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SEARCHAs a teenager, I cut my journalistic teeth working at my parent’s small- town, community newspaper. While the last career I wanted to pursue at the time was journalism, it was good pay for a summer job and my bosses were fairly flexible ...
As a teenager, I cut my journalistic teeth working at my parent’s small- town, community newspaper. While the last career I wanted to pursue at the time was journalism, it was good pay for a summer job and my bosses were fairly flexible with my hours. I quickly learned though, that being the bosses’ daughter wasn’t always a perk. When the other women in the office had caught up on writing their stories about local weddings, City Hall meetings and social events, they’d start up on a juicy, slow-afternoon gossip session. That’s usually when Mom would hitch her thumb in my direction and tell me to go clean the bathrooms.
While this special issue of Salon Today really centers around succession planning—growing a valuable business, grooming a successor, and building valuable retirement funds along the way—many owners find the future of their salon in the ambitions of their children. In fact at last year’s 2 to 10 Conference in Boston last year, about 90 percent of the salons represented were family-owned businesses. In fact the trend was so strong, the conference, which focuses on salon companies with between two and 10 locations is partnering with Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Family Business for this year’s conference.
Last year, the conference featured a remarkably candid and impressive panel of 20-something professionals who represented the next generation of leadership at their family-owned salons. The panel included Mitchell’s Logan Schmidt, Jean Madeline’s Justin Lehman, Drew James’ Colin Loiacona, Pyure’s Luca Boccia, Qnity’s Erin Kuhn and Weldon Barber’s Angela Nordstrom. As they shared the benefits and challenges of being the bosses’ offspring, I found myself experiencing a sense of Déjà Vu.
While they had a strong sense of security in their positions with predictable growth paths, they were faced with parent-bosses with incredibly demanding expectations and co-workers who sometimes were nurturing and sometimes questioned their worth. Most had gone to college and pursued other careers before finding their way back to the family salon businesses and carving a role for themselves. Most were placing a heavier amount of pressure on themselves that their parents did.
The 2015 2 to 10 Conference is planned for Chicago at the Westin Hotel on April 26-28. If you’d like more information about the conference or about participating in the 2 to 10 project, visit 2to10project.com.
Maybe Candy Shaw expresses it best in the interview she gave us for “Next in Line,” our succession planning feature in the April 2015 issue. “I was passing my father hair pins before I was 10 and it was just natural to go to work every Saturday. I was a cheerleader and on Friday nights I’d cheer and go home with my friends. Early Saturday morning I would get up, having had three hours of sleep, and step over them on my way to work,” Shaw remembers. “Although my dad was my boss, he was no different at home than at work. He was my father and all he had to do was give me ‘the look’ if he was dissatisfied.”
Hmmm, reminds me of my mother’s thumb.
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.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
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.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
