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
Mirror Technology To Display Videos in Reflection
Recently, while waiting to board a flight at Chicago's O'Hare airport, I was super excited when I approached the mirror in the restroom and was greeted not only by my face, but ALSO by some pretty cool mirror technology in my reflection.
May 4, 2012
3 min to read
Imagine my excitement when it wasn't just my reflection greeting me in the mirror!
As a big fan of all things beauty, I'm no stranger to getting excited and surprised by discoveries in the bathroom. Yeah, I know that sounds weird. But that's the place where I, like many, discover a great new conditioner, or a new lotion, or a gradual tanner, and, even after spending time at my vanity putting on my make-up and styling my hair, my final "appearance review" always happens in the bathroom mirror.
Recently, while waiting to board a flight at Chicago's O'Hare airport (or, as my co-workers and I like to call it, "O'Hair," har, har), I was super excited when I approached the mirror in the restroom and was greeted not only by my face, but ALSO by some pretty cool mirror technology in my reflection.
To avoid being a total creeper, I was only able to film a quick second or two of the technology whizzing by... here's a look at what I saw:
Pretty cool technology huh? Notice how the ad on the left went from full screen to just a frame and bounced back to full screen based on my location and proximity to the mirror. I couldn't help but think to myself how perfectly this technology would translate to the beauty industry—considering clients spend about 30-45 minutes staring into a mirror while at the salon.
Well, imagine my surprise when I get a phone call today from Brian Reid, CEO and Founder of Mirrus, which, completely crazily shockingly, is the manufacturer of the very mirrors that fascinated me just a week ago. Brian and I got to talking about the Mirror Image technology and we're both on the same page in terms of how fantastic it would be for a salon to implement this technology at its stations. (He was pretty surprised at my story, too... though, just having watched The Hunger Games, naturally I was a litttttle freaked out at the timing, "Did he see me filming the ads? Did he know I have a blog? Did he track me down?!")
I have two clips to show you... but I want you to use your imagination here. Imagine your client sitting in your chair, while her color is processing or you're blowdrying the style, and up pops an audio-less video on the mirror (NOT covering her reflection) that explains product benefits and knowledge, or WHY the stylist is using this line of hair care, or how to best work with textured hair, for example. Or, imagine if you will, images and videos appear that cross-promote your spa services or boost your promotions and in-salon activities? The options to reinforce your message are ENDLESS.
The way it works is Mirrus can license private label Content Management Systems that let the user (or you can work through Mirrus) schedule the ads (web-based) themselves... so it can be generic salon messages or product info, OR can be single-user specific: I'm going to ask you to imagine again: "Hi, Alison, welcome back! We hope you enjoyed your last visit with Stacey." Very cool.
What do you think? Could you imagine this technology at your salon station? How could it help in your operations, brand awareness, client loyalty and retail sales? Tell me in the comments below! And, stay tuned for more information as I certainly plan to get all the juicy details asap!
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