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
Recruiting from the Trenches
Recruiting future superstars from the beauty colleges in my area has always been an important component in our business growth.
September 29, 2011
1/6
4 min to read
Recruiting future superstars from the beauty colleges in my area has always been an important component in our business growth. I recently attended two different job fair events at nearby beauty colleges. One was in the morning, and our salon had a table with our menus, a continuous looping powerpoint presenation of our salon, our press coverage, and I brought a couple of my superstar stylists to talk to the students about our program. The students moved from table to table, asking questions, and gathering collateral from each salon.
The second event we attended was an evening event, with champagne and nibbles, and the students had each styled a model, so the salon owners could see examples of their work, and we walked around, meeting the students, and collecting their resumes and their creative calling cards.
I am sure most owners have attended similar events. Both methods get the job done—we met the students and let them know who we are at Atelier, and what we have to offer. We hope to be memorable, so they will apply for employment with us, and they hope they made a good impression on us. Both events lasted for an hour or two in a room filled with both salons and students, so one-on-one time is limited.
Just a week after these events occurred though, I got a call from a fashion show producer that I work with fairly often. She needed a beauty team for the Vitamin Water Fashion Challenge, a show taking place within two weeks in San Francisco, about 45 minutes north of my home base. The beauty team originally scheduled for the event wasn't responding to calls, and a replacement was needed. The models were professional, and there was even a Project Runway star Mondo Guerra on hand as a guest judge. It was a very well-produced show. All that was needed was for the models to look fabulous, with a consistent look, so the focus would remain on the clothing.
The venue was close to the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology--a Paul Mitchell Partner School--one of the bigger beauty colleges in town, and I thought the students might enjoy the experience. Lucky for me, they were excited to participate, and I had my team—12 cosmetology students. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. I not only had the chance to observe these students in action, but I got to know them a bit more, and found I was really impressed. Now mind you, these students won an in-school competition in order to work this event, so these were the cream of the crop, and they really were amazing.
First, they arrived completely prepared: they each had their own hair and makeup kits. They were dressed professionally, in all black, and had their hair and makeup done perfectly. Once we had a concept meeting, where I led them through the look the producer and the designers wanted, the models arrived and each student got right to work on the makeup first, hair second. At only a couple of different points in the process did the students ask me for an opinion or to take a look, "Is this what you had in mind?" They were very open and ready to learn and there was not an ego in sight. In the few occasions where I needed to take the reins on a technique, every one of them was extremely willing to watch and learn. And then they duplicated the look themselves. They were respectful and professional, and I was completely blown away. These students were awesome!
That’s when it hit me--job fairs had nothing on this. Getting the chance to spend a few hours with the students, watching their work ethic, how they communicate, how they maintained a neat work environment, how they treated their peers, their modesl, and even how they worked with me--really told me so much more about these future professionals than a short introduction ever could. Spending this kind of time with people I would consider hiring in the future was unbelievably valuable.
I highly recommend it!
Thanks, SFIEC, for sending your wonderful design team to work with me on the Vitamin Water Fashion Challenge. Your students were fantastic!
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