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
The Captain of Business Stability and Growth
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.
May 28, 2026
3 min to read
Michaella Blissett-Williams says her General Manager Gloria Hortua leads with consistency, integrity, and a deep care for the staff and business.
Credit: [salon] 718
SALON TODAY's Meet the Manager series celebrates the managers, team leads, and directors in the industry who work to maintain the vision and goals of salons, spas, and barbershops. In today's profile, we meet Gloria Hortua, general manager of the eight-location strong [salon] 718 in Brooklyn, New York. Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams says Hortua is the first employee she didn’t have to train. As Hortua took over salon operations, her leadership has helped the business maintain its goal of double-digit, year-over-year growth.
Manager: Gloria Hortua, general manager
Nominated by: Michealla Blissett-Williams, owner of [salon] 718 with eight locations in Brooklyn, New York
Date of Hire: June 2023
SALON TODAY: What about Hortua’s background or experience made you think she’d be a good fit for your business?
Blissett-Williams: “Ms. Gloria came to us with an extensive background as an Executive Director at a beauty school. She understood the importance of training, education, and developing talent. More importantly, she was aligned with the company vision, creating sustainable and fulfilling careers for stylists. Her experience both behind the chair and in leadership means she knows the craft inside and out and understands the discipline required to be an exceptional hairdresser. From day one, she brought professionalism and operational insight that immediately supported me and strengthened the company tremendously.”
ST: What personality characteristics does this manager hold that make her a good manager?
Blissett-Williams: “Commitment, loyalty, dedication, and reliability are at the core of who she is. She leads with consistency, integrity, and deep care for the staff and business.”
ST: What are the three most important tasks Hortua takes on at the salon?
Blissett-Williams: “Ms. Gloria stabalizes the boat. She spearheads recruiting new talent, client engagement, and staff engagement/development.”
ST: How is Hortua compensated?
Blissett-Williams: “A combination of salary plus bonus.”
ST: How is Hortua held accountable for the performance of the business?
Blissett-Williams: “We track our growth rate, always looking to maintain double-digit growth. She also ensures that we stay within our inventory budget, supports stylist retention and performance, and represents the brand at trade shows/industry events.”
ST: How often do you meet with Hortua, and what do you go over?
Blissett-Williams: “We have a daily meeting, and we catch up once a week over lunch for deeper discussions. During these check-ins, we review our team's growth, performance benchmarks, scheduling optimization, and upcoming business needs. Ms. Gloria can earn an additional 5-10% of her salary if we make double-digit growth. She also introduced structural improvements, such as split shifting and reviewing our contracts, to ensure we get the best pricing on products.”
ST: What types of continuing education do you offer Hortua?
Blissett-Williams: “We invest heavily in her growth. She attends industry events such as Intercoiffure and the Data-Driven Salon Summit. She also travels for advanced education. Next year, she's going to Ireland; last year, she went to Germany; and there were past trips to Texas, Florida, and more. Any professional development that she is interested in, we support.”
ST: How has Hortua helped you grow personally and/or professionally?
Blissett-Williams: “She is truly an angel. She was one of the first people I hired whom I didn't have to train. She understood my vision and could follow through on it without me having to explain. She has my back, which has allowed me to shift my focus to scaling the company instead of managing daily operations. In the three years she's been with us, we've experienced significant growth due to her leadership, structure, and reliability. She is a Godsend.”
If you have a manager you'd like to nominate for this series, learn more here.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
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
Competing for Revenue: Veteran Business Owner Shares a Framework for Growth
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."
by Staff
Built to Sell: How One Owner Turned Zero Salon Experience into a Multimillion-Dollar Exit
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.
Shedding Light on Solar Tax Credits for Your Beauty Business
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.
The Salon Ghost Report: Stop Wasting Hours Chasing Unqualified Applicants
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
When the Client ISN'T Right!
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.
by Stacey Soble
2026 Beauty & Wellness Summer Marketing Calendar
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 in Beauty: What It Means for Your Team, Your Clients, and Your Business
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
Rise and SHINE with Aluram
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram