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Making Guests and Staff Feel Seen and Heard
Maddie Zirkle started her career on the hospitality desk of Root Salon at the tender age of 15. Now, Salon Director, Zirkle makes clients and team members feel both seen and heard, and Owner Kate Gnaghey says she is "pure gold."
January 28, 2026
3 min to read
At Root Salon and Spa, Salon Director Maddie Zirkle handles payroll, hiring/onboarding new team members and assisting with the salon's marketing plan.
SALON TODAY's Meet the Manager series celebrates the managers, team leads, and directors in the industry who work to maintain the vision and goals of salons, spas, and barbershops. In today's profile, we meet Maddie Zirkle, who started her career on Root Salon and Spa’s hospitality team when she was just 15 years old. Owner Kate Gnagey says Zirkle understands how to make people feel valuable and seen, while anticipating the needs of both guests and service providers. Zirkle continued to level up on the hospitality team, creating new expectations for the role. Three years ago, she was appointed Salon Director and now manages the salon’s daily systems.
The Manager: Maddie Zirkle, Salon Director
Nominated by: Kate Gnagey, owner of Root Salon and Spa in Wauseon, Ohio
Date of Hire: April 2017
SALON TODAY:What personality characteristics does Zirkle possess that make her a great manager?
Gnagey: “Maddie is soft in her words and carries compassion in her voice, but she is firm. She upholds our Roots Standard and doesn't sway with emotion. She is someone whom I can trust to always respond in a way that I would respect and be proud to back up. While I can trust her fully with our daily systems, guest and team care, I also value that, as we create new systems and practices, she is not just a "yes" voice. She allows for positive conflict that pushes us to make the absolute best choices for the business.”
SALON TODAY:How is Zirkle compensated?
Gnagey: “She is paid an annual salary and receives an education fund.”
SALON TODAY: What are the three most important tasks Zirkle handles at the salon?
Gnagey: Payroll, hiring/onboarding new team members and assisting in our marketing plan.
SALON TODAY: How often do you meet with this manager and what do you go over?
Gnagey: “We meet weekly to go over business numbers, how campaigns are performing, discuss any significant moments during the week and review our planning chart to see what projects need to begin.”
ST: What types of continuing education do you offer this manager?
Gnagey: “We are part of High Performance Salon Academy so she can attend one of those destination trainings for free each year and the Global Leadership Summit two-day training, as well as access personal and business videos from HPSA.”
ST: How has Zirkle helped you grow the business?
Gnagey: “I could not imagine where I would be without Maddie. When I was still offering services, she helped me carry the load. Now that I can focus on the business full-time, I get to do the long-term planning and bigger-picture vision that would often get put aside before. We can say yes to more projects because of this. She also catches little errors in our booking system and other systems that may be slipping through the cracks because she has the time to focus on those little daily details. The small things add up over time, and I know it has protected our revenue. Getting to grow with Maddie (both of us growing together!) has been such a blessing. We have shared so much of our lives as well as our business. She understands the WHY behind why we do things the way we do, and she fiercely protects our why. I am certain there is no other Maddie in the world. She is pure gold.”
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