A Partner in Business and in Life
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
by Stacey Soble
Who's Your Coach?
What professional, outside of your own staff, has done the most to drive your business? Salon owners from all over the country answer.
by Web Editor
July 10, 20113 min to read
“What professional, outside of your own staff, has done the most to drive your business?”
Besides the online seminars I have attended on business practices, I
would have to say the woman who helps me with my local advertising has
been the most valuable outside resource. She makes sure that I am
targeting the right audience.
Lynn Hammond
Harbor Hair Design
Kingston, Washington
A salon coach—they see both sides of the business and put that
perspective in a presentation that makes you see what is best for the
business. We love it, and absorb it. All salons, if they want to be
successful, need a salon coach. They stand on the sidelines and give
the best direction. Go team!
Connie Lopez
Urban Salon
College Station, Texas
To succeed, we all need another set of eyes and good advice. Our salon
and spa looks for guidance from networking with other salons that have
earned the reputation of being successful. I am a member of
Intercoiffure, which consists of many owners who have walked the walk,
so I call on them for advice and I share my advice with them as well.
Angela Guido
Daryl Christopher Wellness Salon And Day Spa
Wayland, MA
My two favorite outside sources for salon advice are Strategies and
Kopsa-Otte, CPA and Advisor Services. I have been using Strategies
services for several years and their trainings have really helped set
me up for success. I have had growth and profit every year since
opening 10 years ago. It has been a huge benefit for me to know where
my finances are and Strategies has helped me understand the good, bad
and ugly of salon finance, leadership and management. I also have
greatly benefited from the services of Kopsa-Otte to take the burden of
‘doing it all’ off my shoulders.
Sam Johnston
Abq Hair Studio
Albuquerque, New Mexico
I am confident that I’ve been able to maintain my salon only because of the coaching I received from Julie Shepperly of Milady.
I have an easy way to stay aware of my numbers through spreadsheets and
a system in place to coach and monitor my team on their numbers. It
keeps everything objective and not subjective! I’ll admit my cash flow
is very tight, but if I didn’t have the awareness I would be far worse
than I am now. The good thing is my numbers are showing improvement
since the beginning of the year.
Mitch Eubanks
The Mitchell Wade Salon
Oviedo, Florida
My salon coaching experience has been through the program Strictly
Business. The partnership and way of life have given my salon the
culture necessary to have bottom line growth through this recession.
Suzie Bond
Perfect 5th
Mooresville, North Carolina
Our business has benefited more from the professionals on our staff than outside professionals.
Daired Ogle
Daireds Salon / Spa Pangea
Arlington, Texas
As your salon finishes out this year, it’s time to start making plans for the next year. This month, we ask, “What’s your biggest goal for 2010 and how do you plan to accomplish it?” E-mail your ideas to Alison Shipley at ashipley@vancepublishing.com, and your voice may appear in the January/February issue of SALON TODAY.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
Back to Business with the Pinstripe Trend
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
by Stacey Soble
5 Essential Hair & Beauty Industry KPIs And How to Master Them
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
Bella Style Salon's Ride or Die
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
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
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