MENU
SEARCHTerry McKee is a self-professed techie. A few months before the Apple Watch debuted, McKee, who with James Amato owns Nuovo Salon Group in the Sarasota, Florida, region, gave himself a lecture. “I said, ‘Terry, you’re going to ...
Terry McKee, co-owner of Nuovo Salon Group in Sarasota, Florida, is just learning all the new ways his Apple Watch can help with the management of the salon.
Terry McKee is a self-professed techie. A few months before the Apple Watch debuted, McKee, who with James Amato owns Nuovo Salon Group in the Sarasota, Florida, region, gave himself a lecture. “I said, ‘Terry, you’re going to put your instant gratification syndrome on the back burner and be a fast follower on the watch trend instead of an early adopter,’—but I found myself wide awake first thing on the day you could first place an order, and had purchased the Watch by 3:14 a.m.”
As a result, McKee was one of the lucky consumers who received an Apple Watch from the first April 24th ship date. “I had an appointment at the Apple store to have them help set it up for later that week, but I’d done some reading online and decided to set it up myself and start using it,” he remembers. “The very next day, I was on a flight for Chicago for the 2 to 10 conference and my boarding passes were popping up on the watch. All the airport attendants were going crazy over it, as I tipped my wrist and scanned my boarding passes.”
Since then, McKee has discovered great applications for the Apple Watch in the management of his four locations. When he’s working behind the chair, he receives notifications on the watch when guests arrive through his SalonBiz app—making it easy to keep track of the next guest without disturbing the one in the chair.
“What I didn’t realize was how great the voice activation would be on the AppleWatch and how useful that would be,” he says. “As great ideas pop in and out of my head, I simply point the watch to my face and say, ‘Hey Siri, remind me to set up a call for the Wine, Women and Shoes gala, or call my distributor about that last order, or make some time to finalize the new pricing/level matrix for haircuts.’ As an owner if you jot something down on a piece of paper it easily gets swept away in the tide—now those reminders are attached to you.”
Terry McKee's Apple Watch.
McKee also has discovered with the improved voice activation capabilities of the watch, it’s much easier to send voice messages to team members via iMessage. “I haven’t yet tried a group voice message, but wouldn’t that be great—to be able to send a group message to all managers at once?” he says. “I need to find a teenager who can help me figure that one out.”
For now, McKee is looking forward to a myriad of ways the watch can aid in salon management. Since Nuovo recently converted to Apple computers and worked closely with the Apple business team, he already signed up for the one-on-one classes through Sarasota’s new Apple store. “I’m looking forward to some coaching with the watch,” he says. “When you get paired with the right Genius at the Apple store, it’s amazing how they can help you work more efficiently with tools that already are at your fingertips.”
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.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
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.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
