North American Hairstyling Awards judging is now taking place for the July 2014 event. Have you ever thought about putting a team together in your salon? We talked to three owners who’ve successfully put together teams and won the prestigious NAHA Salon Team of the Year award for an inside look at the process.

Below, Steven Robertson, co-creative director of Lunatic Fringe with 12 locations in the US (NAHA Salon Team of the Year winner in 2013) weighs in on his experience. Read our interviews with other past winners Anna Pacitto of Salon Pure and Allen Ruiz of Jackson Ruiz Salon for their insights.

To see a gallery of winning images throughout the years, click here.

SALON TODAY: How did you choose who worked on your team? How many people were on the team? How did you collaborate creatively and efficiently?

Steven Robertson: Fumi Eguchi (co-creative director) and myself selected individuals who we felt had different strengths in cut, color or dresswork. We feel it takes all three aspects to create a strong and diverse collection.

SALON TODAY: How soon before the deadline did you start developing your concept? What was your timeline like (hiring models, photographer, stylist, make-up, etc.)?

Robertson: Fumi developed the art direction of the concept from a photographic aspect, as he is our photographer. Together we started hiring models—I oversaw the development of our wardrobe, and our make-up artist is a fellow stylist at Lunatic Fringe. All this happened about 45 days prior to the shoot date.

SALON TODAY: Did you have a specific vision from the start that the team helped execute or was the whole team involved in the concept? What was your creative process like?

Robertson: Each look desired was developed prior to our first production meeting, and each look was then given to two stylists to take on. They were to find a suitable model, approved by Fumi and I, and then schedule time to practice and perfect the look.

SALON TODAY: What would you do differently if you entered again?

Robertson: Work with stylists more closely on the final looks, paying attention to details.

SALON TODAY: What do you think set you apart from the others in your category, making you the winner?

Robertson: I had one of our NAHA team members, Jared Briggs, answer this question: “I think all the entries in our category were brilliant. The thing that stood out for us is a cohesiveness of the photos. We spent a lot of time planning our looks and had meetings where we talked about our overall vision of the collection. Having all of our team come together for the shoot was an amazing experience! To win NAHA was an amazing recognition from our peers in our industry.”

SALON TODAY: How important is the dynamic on the team? Did personalities ever clash? Were disagreements productive in the end?

Robertson: Of course when you have a group of passionate and creative individuals, opinions and clashing happen. We minimized this at our first meeting by having people discuss any ideas they wanted to bring to the shoot. After that initial meeting, the vision then stands, allowing very little disagreements to follow.

SALON TODAY: What advice would you give to a salon team that’s considering entering this category? Was it a good team-building process?

Robertson: The individuals need to feel part of the team. When micro-managing is present, creativity can not happen. The team members need to be felt as valued members; they need to be able to have open communication with the directors; and also need to be held accountable to the quality of the work they produce.

SALON TODAY: Finally, how did the experience help you in your every day work at the salon?

Robertson: When producing or participating in a photo shoot, your attention to every detail is important to the overall end result. In the salon, if something comes along that wasn't ideal, you generally have the chance to make any adjustments needed on your guests (hopefully!). In a photo shoot, what you see is what you get. Mistakes become very apparent, and even the slightest flaws in your cut, color or style will stick out like a sore thumb! Doing photo shoots helps you visually assess your skill level, with the ability to learn from and grow technically.

Interview conducted and story written by contributing editor Laurel Nelson.

Reflecting on NAHA: Jackson Ruiz

By Stacey Soble | Updated: 02/03/2014 1:44:00 PM
Allen Ruiz, co-owner of Jackson Ruiz, discusses what it takes to put together a winning submission for NAHA's Salon Team of the Year award.

- See more at: http://www.salontoday.com/features/salon-management/#sthash.OfXq0yOq.dpuf

Reflecting on NAHA: Jackson Ruiz

By Stacey Soble | Updated: 02/03/2014 1:44:00 PM
Allen Ruiz, co-owner of Jackson Ruiz, discusses what it takes to put together a winning submission for NAHA's Salon Team of the Year award.

- See more at: http://www.salontoday.com/features/salon-management/#sthash.OfXq0yOq.dpuf

Interview conducted and story written by Laurel Nelson, contributing editor for SALON TODAY. - See more at: http://www.salontoday.com/features/salon-management/Reflecting-on-NAHA-Salon-Pure-243360761.html?page=2#sthash.fm4oyaS0.dpuf

Interview conducted and story written by Laurel Nelson, contributing editor for SALON TODAY. - See more at: http://www.salontoday.com/features/salon-management/Reflecting-on-NAHA-Salon-Pure-243360761.html?page=2#sthash.fm4oyaS0.dpuf