As the pandemic forced salons to close across the country in 2020, owners and their team members had to pivot, designing new avenues to bring in revenue while their doors were shuttered, incorporating stringent new safety and social distancing procedures, and getting creative with their budgets to weather the challenges of the year.
SALON TODAY’s landmark salon business competition also shifted, temporarily abandoning its sharp focus on growth, and instead choosing to celebrate the business successes of 2019 and the tales of leadership and heroism for 2020.
To make this large story a little easier to digest for our readers, we’re breaking it into segments alphabetically. Here is the 2021 Honorees for Salons A-B.
The team from 8 the Experience on an exploratory hike in Curacao.
8 The Experience
Rif-Sint Marie, Curaçao
8curacao.com
Kimberly de Freitas
SQUARE FEET: 5,382
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 24
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $46
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: CND, All Heart, Ella Milla
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
“I put three people in charge of leading the teams who worked on their scheduled days. The leaders created the schedules, as well as games to motivate the teams. They also became my accountability partners, and they are work directly with each employee about their hopes and dreams and how their success at work can get them there.”
The team from A Roland Salon in New Cumberland, PA, pose with their Be Kind shirts and their masks.
A Roland Salon
New Cumberland, PA
Arolandsalonstudio.com
Amy Roland
SQUARE FEET: 1,350
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 6
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $65
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“Each month we set aside 2-3% of total monthly profits to be split amongst qualifying team members. They need to hit the following goals: 80-85% retention, $105 average ticket; 80% booked; and 80% prebooking. Encouraging team members to focus on personal goals resulted in increased revenue for the salon, higher levels of productivity and job satisfaction.”
Samuel Sciotto and Lauren Hart, owners of Adam the Root Salon in Phoenix, AZ.
Adam The Root Salon
Phoenix, AZ
therootsalon.com
Lauren Hart and Samuel Sciotto
SQUARE FEET: 1765
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 16
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $62
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Alfaparf, Ergo
COLOR: Alfaparf, Redken, Wella
TECH SUPPORT: STX, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATIONS: ISBN, PBA
“After reopening, we took temperatures and signed waivers daily. We fog with a sanitizing company weekly. We are now open seven days a week to accommodate our guests. A video featuring our safety practices was posted on all channels. Immediately, salon revenue and sales were back to pre-closing status.”
Agape Salon
Rancho Mirage, CA
agapesalonspa.com
Ismael and Ana Jimenez
SQUARE FEET: 1,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 8
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“After reading the book Excellence Wins by Horst Schulze, we started working on our ‘Salon Virtues.’ Every Saturday at our team huddle, we focus on a different virtue, for example upgrading services, retail, organizing, prebooking, forecasting, calling guests by name, etc. We have 13 total and we focus on each one four times a year—this has helped us be more productive.”
The team from Alan Murphy Salon in Spring, TX, send a message of love and support to their clients during the shutdown.
Alan Murphy Salon
Spring, TX
alanmurphysalon.com
Audrey and Liam Murphy
SQUARE FEET: 3,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 35
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Keratin Complex
COLOR: Aveda, Goldwell
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Presence AI, Listen 360
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“During closure, we made personal phone calls to our individual stylists to have more in-depth, personal conversations to check on their mental health. To reduce stress as much as possible, we had our accountant set up all of our stylists’ unemployment accounts prior to our closure. When we did shut down, stylists only had to activate their accounts and were able to access assistance immediately.”
The team from Allure Designs in Beauty in Libertyville, IL, strike a pose.
Allure Designs in Beauty
Libertyville, IL
alluredesigns.net
Shelly Malizola
SQUARE FEET: 3,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Aveda
COLOR: Aveda, Goldwell
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Glo, Circadia
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, PBA
“When we were closed, we hosted Zoom hair classes for clients. Our first one was called ‘Brews and Braids.’ Our team taught moms and dads to braid their kids’ hair, and we promoted a brewery in our town, as well as a coffee brew business. We asked these partners to promote the event on their social media as well, which eventually brought in many new clients.”
American Mortals
Philadelphia, PA
americanmortals.com
Adam J. May
SQUARE FEET: 1,200; 1,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: R+Co
COLOR: Wella, Evo Fab Pro
TECH SUPPORT: Booker, Frederick
“During the first two weeks of shutdown, we offered a boosted gift certificate deal—for every $80 spent, we would send clients a gift card for $100. This brought in more than $30,000 in revenue, which covered our fixed costs. We also focused on online retail sales, which was all processed through our distributors so there was no cost to us to generate this revenue.”
Anagen 11
Appleton, WI
anagen11.com
Christopher C Hartl and Jessica Rondinelli
SQUARE FEET: 4,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 20
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $49
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Alterna, Ref, Schwarzkopf
COLOR: Schwarzkopf, Redken, Pulp Riot
SKIN CARE: PCA, Jane Iredale
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Salon Clouds Plus, Mailchimp
“In 2020, we actually began something we had thought about for year—reaching out to other SALON TODAY 200 salons to talk about all things leadership, strategy and storytelling. It was so comforting and beautiful to connect to other salon owners facing similar realities. It was a needed sense of community and comradery during an unknown time.”
Team members at Animare Salon and Spa in Newport News, VA, make sure they are socially distanced.
Animare Salon and Spa
Newport News, VA
animaresalonspa.com
F.Lindsay and Gretchen Arndt
SQUARE FEET: 2,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI, DND
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
“Since reopening, we have been working on some exciting New Guest and New Stylist recruitment Facebook promotions, developed a QR Code for our service menus which replaced paper menus, and we continue to emphasize our curbside pickup and online retail purchases. At the end of October, our prebook, service dollars per ticket and percentage of service guests purchasing retail were all up.”
The team from Art of Life Salon in Urbandale, IA, celebrate together before the pandemic.
Art of Life Salon
Urbandale, IA
artoflifesalonspa.com
Shelley Bettis
SQUARE FEET: 3,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 24
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Presence AI
“During the shutdown, we made ‘meet the team’ posts for our guests. Each day, we’d show a little video introducing ourselves and talking about our favorite things or what we like to do. Since everyone was home, husbands and kids made guest appearances, and our clients and staff members loved seeing everyone.”
The team from Ash & Willow Eco Salon in Park Ridge, IL.
Ash & Willow Eco Salon
Park Ridge, IL
ashwillowsalon.com
Holly Santelli
SQUARE FEET: 2,400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 27
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $62
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kevin Murphy, Aveda, Davines
COLOR: Kevin Murphy, Aveda, Davines
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Rejuvi
NAIL CARE: Zoya, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Rosy, Meet Your Stylist, Salon Interactive
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmetologists Chicago
“We regularly provide about 30 free haircuts each month to a local group of special needs adults. We go directly to their home and provide professional haircuts without the stress that comes with a trip to the salon. We have incorporated this into our training program, so our new stylists get experience cutting hair, and these clients are always so excited to see us.”
Karie Bennett, owner of Atelier Studio in San Jose, CA.
Atelier Studio
San Jose, CA
ateliersalon.com
Karie Bennett
SQUARE FEET: 1,600
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 28
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $90
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Meet Your Stylist
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10 Network
“When clients asked us how they could help our employees during the first shutdown, we set up a GoFundMe page and collected enough for each member to receive $100. I decided to handwrite a note to each of our employees, put a crisp Benjamin in each one and personally deliver them to their homes—driving six days and more than 400 miles.”
Avalon Salon and Spa
Deer Park, IL
avalondeerpark.com
Bonnie and August Conte
SQUARE FEET: 3,500; 1,100
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 60
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $73
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATIONS: CC, I/SPA, PBA
“Our progressive internship program allows for interns to book clients as soon as they are skill-certified on a specific service. Full mastery is still a six-month process, but with the ability to use each skill as they become certified, interns are connecting with clients faster.”
Avantgarde Salon, Inc.
Destin, FL
avantgardeaveda.com
Joseph Rogers
SQUARE FEET: 4,300; 1,400
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 37
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $54
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: Aveda, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce
“During our quarterly meetings, we began focusing more on individual employee growth, rather than benchmarks. We created smaller goals for our team to focus on for three months, and rewarded consistent growth which helped them achieve their ultimate benchmarking goal. By the end of the 4th quarter, we saw 26% growth.”
Masked team members from Aveda on 3rd in St. Petersburg, FL, display their strength.
Aveda on 3rd
St. Petersburg, FL
avedaon3rd.com
Tom and Karen Petrillo
SQUARE FEET: 2,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 23
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $43
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce, ZeeZor
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA
“We implemented a plan to help stylists become $80K earners as quickly as possible. We clearly defined a roadmap to get them promoted every six months. Our quarterly reviews are called ‘Hopes and Dreams’—they are about what the stylists really want, and we review these each quarter.”
Avenue Hair Design
Venice, FL
Avenuehairdesign.net
Claire & Nicky Kirby
SQUARE FEET: 2,300
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 15
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $54
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology, Ouidad
COLOR: Redken, Pulp Riot
TECH SUPPORT: Envision
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“During a reorganization in 2019, we lost two stylists whose books together averaged $160,000 per year. We were able to retain more than half of their combined client base. The structure we put in place, along with the new hires, helped ensure we did not experience a decline in year-on-year revenue.”
James and Angela Alba, owners of The B Hive Salon in Hillsdale, NJ.
The B Hive Salon
Hillsdale, NJ
thebhivesalon.com
Angela and James Alba
SQUARE FEET: 1,700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 8
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $85
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines
COLOR: Davines, Organic Colour Systems
SKIN CARE: Skin Regimen, Comfort Zone
NAIL CARE: Karma Organic
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Salon Ninja
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, PBA
“We began building a network and connecting with salon and stylists all over the world to talk about aspects of business. The impact on revenue came by working smarter, not harder. This allowed us to streamline and cut costs, recapturing 4% of our total revenue back into the business.”
Kati Whitledge, owner of Be Inspired Salon, Inc.
Be Inspired Salon, Inc.
Madison, WI
BeInspiredSalon.com
Kati Whitledge
SQUARE FEET: 2,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $65
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Surface, DevaCurl
COLOR: Goldwell, Pulp Riot
TECH SUPPORT: Rosy, Meet Your Stylist, Salon Interactive
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, PBA
“We made a commitment to visit one of the three local beauty schools each month. We either brought an experienced stylist to share a demonstration of their work or we attended the school’s career fairs and student work share events. We became known as the salon that cared about developing new talent.”
An inside look at Bella Luci Salon in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Bella Luci Salon
Poughkeepsie, NY
bellalucisalon.com
Rebecca Lee
SQUARE FEET: 2,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 8
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: Zoya, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo
“During the pause, I personally refinished floors, painted the walls, repurposed furniture and added barriers that didn’t detract from the atmosphere. My efforts were showcased in a local newspaper article about how businesses were doing during shutdown, which was another way to connect with our guests.”
Bella Salon & Spa
Chester Springs, PA
bellasalonandspa.org
Nina Childers
SQUARE FEET: 4,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 22
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Eufora
COLOR: Eufora
SKIN CARE: Cosmedix
TECH SUPPORT: Phorest, Meet Your Stylist
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA, 2 to 10 Network
“On the technology front, we implemented the program Slack to create communication between departments and team members. This allows us to share documents, lists, information and ideas. We streamlined our checkout processing using iPads and implemented a testing program that communicates with guests, streamlining our check-in and booking process.”
The glamourous team from Bella Style Salon in Slidell, LA.
Bella Style Salon
Slidell, LA
mybellastyle.com
Jen Baudier
SQUARE FEET: 3,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 16
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $66
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, Davines, Olaplex
COLOR: Wella, Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Vagaro
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, PBA
“Before we reopened, we raised all our prices 20-25% to cover the cost of doing business. We simply added a chemical and technical hourly rate into our POS. Our new pricing structure is clear and easy for our guests to understand. Their price simply reflects the time it takes for their appointment.”
Belladonna
Cape Girardeau, MO
Belladonasalons.com
Linda Springs & Becky Davidson
SQUARE FEET: 2,300; 4,200
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $35
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Kevin Murphy, Eufora
COLOR: Aveda, Eufora
SKIN CARE: Aveda, Glo Skin Beauty, Farmhouse Fresh
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo2, Textel, Meet Your Stylist
“Our software allows us to offer a Guest Satisfaction survey via text when the guest checks out. We read the details of the surveys at each meeting. When a service provider is praised, they are rewarded and congratulated by the team. The surveys helps us keep our retention under control by understanding and fixing concerns.”
Steve and Geri Good, owners of Bellezza Avanti Spa Salon in Wadsworth, OH.
Bellezza Avanti Spa/Salon
Wadsworth, OH
bellezzaavanti.com
Steve and Geri Good
SQUARE FEET: 3,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 36
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $43
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Pureology, Redken, Mizani
COLOR: Redken
SKIN CARE: Eminence, Farmhouse Fresh
NAIL CARE: OPI, CND
TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Salon Clouds Plus
“We are focused on spreading joy in a time of stress. We supply the breakroom with tons of snacks, we relaxed our dresscode and we came up with Secret Sibling. Each team member drew the name of another and has a list of their person’s favorite things. They are surprising one another with small gifts, prayers and notes of encouragement.”
The team from Blindage in David, Panama.
Blindage
David, Chiriqui, Panama
Mariana Machado De Morales & Daniel Pereira Da Rosa
Blindagepanama.com
SQUARE FEET: 2,700; 1,450
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $18
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Blindage
COLOR: L’Oreal
TECH SUPPORT: Salon Iris, Asana, Wix
“During the shutdown, our government’s financial support was only $80 per family. We opened a food pantry and began our door-to-door assistance program for our team. We were able to provide this assistance through our company’s emergency funds. We needed to be strong and remain a team to survive this adversity like a family.”
Bryan Nunes, owner of Blo in Raleigh, NC, dresses up as the Hairy Fairy to deliver hair color kits to clients, who in turn made a donation to No Kind Hungry.
Blo
Raleigh, NC
justblo.com
Bryan Nunes
SQUARE FEET: 4,242
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 30
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken
SKIN CARE: Mirabella
TECH SUPPORT: STX, Snapsnip
“To keep morale high and our culture connected we organized the Hairy Fairy hair color fundraiser, held weekly Zoom calls and organized weekly team walks held at set times at local parks. Three crockpots circulated between 41 employees. They would receive a surprise crockpot to enjoy, then deliver it refilled to another random team member.”
Lindsey Babinec, chief blonde at Blondies in Columbus, IN.
Blondie’s Salon & Spa
Columbus, IN
BlondiesColumbus.com
Lindsey Babinec
SQUARE FEET: 2,700
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 13
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $35
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Davines, Milkshake, Depot
COLOR: Davines, Redken
SKIN CARE: Comfort Zone, PCA, Farmhouse Fresh
NAIL CARE: Morgan Taylor, DND
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo2, Demandforce, Vish
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“We analyzed our customer experience from start to finish and made empathy maps, imagining how clients felt at every step. Members of our staff were secret shoppers at competing salons, filling out surveys of their experience. Our team got clarity about the importance of the consultation. With all the adjustments we raised sales 18.75%, even with fewer employees.”
The team from Blue Door Spa and Salon in Bradenton, FL, engage clients on their social media feeds during the shutdown.
Blue Door Spa and Salon
Bradenton, FL
thebluedoorspa.com
Nichola Nagy
SQUARE FEET: 3,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 20
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $58
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Wella, Keratherapy, Sebastian
COLOR: Wella
SKIN CARE: GM Collin, Thalgo
NAIL CARE: Zoya, CND, Voesch
TECH SUPPORT: Booker, Frederick
“When we reopened, we offered guests incentives, like our Christmas in July gift card offer, 10% off for all first responders and a guest appreciation month offering free upgrades on certain services. We made sure cleaning was visible and ongoing, so our guests felt secure coming back.”
Brio Salon Inc.
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
briosalon.ca
Wayne and Heather Tytula
SQUARE FEET: 5,500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 35
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $54
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
SKIN CARE: Aveda
NAIL CARE: OPI
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Listen 360
“We made the bold decisions to develop our senior customer service team member and have her manage the ‘floor.’ She was tasked with supporting the team and making sure it was right sized each day. She forecasts upcoming days and make sure we are staffed appropriately.”
Cathy Issel, owner of Brown and Deline West in Ann Arbor, MI.
Brown and DeLine West
Ann Arbor, MI
brownanddeline.com
Cathy Issel
SQUARE FEET: 3,800
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 39
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $55
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: TIGI, Moroccanoil, Wella
COLOR: Wella, Redken, TIGI
SKIN CARE: Glymed, Sothys, Maxey Lash
NAIL CARE: CND, OPI
TECH SUPPORT: Meevo, Salon Clouds Plus
ASSOCIATIONS: ICA, PBA
“October 2020 marked our 25th year in business. I spent much of closure thinking back and imagining our dream salon. In so many ways, 2020 brought me back to our core and foundations. Your first year in business is fueled by excitement and the drive to succeed. When we reopened, I was determined to implement a redirection to prioritizing my staff and making every single day count.”
Bushwackers Salon, Inc.
Cincinnati, OH
bushwackerssalon.com
Lisa Tomes
SQUARE FEET: 1,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 17
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $41
BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology, Mizani
COLOR: Redken
SKIN CARE: Bioelements
NAIL CARE: CND
TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: ISBN
“We have modified our business model to be more flexible for our service providers. I try to give the new ones more evenings and Saturdays so they can build their guest count. We allow our team to put in for requests off—on the form. they mark what day they want off and when they will make up the revenue. This gives them flexibility over the schedule without the salon losing money for time off.”
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Originally posted on Salon Today
