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
Top Shelf: The Fall of the Hair Salon
Grow's Antony Whitaker reviews Mario Verrilli's book which is a self-described step-by-step guide to the future of the beauty salon industry.
June 15, 2024
3 min to read
The Book:The Fall of the Hair Salon: And What to Do About It
Publisher: Amazon
Flip over Mario Verrilli’s book The Fall of the Hair Salon: And What You Can Do About It, and the author gets frank right on the back cover:
“The devastation from Covid-19 has left us with opportunities to rethink, reimagine and rebuild what the hair salon could be. It has always been the starting point for people to learn. Unfortunately, that is all it is perceived as for many newcomers—a place to learn. It is not considered a place to earn a respectable income and a place one could retire from. Government education departments must understand how our industry works and differs from other trades. The production system for many top salons that train the rest of the industry. This book is the culmination of everything I have learned over the years in theory and put into practice. It is the manual I wish I read 22 years ago when first starting my business. I have also included what the future salon should look like so that we rid the industry of the cutthroat, scarcity mindset so that it is celebrated by society, they way it should be.”
We invited Antony Whitaker, author of the Grow series and founder of the Grow My Salon Business program, to review the book for SALON TODAY:
ST: What is the book about?
Whitaker: This is a book written by a hairdresser for a hairdresser and is a personal journey from Mario’s perspective of how the salon industry has evolved throughout his career. Mario highlights the changes both positive and negative that the industry is dealing with and offers many practical insights and thoughts.
ST: What did you like best about the book?
Whitaker: What I liked best is the passion and genuine care that Mario has for the industry—combined with how he draws on the wisdom of many of today’s popular business authors and speakers and integrates their thoughts into a hairdressing context.
ST: For you, what was the biggest takeaway message?
Whitaker: The biggest takeaway for me was that as a generalization the traditional commission-based salon needs to continually evolve. And for that t happen, salon ownerd and managers need to be questioning ‘how it’s always been done’ and look for new ways to adapt their business model and management practices in order for salon businesses and the individuals in them to prosper in an ever-changing business environment.
For example, here is one passage from page 153 that stood out for me and got the highlighter treatment:
“Investment in people is the #1 factor in beating the competition. Help them grow or watch them go! Fewer people who are paid better and are more aligned with the business’s mission will translate to higher productivity than several people who are not aligned with your mission. Everyone needs clarity on how each employee affects the clients, contributes to the bottom line, and helps achieve the company mission, or you don’t need them.”
ST: Why would recommend the book to peers, colleagues or team members?
Whitaker: It’s easy to point out what’s wrong with the industry and the impact that changing business models and generational attitudes have, but Mario takes it to the next stage and offers helopful and practical steps that salons owners can put in place as their businesses evolve.
The book can be found at amazon.com.
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