Our Blog

Throughout our time at Paul Mitchell’s Business rEvolution, our brains were filled with knowledge and our hearts were touched by the love and energy that filled the room. Topics ranged from social media to retailing to business by the numbers, but much of the magic was in the wisdom and profound messages that inspired us to think deeper, to think bigger. The greatest honor of all was seeing our very own Culture Ambassador, Kim Bennett Horvath, on stage among the legends, including John Paul DeJoria, Robert Cromeans, Winn Claybaugh and Tim Storey. For a taste of the inspiration, check out 12 of the lessons learned...  Read More

Julie Nguyen is a nail technician from Charlotte, North Carolina who is not just providing a service, she is working with purpose. Julie was selected to be one of our Faces of Sola because she is a young, aggressive marketer who has created her own space for nail in the hair-centric Sola community. Watching her business grow on social media over the last few months, it was clear that Julie is paving the way for niche beauty services to thrive in the Sola world.  Read More

“It all starts with the ability to listen,” says Vicki King, owner of Be Beautiful at Sola Salons in Concord Centre – Springfield. “The numbers will add up. The most important thing,” Vicki continues, “is the relationships you make.”  Read More

Utilizing text marketing, Kelsey got 15 bookings within an hour of sending out the texts. For her services and price point, that was well over $1500. And beyond the earnings she was able to pull in just a few minutes, she was able to connect with clients in a way that wouldn't have been possible any other way.  Read More

Tammy Muniz’s morning routine was a little more entertaining in June. In addition to her normal primping, the stylist also had to decide which pink wig to put on. Tammy and her daughter Lauren Muniz co-own Rouge 22 Salon in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the duo collected a half-dozen pink wigs while participating in Susan G. Komen’s BigWigs campaign, a four-week, national initiative designed to raise awareness and cash for breast cancer research and programs.  Read More

Decorating a small salon space requires a bit more thought. With a little planning (& some creative shopping!) Shaila Paredes, of Brows by Shaila shows how she transformed her Sola studio into a welcoming space for her clients and an environment that totally reflects her brand.  Read More

As entrepreneurs and service providers, we all have slow times. I remember when I first joined the beauty industry, we had a guest speaker come to our school to share with us the ups and downs of cosmetology life. He shared an alarming fact that a large percentage of hairstylists do not make it in this industry because they cannot handle the slow times as well as the hard work that one must put into this industry to make it. So, what should you do during slow times? Well, there are a couple of things that I do when I am slow and they help me get out of “the rut” and I believe that it will help you too.  Read More

They’re our providers and our protectors, and they’re never short on hilarious parenting hacks, wisdom, and fun. Simply put, dads are the best! And that’s why – in honor of Father’s Day – we’re highlighting a few of the dads in our Sola family. Read on for some seriously heartfelt insights on fatherhood, and the stories about how becoming a dad changed these men forever.  Read More

If you haven't met Antonio Heath yet online (AKA @tonytonsorial) he is an incredible resource for building and maintaining a successful independent barbershop, using some truly unique tactics. Not to mention, the way he works with his hands and shears is truly magnificent! This month's Faces of Sola feature is an active and engaged member of the Sola social community who also travels the country aggressively as an educator for Hattori Hanzo Shears.  Read More

Contrary to popular belief and as Seth Godin famously says, “everyone is not your customer.” The winning strategy for boutique salons, and the most important step in marketing, is figuring out who your target audience is and determining why they would choose to visit your salon over anywhere else.  Read More

Meet Linda Russo: "In 2015, I found out Sola Salons Studios were building a location down the street from where I was working at in Park Ridge. I have been wanting to start my own business in a salon studio for a while. I would go in Sola to check it out over and over again. I took my husband John to look at it and I finally took a leap to start Hair & Makeup Guru. Many of my loyal clients followed me and I’m so grateful for that."  Read More

Community is one of the major benefits to opening a salon at Sola. As barber and educator Antonio Heath Sr. puts it, “Everything you need is inside of our community. It’s exclusive, and it’s only for us,” he says. He isn’t kidding! At Sola, talented and passionate stylists surround you — literally. Don’t be surprised if you end up finding partnership opportunities in some pretty unexpected places. Here, a few Sola stylists share their experiences with successful partnerships they didn’t even know they were looking for.  Read More

Sola Salon Studios is proud to partner with Eyes on Cancer to provide FREE training for beauty professionals to recognize the early stages of skin cancer, particularly melanoma. Take advantage of your intimate atmosphere, and get the certification you need to help save lives!  Read More

It’s true that there’s no place like home — And if you want to keep your clients coming back for more, it’s time to think about how you can make them feel at home in your studio. Here are a few of the many things Sola stylists do when they want to treat their clients like family.  Read More

The first time Tammy and Lauren Muniz stood out to us was during the #Sola5000 celebration. The red carpet lined with red roses leading into their studio immediately caught our eye, and we knew this mother/daughter duo had something special! Shortly after, the bubbly Chattanoogans joined us in Denver for the first-ever Sola Session and from there, it was clear that they had to be a part of our 2017 Faces of Sola. As you read through this very in-depth article, you’ll see that the relationship Tammy and Lauren is so multifaceted. They are a mother/daughter duo who possess effective communication skills, are continuously collaborating, and who always remember that at the end of the day, their clients needs comes first before their individual needs. It’s a heartwarming and informative interview that is sure to give you the warm and fuzzies!  Read More

Wisdom begins in wonder… On Monday, May 8, 2017, 200 Sola professionals from 21 different states joined together in Washington D.C. for the Sola Sessions. The day was full of inspiration, education, dance parties, prizes, networking, shopping, boomerangs and so much more.  Read More

A decade into her career, near the end of 2014, Julie discovered Sola Salons in Atlantic Beach. She was immediately impressed by Sola’s posh suites, which had that hint of luxury she’d been looking for. Julie signed a lease and opened her salon in July. “I was in a standard studio for two weeks, and then I realized I needed more space,” she says. She leased the studio next door, and “opened up an artificial double,” Julie says, noting. And her business has been booming ever since.  Read More

We sat down with 9 Sola professionals who are totally crushing the retail game to gather their best tips to share with you! Take a few of these tips and vow to never again say, “I’m not a salesperson.”  Read More

Here are some simple things that you can do to up level your own photography, along with examples from the Sola community to inspire you!  Read More

We’re kicking off our Faces of Sola series with a social media savvy brow specialist from Brentwood, CA who caught our eye on Instagram! From her severely stunning and stylish salon to the beautifully executed before and after shots of her clients, Shaila Paredes @browsbyshaila is a top-notch artist and we are thrilled to have her in our Sola family.  Read More

Being green isn’t just a fad — and it isn’t nearly as hard as Kermit the Frog would have you believe, either! The trick to transforming your salon into an environmental paradise stretches back to some pretty simple math you learned in elementary school. We’re talking about basic addition. When you add up little numbers, they’ll make a bigger number. And when you add up little eco-friendly changes, they’ll make a big difference for our planet. Read on for some insanely simple ways to go green this spring.  Read More

“Sola aligned with my goals and dreams,” Amanda says. In March of 2016, she opened Saba Salon. The paint in her new salon was barely dry when Amanda met Alex Sylvester, the owner of Edge by Alex Sylvester, which occupied the suite adjacent to Amanda’s. As luck would have it, Alex and Amanda were about to discover that they were professional soul mates! “We immediately recognized that we had the same vision,” Amanda says.  Read More

On February 10, 375 churches worldwide hosted the third annual Night to Shine, a prom sponsored by Tim Tebow Foundation for teens and young adults with special needs. Seventy-five thousand guests showed up for this year’s event! It takes all hands on deck to pull off an affair of this caliber, and approximately 150,000 volunteers offered up their time and services. Three of those philanthropists were salon owners from Sola Wilmington in North Carolina.  Read More

Making money is often discussed and viewed in a negative light. We’re often afraid and don’t want to be labeled as greedy or money-hungry by talking about money. But making money must be at the forefront of any successful salon business and is crucial to creating the freedom you truly want in life. In fact, it’s a challenge being passionate about making other people look and feel great when you’re feeling a little hopeless or stressed about paying your next bill.  Read More

As a salon owner, you work hard to provide a unique experience and a beautiful space for your guests to visit time and time again. A clean, well-organized salon is crucial to being a successful salon owner – it provides your guests with a comfortable place to visit, and provides you with a creative space to work in. Consider spring cleaning in your salon an opportunity to completely revitalize your environment and create the zen your guests so very crave when being pampered.  Read More