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
Impressions Leverages '50 Shades of Grey' Popularity for Fund-raising Opportunity
Two weeks before its national theater debut, 50 Shades of Grey is sparking both excitement and controversy around the country, resulting in millions of women planning a girls’ night out to their local theater. One salon in Mequon, ...
February 2, 2015
Clockwise from top: Impressions' 50 Shades of Grey marketing postcard, female impersonator Nova D'vine who will rally the audience on opening night, and a T-shirt Impressions is selling featuring the logos of the salon, the ABCD group, and the movie.
2 min to read
Two weeks before its national theater debut, 50 Shades of Grey is sparking both excitement and controversy around the country, resulting in millions of women planning a girls’ night out to their local theater. One salon in Mequon, Wisconsin, predicted the phenomenon and spotted a brilliant marketing and philanthropic opportunity. Through a long-standing relationship with her local theater, Impressions’ Kitty Tierney is granting her clients and their friends access to the movie two days before its official opening night with all proceeds benefitting the organization After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD).
The night of festivities will feature a Step-and-Repeat photo opportunity, selfie contest and raffles, with prizes presented in galvanized steel buckets with a man’s grey tie. A cash bar will serve specialty cocktails such as “50 Shades of Grey Goose” and “The Kinky Anastasia.” Tickets for the night are $46 per person, will all proceeds benefiting ABCD, an organization that partners newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with other breast cancer victims in similar life situations who can realistically mentor them through the process.
Tierney will welcome guests, then turn the microphone over to Ryan Jay, a locally-based film critic and the Fashion Police editor for US Weekly who will help moderate the evening. Jay will invite a speaker from ABCD to talk about the organization, as well as welcome female impersonator Nova D’Vine to rally the crowd with a rendition of the song “Boobies.”
After the movie, attendees can turn in their ticket stub for a swag bag, featuring samples of MoroccanOil, Redken and Pureology, an Impressions menu, a salon bounce-back coupon and other trinkets.
As for Tierney, she’s absorbing the cost of promoting the fund-raising event so more of the proceeds go to the charity, but believes she’ll more than recoup those costs in marketing for the salon. “A local magazine is covering the event and shooting images, and already about half of the people who have bought tickets are not currently salon clients,” says Tierney. “We’ve even had people post to our Facebook page that they wished their own salon would do cool events like this.”
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