Our Blog

Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who came out of the womb knowing exactly what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. Grew up with a brush in your hand, cutting the hair of your dolls or putting nail polish or makeup on your little sister (or your tortured brother). Or maybe you’re more like Nelly Weeks, esthetician and owner of Voyage de Splendeur in Brookfield, WI, who found herself on a path that ended up not being her true calling.  Read More

The Sola story is made up of 12,000 individual stories... This means that when we ask our community what having a salon studio at Sola means to them, we get thousands of different answers. For some, Sola represents freedom and control. For others, it's about opportunity and living that boss life. The reasons to own your salon, and the feeling you get inside your studio space, are different for everyone. And that’s the beauty of Sola!  Read More

JayR Mallari, owner of Legacy Barber Studio in Walnut Creek, California, started his career cutting hair in his parent's garage. Today, he has an all-star clientele with celebrity clients including Stephen Curry, Doc Rivers, Chuck Liddell, Carnage and Blake Griffin...to name a few. How did he take his business from garage to A-list entourage? It all starts with providing an excellent client experience. Check out his tips to help you elevate your barber business.  Read More

As big as you can dream you can do it at Sola. So after her first location was thriving, Tiffany Martincic, owner of The Tan Banana kept dreaming. “I knew I had built a really successful business and it had proven capable of running and being profitable without me physically being there while being away on long vacations.” With multiple successful locations under her belt, this Sola-preneur knows a thing or two about what it takes to expand your brand across multiple markets.  We sat down with Tiffany and asked her to give us some realistic advice for expanding your brand, business, and clientele.  Read More

Sola Salon Studios is excited to announce pet grooming services!  Read More

The beautiful thing about being at Sola is you get to pick and choose what kind of services you want to provide. Many of our Sola professionals offer a range of services and some provide a very specific type of service that speaks to a very precise type of client. Read these tips from niche stylist Elom Thompson if you're thinking about developing a niche in your salon.  Read More

With Sola Pro you have unlimited access to inspiration and education in the palm of your hands. Pretty awesome, right?! But did you know Sola Pro offers so much more than just that? Discover how our exclusive (and free) app to the Sola community is a resource you can’t afford to pass up!  Read More

Ours is a self-segregated industry, which has never made sense to Chissel Espinal, our 2019 Faces of Sola stylist from New Orleans, who grew up in a family of hairdressers. “My mother had a diverse clientele, and what I learned from her is that hair has nothing to do with the color of your skin,” says Chissel, who loved the arts but wasn’t sure she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Admittedly they were big shoes to fill because “my mother is amazing.”  Read More

You know that little voice inside your head that says, “Go for it, you’ll be okay,” or that quiver in your gut that whispers, “Trust me. I know this will work out.” Some call it intuition while others refer to it as an “inner voice.” Roxanne Muir, our 2019 Faces of Sola stylist from Leaside, Canada knows that voice quite well. She’s had a few “leap of faith” moments in her life, including the biggest one of all—leaving a commission-based salon and becoming the first-ever Canadian Sola stylist.  Read More

Kelsey Morris, owner of Studio K Salon in Columbus, Ohio, is one of our 2019 Faces of Sola, a GlossGenius Ambassador, a Sunlights Balayage Educator and most importantly, a mom. Sola has provided her the unique freedom and flexibility to be both a stay-at-home mom and a successful business owner. How does she balance it all? She has developed strategies to help her work smarter not harder. Check out Kelsey's tips for developing systems to help you thrive in every area of your life.  Read More

Joey Figueriedo is no stranger to working behind-the-scenes, whether it’s behind the chair, behind the camera or, most recently, behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. If you follow this Instagram rockstar @stylistjoey, you’ve seen how his eye for creativity extends far beyond hair.  We are so inspired by this artistic go-getter so we sat down and had him share his backstage backstory, some trade secrets, how-tos, and advice to those of you who one day wish to also be behind-the-scenes.  Read More

A Color Queen is someone who defies all limits. A Color Queen doesn't play by the rules or follow the law of color she was taught. She thinks outside the box and creates with her whole heart. Kayla Valerio, one of our 2019 Faces of Sola, is slaying it day-to-day in her Sola as well as on social media. From content to color mixing and everything you need to know in between, check out these tips and advice from Kayla to help you go from colorist to Color Queen.  Read More

You’ve heard the buzz, but if you haven’t yet experienced the magic of the Sola Sessions, you won’t want to miss what we have in store for you. With a lineup of presenters full of some of the biggest names in the industry, a kick-off Cinco de Mayo pool party, a vendor expo, a historic venue in the heart of San Diego, the first ever Faces of Sola panel, we are barely scratching the surface of what's in store for you if you join us in San Diego on May 6. Check out the below for 10 reasons why you should grab your ticket and join us for the 2019 San Diego Sola Sessions!  Read More

For many of you, and for most of our Faces of Sola, it was a no-brainer. You knew right away the Sola life was the one you wanted to live. But it isn’t uncommon to be unsure and sit on the fence wondering if making taking the leap of faith is the right thing to do.  We asked our 2018 and 2019 Faces of Sola a question we knew they could ALL answer without hesitation: What would you say to a room full of beauty professionals who were on the fence about joining Sola? Read what each of them had to say.  Read More

As professionals in the beauty industry, if we want to continue elevating ourselves as well as our industry as a whole, we must make it a priority to continue our education, long after leaving beauty school. At Sola, we are always striving to provide top education, whether digital or in person, so no matter what kind of learner you are, or what your specialty is, you always have the tools and resources you need to stay ahead of the curve. Make it your mission to explore at least one of these resources this year, and we have a feeling once you start the fun won’t stop.  Read More

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend a near-record $19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. Holy cow! The NRF survey also revealed that 23.7% of respondents planned on giving a “gift of experience,” and 42.3% said they would love to receive an experience as a gift from a loved one! ‘Tis the season to “Pamper Someone you Love” and “Treat ‘Yo-Self” – and it’s time to position your studio as the ultimate celebration destination.  Read More

Read tips from Amanda Fagan to help you live and work an intentional life. "I’ve found that being intentional is about changing perspective, actions and behaviors in a positive way and acts as an antidote to stress. While I don’t hold the key to all the answers, I have moved from a stress and anxiety led life to one where I remain intentional in my process to continue to grow and recover. I am deeply grateful for the blessings that this perspective has resulted in."  Read More

Our 2019 Faces of Sola are like a perfectly completed jigsaw puzzle. We have fit together a range of beauty pros—a master barber, a spray tan expert, a natural hair guru, a vivids color specialist, to name a few—who have interesting backstories and hobbies—a photographer, a law enforcement graduate, an aerialist, an immigrant, a cancer survivor. They each bring something unique and authentic and are so excited to finally introduce you to them! As you embark on a year-long journey with us and the 2019 Faces of Sola, you’ll quickly see why this group of 10 beauty professionals found their way to the top of our list for 2019.  Read More

Sometimes the New Year sneaks up on us and our resolutions quickly fall to the wayside. So we gathered 100 resolutions from Sola professionals to inspire one another to start 2019 right! Set your goals high, and ask yourself: Is what you're doing today getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow? Cheers to a fabulous and very happy New Year!  Read More

According to the U.S. News, 80 percent of all New Year’s resolutions fall flat by February. Why? Because people make resolutions without creating a plan of action to achieve their goals. At Sola, it’s our mission to help you succeed by giving you the support and tools you need to turn your resolutions into realities. So this year, don’t just think about what you want to accomplish, let Sola help you create a plan to get there!  Read More

Success doesn’t necessary require a surplus of years— and Emily Buckley’s proving that from her Tucson-based salon, where she attracts clients with a stellar marketing program.  Read More

For many entreprenuers there's an instilled mentality to WORK HARD. Hard work is likely how you've gotten where your are in your career. But working hard 24/7 can only last so long. Eventually, you'll start to feel run down, overwhelmed, and deprived of self-care. To stay on top of your game, it’s not always a matter of pushing harder. It’s about working smarter. These 5 tips will prevent mind and body fatigue, help drive more traffic to your social media and even help you generate more income!   Read More

How’s that retail in your Sola selling? If you have products flying off the shelves and you’re making enough of a profit to pay your rent (yes, it can be done!), then congrats and keep on sellin’. But if it’s not making a profit and you have nothing but dust bunnies, then it’s time to rethink this space, no matter how big or small it may be.    Read More

For salon owners, the holidays are often about everyone else: long days pampering your guests followed by gift wrapping, parties and people, oh my! Winding down from a stressful season doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to give yourself a few days to recharge. Here are a few tips to help the madness settle after the holidays.  Read More

If someone were to ask if you were living your life with intention, would you be able to answer honestly? Would you even know what it means to live your life with intention? We sat down with Amanda to find out just exactly what it means for her and how you can find intention in your everyday life.  Read More