Our Blog

Self-care is important all the time, but especially right now. As care givers and service providers, you spend so much of your day making others feel great that it's important to remember to take time out of your day to nourish and care for yourself, too. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup!  Read More

On this episode of Sola Stories, Jennie is joined by Sola Culture Ambassador, Kim Bennett. After being closed nearly 9 weeks, Kim knew she was not going to let this virus take down her business. Tune in to hear how Kim adapted her salon and procedures to keep her guests safe and how this pandemic has created opportunities to reinvent herself as a business owner once again.   Read More

Aside from routine cleaning, mask-wearing, and all the other precautionary measures you are taking to keeping your salon as clean as possible and to avoid Coronavirus, what are you doing to keep yourself as healthy as possible? It’s important, especially during this time, that you are making yourself a priority. Stress is high and things are unpredictable, but its important to focus your energy on what you can control - like keeping yourself healthy! Not only is it crucial in efforts to stop the spread of COVID, but also to help you stay strong in mind, body, and spirit – all of which affect your salon business. Here are 5 tips to keep you healthy (and energized) in the salon!   Read More

Sade Williams is a celebrity stylist, owner Sade Milinda Studios in Manhattan, New York, and one of our 2017 Faces of Sola. Before coming to Sola, Sade worked at one of the most prestigious salons in New York City. She moved to Sola because she was ready to create an intimate salon home for her guests, many of whom are high profile models and celebrities. She has even created an assistant apprenticeship program where she trains mentees on how to do high-end salon and editorial work in their own salons someday.    Read More

Are you utilizing Instagram to build your brand? Instagram is a hot spot for beauty professionals because it’s such a visual platform that lends itself to showcasing your talent with the snap of a photo.  But it’s more than just a picture - it’s about knowing your audience, telling your story, and building a brand that represents you and your amazing services!  Read More

Michael Cole is a business coach, industry thought-leader, co-founder of Summit Salon Business Center, and a loyal Sola supporter. Upon the first salon closures, Michael generously hosted a Facebook Live for our community on preparing for financial uncertainty. Over the years, Michael has coached several Sola owners, been a speaker at several Sola Sessions, and hosted many virtual education events for our community.  Tune in to this episode of Sola Stories to hear how to take advantage of this unprecedented crisis and create unprecedented opportunities.   Read More

Despite your best efforts to keep yourself and those around you safe, you might face a situation where you test positive for COVID-19. Please know that this is not your fault; we are in a global pandemic. Coronavirus can spread very quickly even when implementing the utmost sanitation and safety precautions. If a positive COVID-19 diagnosis does arise, the most important step to protect our communities is to communicate with your guests or anyone else you have been in contact with as soon as possible.  Read More

The recent news about California salons shutting down again came quickly and surprised us all. The abruptness of their closures may have you wondering, "Will this happen to me? Is my state and my salon next?" Remember, we’ve been through this before and we’ll get through it again - together. Through all of the ups and downs of salon ownership, Sola has your back and we are here to help you get through this #SolaStrong.   Read More

We want to talk about retail because, in a salon studio environment, retail can be a tremendous opportunity to boost your bottom line. We know that with COVID-19 closures, you are probably trying to make up for the lost time, and with the need to sanitize after every guest, it's almost impossible to double book as you may be used to. Tune in to this Quick Tip to for 10 tips to help you boost your bottom line and retail like a boss. Sit back, take notes, and get ready to start paying your rent in retail!   Read More

In our digitally-driven world, it is rare for consumers to make decisions without first visiting the web. Think about it. When was the last time you went to a restaurant or booked a service without first stopping by your trusted friend Google? Whether we like it or not, the Internet has forever transformed the way we find and interact with businesses and ultimately make purchasing decisions.  This presents an amazing opportunity to market yourself and your business. When you efficiently capitalize on your available online resources, you no longer need to fully rely on referrals from existing clients to get new eyes on your business. These days, people trust online reviews from strangers just as much or more than they trust a recommendation from someone they know.  Read More

If there’s anyone who understands evolution in the beauty industry it’s Gordon Miller. Gordon has been a part of the Sola family for many years as both a speaker at the Sola Sessions and Sola Summit as well as a close friend and mentor to Jennie Wolff. Gordon’s insights and mentorship have made tremendous impacts on Sola’s evolution and programs over the years, including his advice when we first decided to launch the Sola Stories podcast!  Read More

The past few months have been filled with unprecedented challenges, and for many salon professionals, the thought of getting back into the salon and back into a groove provided much-needed comfort and excitement. However, reopening is no walk in the park. It comes with longer days, eager clients, anticipation to get “back to the way things were”, and navigating a new normal of increased sanitation, wearing a mask, and calming client nerves.  Read More

As her first Solaversary approached, Staten Island stylist Jodi Cali had no idea that she would soon be fighting for her life. In January 2020, Jodi was diagnosed with breast cancer, and shortly after her first chemo treatment, she could not get out of bed. She experienced a lot of pain around her neck and throat and thought it was due to the side effects of her treatments. But after her symptoms continued to worsen, she learned she had also contracted COVID-19.  Read More

If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of selling products to your clients, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table... money that could literally pay your salon's weekly rent. We know - you’re an artist, not a salesperson, but think of it this way: You’re actually doing your clients a service when you send them home with the products they need to preserve their hair color, keep frizz at bay, tame unruly curls or add volume to limp, lifeless locks. They’ll thank you later when they notice that the sulfate-free shampoo you recommended kept their color from fading or that they were able to recreate the look you gave them in the salon because they bought the styling products and tools you recommended.  Read More

On this episode of the Sola Stories podcast, Tara shares how she and her salon co-owner, Shelbie Donoho, became a part of the Sola family and how having a great mentor helped her along her journey. Tara also opens up about losing her father how she’s used that devastating challenge to propel her career forward. Tara said, "I wanted to pursue the life he wanted to give me and live the life he couldn't," and that has been her inspiration to make every day count.  Read More

In recognition of Juneteeth, we wanted to give a special shout out to our past and current black Faces of Sola who truly embody what it means to achieve greatness. Our culture is built upon diversity and we are proud to celebrate Juneteenth and recognize the contributions made to elevate our Sola community and industry as a whole.  While we'd need more like a novel than a blog post to speak about all the incredible accomplishments these Faces of Sola have achieved, we've highlighted a few of our favorites below. Watch, read and enjoy getting to know these incredible black members of our community as much as we have.   Read More

It's common in the beauty industry to find yourself at a career crossroads, especially after an unexpected global pandemic. The traditional salon you were working in may have closed down or you may be looking for a safer, more private environment for you and your guests. But opening a storefront salon may not be feasible due to financial burden and other risks and responsibilities that come with opening a brick-and-mortar salon.   Read More

Also known as “The Hungry Hairdresser,” 2020 Faces of Sola Lindsey Couch knew from a young age that she wanted a career that enabled her to make people happy. After making a last-minute change decision not to pursue psychology at a traditional college, but unsure what she should do next, her mom encouraged her to become a hairstylist. As Lindsey says, “Mom knows best!” because in cosmetology school, Lindsey quickly found her tribe and for the first time, felt like she belonged.   Read More

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain - here is a playlist with 20 songs to dance your heart out to today!  Read More

As exciting as it is to reopen, it's no secret that life inside the salon will look (and feel) vastly different. But, as we've said from the beginning - you're not in this alone. The best thing we can do right now is to share and learn from one another and lean on each other to help all of our #SolaFam open as strong as possible.  As exciting as it is to reopen, it's no secret that life inside the salon will look (and feel) different in our post COVID world. But, as we've said from the beginning - you're not in this alone. The best thing we can do right now is to share and learn from one another in our community to help each other get back to business as strong as possible. From mask comfort to client connection, check out these tried and true tips that our Sola pros shared for a successful reopening!   Read More

This episode was recorded prior to the launch of the Sola Stories podcast, with a Sola professional who has a heart of gold, and at 75 years young, has been behind the chair for 55 years. Polly Sanders-Peterson was the first black student accepted into her beauty college and was the first black salon owner in Denver's primarily white, affluent Cherry Creek neighborhood.   Read More

As advertising and marketing have increasingly become an online game, social media has become the most accessible tool for self-promotion as a small business owner and entrepreneur. However, running social media platforms can be a challenge - especially when you feel like there is so much to do and so little time. We’ve put together some resources that can boost your creativity, maximize your content, cut down on your posting time, and improve your efficacy on social media.  Read More

Growing up, Diana Antes was encouraged to follow a career path that yielded stability and security - like healthcare professional - rather than one that promised fulfillment and joy. But with a calling to pursue her passion for hair, Diana forged her own path, overcoming all obstacles, to eventually create a thriving career as an independent salon owner and one of our 2020 Faces of Sola. Join us for another episode of the Sola Stories Podcast (pre-recorded at the Faces of Sola Experience on March 3) as Jennie sits down with Diana to discuss her journey to Sola and how she has grown her business into the success it is today.   Read More

Over 15,000 beauty professionals have discovered the Sola Difference and created a business they can call their own. So why do so many beauty professionals choose Sola? We wanted to go even deeper and ask, out of all of the salon suite models and companies out there, why choose Sola over another salon suite?  Read More

Are you ready to reopen your salon? Listen, as Jennie and her guest, 2020 Faces of Sola Katie Oakes, discuss what the new normal looks like after returning to her salon since reopening after her state-mandated shutdown. Katie is from Savannah, Georgia, and just reopened her salon on April 27th, after being shut down for COVID-19. We wanted to bring her on the Sola Stories Podcast to share her experience with us about her reopening journey.    Read More