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Born into a family of stylists, Sue Scott followed her passion – and her legacy – when she entered cosmetology school to pursue a career in hair. “In this industry,” Sue continues, “You can be whatever you want to be.” — especially with Sola around to help.  Read More

One of the greatest benefits for owning your own boutique salon is the opportunity to increase your revenue through retail sales. At Sola Salon Studios, the possibilities are endless—from handpicking the professional brands of your choice to deciding how to market your products to clients. The intimate atmosphere provides a comfortable place to discuss your clients’ needs, allowing a level of ease for making product recommendations throughout each area of the salon.  Read More

A day in the life of a salon professional is busy and social. You jump from client to client, throwing energy into your craft and relationships alike, rarely taking time to rest and recuperate. This lifestyle can lead to fatigue and exhaustion; but the next time you go to reach for that 3rd cup of coffee, try these energy boosters to rejuvenate naturally! These 5 simple tricks can work with your body and mind to build and maintain vitality:  Read More

Every month, Jenni Bailey, Natalie Palmer and Alissa Vallee pool together 10 percent of the profits they’ve made on services, and they donate that sum to a charity or cause of their choosing. The three young, energetic and passionate stylists at Sola Salons Carlsbad near San Diego are making a big impact in a relatively small space.  Read More

Since coming over to Sola and opening her salon, BAB & Rojo, Rona has brought over four more stylists, including those two friends who joined in on the initial meeting with Miller. “I love it at Sola,” Rona says. It’s a sentiment her friends obviously share, too.  Read More

When it comes to education and inspiration, John Paul Mitchell Systems has undoubtedly become an industry leader. With a focus on leadership, business building and finding one’s own path to success, the Business rEvolution 2-day event featured speakers from all aspects of the professional beauty industry. The Sola team feels incredibly fortunate that we had the opportunity to attend this event and wanted to share a few of our favorite takeaways with you:  Read More

When temperatures heat up, business sometimes cools down…with beautiful weather, fun activities, and weekends away, salon visits can slide to the end of the to-do list. Facebook promotions are a great way to help increase business and get your salon through the mid-summer slump. Everyone loves the chance to win free products or discounted services, and encouraging communication on your Facebook Timeline is a fun and easy way to keep your clients engaged (and happy).  Read More

Hair is important. There’s just no getting around it. It’s tied to self-esteem and identity, and it plays an important role in how we present ourselves to the world. Our appearance impacts our lives socially, professionally, and personally. For many women (and men), hair loss is a devastating experience, which can lead to low self-esteem and even depression. “People may not know this, but there are over 30 million women in this country who have experienced some type of total or diminished hair loss,” Roxanne Scrivens, aka Jilena, explained.

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars!

Name: Cora Rose

Sola Location: Phoenix, AZ

How many years have you been in the salon industry? 9 Years

Customer loyalty is arguably the most important factor in business today. According to Forbes, loyal customers visit more often, spend more during those visits and provide free word of mouth promotion. And yet small business owners like salon professionals often focus their efforts on chasing new customers as a way to increase foot traffic and cash flow. New business is great, but don’t neglect those clients you’ve already snagged! Try these tips today for increasing the kind of loyalty that’ll have customers coming back for decades.

As the son of a part-time barber in Chesapeake, Virginia, Derek Williams picked up more than a few tricks of the trade while hanging around the neighborhood barbershop. His dad always discouraged him from cutting hair, though, because, Williams says, “he didn’t see any money in it.”

When Williams was thirteen, despite his father’s advice he “started shaping up guys in the neighborhood,” he says. “Next thing you know, you’re doing a haircut.” And, that was Williams’ informal induction into the fast-paced, billion-dollar, demand-driven industry of hair.   

After a winter that felt far too long, summer is finally here! That means school is over, vacations are starting, and your customers are busier than ever. Unfortunately, this can mean that your bookings may slow down. If you’re facing the summer slump, selling products is more important than ever. Since products typically have a higher profit margin than services, they’re a great way to help boost your bottom line.

As a salon professional, you rarely take a minute to sit down and eat a balanced meal. That does not mean that you must skimp on the wholesome nutrition you deserve! Next time you know you have a busy schedule, whip up one of these tasty, balanced meal replacements in your blender and stick it in the fridge for a quick meal on the go.

Go Beauty, Stop Cancer — That’s the slogan for Eyes on Cancer, a nonprofit cancer awareness organization that teaches beauty professionals to identify skin cancer in its earliest stages. We’ve taken a few moments to catch up with the husband-wife responsible for this innovative organization: retired orthopedic surgeon and cancer survivor Dean Foster and his wife, Jeanne Braa Foster, a beauty guru who spent the latter part of her career working closely with the legendary Paul Mitchell.

Clients come to Jackie Shoop-Zugschwert and Kim Zugschwert “for a good laugh, good time and good hair,” explains Jackie, the more organized, chattier spouse. “Kim’s definitely the dreamer,” Jackie continues, calling herself a realist.

The stylists’ individual journeys into hair offer more insight into their unique personalities.

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars!

Name: Polly Sanders-Peterson

Sola Location: Denver, CO

How many years have you been in the salon industry? Just celebrated my 50th year!

What are you going to do with the extra daylight – and time! – these long summer days bring? Growing your business promises both financial and noncommercial rewards, and it doesn’t necessarily entail adding to your list of salon services. Increase customer loyalty and up clientele by partnering with other Sola Salon Studios professionals to offer referrals, promotions and specials. Here’s how to get started.

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars!

Name: Ashley Johnson

Sola Location: Bentonville, AR

How many years have you been in the salon industry? 2 licensed / 11 total

Instagram is a wildly popular social media app, and it’s a fantastic way to market your salon. But with more than 300 million users worldwide, standing out from the crowd isn’t easy. One of the most important aspects of cultivating a captivating Instagram account is to pay special attention to photo quality. Instagram is all about the photos! Makes sense, right?

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars! Salon Name: Jessica Zeinstra Sola Location: Uptown Minneapolis, MN How many years have you been in the salon industry? 7

Maybe you’re already offering children’s cuts — or, maybe that’s a market you’ve been thinking about capturing. Either way, kids can be fickle customers if you don’t know how to wrangle them. Don’t worry: from two to tween, we’ve got you covered with 10 expert tips from Yolanda Gilliam, owner of Kidz Kutz in Sola Salons Mount Pleasant, SC, “Where Haircuts are Fun!” Yolanda’s tips will help keep your littlest clients smiling through each and every visit.

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars! Name: Carl Slack Salon Name: Hair by Carl Sola Location: Jacksonville , Florida

The life of a salon professional is straining on your body. You spend the majority of your day on your feet holding up beauty tools, crouching over clients, and tensing muscles to work with a steady hand. At the end of the day, give your body the love it deserves by unwinding with these relaxing yoga poses. The more you practice, the more receptive your body will be to opening up and releasing tension over time. Remember to breathe deeply.

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars! Name: Kim Bennett Horvath Salon Name: Kim Bennett Studios Sola Location: Centennial, CO

Join us in celebrating 5,000 stylists & salon professionals nationwide at Sola Salon Studios! The Faces of Sola will give you a peek inside our dynamic and thriving community – enjoy this series of Q&As with some of our successful rock stars! Name: Kim Schine Salon Name: The Painted Ten Sola Location: Colorado Springs