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SEARCHFrom a salon owner to a product manufacturer to an author, the versatile Sam Brocato has made his mark on almost every aspect of the beauty industry.
Salon life | 1984Owned Lockworks for Hair, three locations; Lockworks Academie of Hairdressing, two locations.2004As president and creative director for Brocato America Hair Care Products I create and test new hair care designs and products as well as participate in Brocato Hair Shows. I also produce Brocato DVDs and photo work, and recently became a partner in Liquid Assets, a Brocato distribution company and management consulting firm. |
Number of staff | 1984: 100 in salons, 35 in schools2004: 25 |
Can't live without hair | 1984: Paul Mitchell Sculpting Lotion2004: Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Mousse |
Your mentors | 1984: Edwin “Smokey” Neill, Paul Mitchell, John Paul Dejoria, Tom Peters and Walt Disney.2004: My Young President’s Organization Forum in Louisiana with whom I’ve met on a monthly basis for the past 12 years. |
Your growth goals | 1984: In my salon/school company, we had a detailed three- to five-year strategic plan in place for growth, and I was writing a book about retailing. I also participated in and produced educational events worldwide.2004: A new Brocato line to be launched August 2004 I’m also working on two books and planning a second edition of my book, Beautiful Business. |
Biggest accomplishment | 1984: Winning the title “World’s Top Fashion Hairdresser” at the World Hairdressing Congress in London in 1982.2004: A complete re-engineering of our life—family and business—by becoming “bi-coastal” (East Coast and Gulf Coast) |
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from the past 20 years? | Talent alone is never enough! Never burn bridges—for you may need to go that way again. |
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
