Tryon, owners of the employment-based Salon Rootz in Medina, Ohio, created their own experience for free-spirited, successful stylists who were ready to be their own entrepreneurs.
In early 2015, the duo opened Endz Salon Studios, a luxury suite concept in the same shopping plaza as their Salon Rootz salon. Salon Today wrote about the hybrid concept when they opened, and we decided to check in one year later to see how they were doing.
ST: Remind us, why did you open Endz?
Barco and Tryon: “We opened Endz Salon Studios in February 2015 to keep up with the ever-changing salon industry. We wanted to give our stylists who were maxed out in a commission-based setting a place to grow. It was our way to keep our talent under our umbrella since we had trained and invested in them.”
ST: What was your team’s reaction to Endz?
Barco and Tryon: “The team was excited and unsure. No one was completely sure how it would play out. We didn’t know what to truly expect, and we took a risk and a huge leap of faith.”
ST: How many of your Rootz team moved to Endz?
Barco and Tryon: Four of our stylists moved there, and 12 stylists joined Endz from the outside.
ST: What do you think of this decision now?
Barco and Tryon: “It was the best decision we could have made. Instead of losing out on oour top stylists, we feel our corner of the plaza contains the best stylists in Northeast Ohio. We now try to coach and encourage all of the girls to become the best they can, even if it means moving from Rootz to Endz. Our mission statement is: ‘Growing Stylists from Rootz to Endz.’”
ST: How has it changed the dynamics of your group?
Barco and Tryon: “There is no longer a cap on what you can achieve being a part of our Rootz-Endz community.”
ST: How do you handle joint activities, such as salon meetings and education?
Barco and Tryon: “Renters are not required to attend any education, but they are invited. We do not have meetings at Endz, but communicate via GroupMe, a group text messaging platform. Our door is always open for one-on-one coaching, which some of the independent stylists take us up on.”
ST: What do your renters think of the arrangement?
Barco and Tryon: "The feedback is nothing short of fabulous. They are earning more, and seeing larger tips due to more personal attention. Many believe it’s the best decisions of their career."
ST: Do you market and promote Endz, or is that up to them?
Barco and Tryon: “Yes, we fully market them, however they also may do it on their own.”
ST: How do you explain the situation to clients, and how have they reacted?
Barco and Tryon: “Clients were confused at first, and we just explained it as it is. Endz is an opportunity for stylists who want to do their own thing.”
ST: Is the opportunity to move to Endz open to any stylist on your team, or do they need to meet a set of requirements?
Barco and Tryon: “Endz is open to anyone on our team. We do coach interested stylists so that they know when they are ready.”
ST: What if more people want to move over to Endz than you have space for?
Barco and Tryon: We have a waiting list now. We have never stopped marketing Endz, even though we are capacity. Endz 2 is a possibility.”
ST: What are your plans to grow your business from here?
Barco and Tryon: “Right now, our plan is to keep researching our industry and grow with how we predict the future is growing. If that’s another Endz, that’s awesome or if it’s another Rootz, that’s great. We feel the future is bright.”
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