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
Women of Substance: Sydney Berry
AFTER TAKING TURNS at being a stylist then a salon owner, Sydney Berry ‘decided to pursue a new role as a sales consultant for a distributor. Today, she owns that distributorship along with her husband Miles Berry and their business partner George Learned Berry has long been admired for her perseverance in encouraging her salon customers to network with one another and share best practices, and for her leadership role within the professional beauty industry to raise the bar for all.
by Salon Today Staff
October 1, 20113 min to read
Sydney Berry
President and Owner, Salon Services and Supplies
Renton, Washington
Licensed: In 1973, after attending Reece and Sybil in Lincoln, Nebraska
Affiliations: PBA, in which she currently serves on its leadership council and board of directors
AFTER TAKING TURNS at being a stylist then a salon owner, Sydney Berry ‘decided to pursue a new role as a sales consultant for a distributor. Today, she owns that distributorship along with her husband Miles Berry and their business partner George Learned Berry has long been admired for her perseverance in encouraging her salon customers to network with one another and share best practices, and for her leadership role within the professional beauty industry to raise the bar for all.
Who were your mentors along the way? “My parents taught me love of family, and being raised on a farm taught me resiliency as only Mother Nature can! I learn continuously from my immediate family and friends, and professionally Jane Wurwand, Geri Cusenza, Jill Kohler, Renee Shakour, Debra Neill Baker, Stacy Kurtz, Sally Brower and Karen Shea are all women who manifest their vision with their actions!”
How has being a woman made your career path harder or easier? “Opinions and assessment created difficulty with attaining the transition with the initial ‘boys’ club but times have changed. At This time, I don’t see being a woman as an asset or a challenge—success is dependent upon your commitment. But I do believe our industry is NOT as well versed in understanding the needs or is as supportive as it could be considering the majority of our consumers and stylists are female.”
What would you consider your biggest professional break? “The opportunity to partner with George Learned in ownership of SSS, as he is fearless and my continual supporter, plus he teaches me by his relentless energy in pursuit of creating success for our company, our staff and our industry.”
What’s the best business advice anyone ever gave you? “You have a choice in how you respond to life—it is the only control you personally have in every encounter life’s journey takes you.
What business achievement are you most proud of? “The ownership of Salon Services and my staff’s dedication in serving the beauty industry. Also, the creation and facilitation of a salon owners’ networking group (Club 40) for 25 years in sharing and building upon the strengths of one another to raise the bar of our industry. To be able to connect in an industry that can be isolating for the owner who doesn’t have the opportunity to network is so important.”
What’s the best business book you ever read? “The Dr Seuss book, Oh, the Places You Will Go, as it illustrates our life journey, which is infinite, as we view it as a child. My grandson, Kanon, teaches me continuously as his is my muse in challenging me to play, dream and grow.”
What do you hope to achieve in the next five years? “Ask anyone who is in my world, and they would say, ‘She is never satisfied,’ as I push, prod, and provoke myself and others to grow. Achievement would be to relish in the gift of the present state of being and say to myself, job well done today.”
“Ask anyone, and they will say I push, prod and provoke myself and others to grow. Achievement would be to say to myself, ‘Job well done today.’”
—Sydney Berry
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