Salon Today’s Meet the Manager series celebrates and highlights the managers, team leads, and directors in the industry who work to maintain the vision and goals of salons, barber shops, and spas. In today's profile, meet salon manager Alli Macdonald of Pinup Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. With the help of McDonald's open communication, organizational skills, and leadership, Pinup Studios has not only grown but also built on its continued success. 

The Manager: Alli Macdonald

Nominated By: Christina Kirkey, Owner of Pinup Studio

Date of hire: May 2, 2022

Salon Today:What is Macdonald’s specific background/experience that made you believe she'd be a good fit for Pinup Studio?

Kirkey:  “As a previous esthetician and front desk/coordinator in salons, Alli brought a unique mix of spa experience. What stood out to me most was the caliber of salon she came from in another state-- it spoke volumes about her professionalism and standards. I emailed this salon for a referral, and they had nothing but good things to say, which is what sealed the deal for me.”

ST: What are the three most important tasks Macdonald takes on at Pinup Studio?

Kirkey: Alli leads team development and plays a critical role in maintaining and protecting the culture at Pinup. She's responsible for onboarding, coaching, and supporting the team in alignment with our values. To help us retain talent and foster a strong and healthy team dynamic, she gets to know each stylist individually so she can guide them based on their strengths, growth areas, and goals.

Secondly, she takes on our operational systems and organization. Alli takes our big ideas and turns them into organized systems. From managing schedules and tracking KPIs to implementing new procedures and keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly, she's the backbone of how our salon functions behind the scenes.

Lastly, she manages client experience oversight. She ensures every client interaction meets the Pinup standard. That includes handling any service issues, maintaining front desk excellence, and overseeing the guest flow to make sure every visit feels thoughtful, elevated, and on-brand.

ST: How is Macdonald held accountable for the business's performance?

Kirkey: “Honestly, we don't currently have a formal monthly or quarterly review process in place for Alli. While I do believe a quarterly performance review is something we'll implement as we continue to scale, but because of the open and consistent communication we've built, it hasn't felt urgent. We communicate daily, meet weekly, and address issues or feedback in real-time. When I hired her, I was very clear that I needed someone who could handle honest conversations, because I value clarity and forward movement. Our dynamic allows for fast and honest conversations about what's working, what's not, and where we both need to grow. That level of trust and transparency has enabled us to quickly navigate through tough seasons without letting issues accumulate, and I believe that's been a major contributor to our growth as a leadership team.

ST: How is Macdonald compensated? 

Kirkey: “Alli is paid a salary.”

ST: What type(s) of continuing education do you offer Macdonald?

Kirkey: For the past three years, I've fully covered all of Alli's continuing education — not just as an investment in her role, but in her overall growth as a leader. We started with a heavy focus on personal development, building her confidence, communication, and leadership presence so she could truly thrive as a manager. As she's grown into her role, our focus has expanded. Now her continued education emphasizes business growth, from learning how to track and analyze data to developing strategies for scaling Pinup, leading the team effectively, and creating systems that support long-term success.

ST: How has this manager helped you personally as the owner, or how have they helped grow the business?

Kirkey: Alli has helped me grow in ways I don't think she even realizes. She's believed in me as a leader, not just as her boss, but as a person. She's met me where I'm at, showing up not only as an incredible team member but also as a valued friend. Our relationship is something I hold very close because it's rare, and I don't take it lightly.

She's pushed me to be a better owner. She's been there to celebrate my personal wins just as much as the business ones. Her presence has given me the space to step into my next level, because I'm no longer carrying it all alone. As for the business, we wouldn't be where we are without her. When she came on, I had a lot of big ideas but very little structure, and no real plan to execute them.

Before Alli, I had run Pinup without a true manager for three years. Things functioned, but they weren't scaling. We lacked consistency, systems, and the type of accountability a business needs to grow. Alli brought organization, follow-through, leadership, all the things Pinup was missing. Her zone of genius is completely different from mine, and that's exactly what this business needed to level up. She didn't just help us grow, she helped us build.

Got a manager you'd love to celebrate? FIND OUT MORE and access our nomination application. 

About the Author: Mya Shepard, a Chicago-based communications graduate with a multimedia journalism background, draws inspiration for her beauty writing from her time as a salon manager at Salon Lorrene in Palatine, IL. Known on social media as Mya Ame'rie, she shares her perspective on community, beauty and culture.