Our Blog

Ashley Lecroy and Sabrina Solis just took their first vacation in two years! And the stylists have had plenty to toast to since opening their joint salon – Lush Hair Studio – in July of 2015 at Sola San Marcos. When Ashley and Sabrina met a decade ago in beauty school, the two were fast friends. The stylists even share a similar story regarding their journey into the industry. After high school, both Ashley and Sabrina enrolled in college for a semester — then promptly switched to cosmetology school!  Read More

We know that people can get comfortable and complacent working for someone else, but when a salon environment becomes toxic and the salon owner/manager isn’t willing to invest in your future, it’s time to make a change. Case in point for Sue Scott, Owner of Wisp Salon in Alexandria, Virginia, who went with her gut instinct and took a leap of faith. She shares her story, some tips on how to keep clients excited, and some things to keep in mind when you’re giving your next client consultation.  Read More

A new moon occurs this Saturday, September 16, and in astronomy, this is a time when the sun and moon are perfectly aligned. Many astrologists believe that the moon is the ruler of our emotions, and a new moon is a time for transformations, new beginnings — maybe even a new hairdo! Read on for a special astrological list designed to help you figure out which styles are best for your clients based on their zodiac signs. If they can’t decide on a cut, why not let the stars pick for them?  Read More

Fall back into savings! The weather is cold, but these deals are hot! We know some of these lines sound super cheesy, but there’s a reason small business owners use them anyway. Seasonal marketing works! As summer winds down, grab the attention of your clients with these simple seasonal marketing strategies.  Read More

Aside from annual increases in cost of living (and dare we mention, salon studio rent), there are so many reasons why a salon owner should routinely raise their prices every 12-18 months. Perhaps you’re booked solid and you simply don’t have enough hours in the day to make more money. Or maybe you’re realizing that it’s been years since you’ve raised your prices, but your rent and cost of back bar have seen a slight uptick in the same amount of time. No matter the reason, you don’t need to defend when and why it’s time to raise your prices. You owe it to yourself to measure and understand your value, and don’t be afraid to do so! Your services are worth it. We reached out to seven Faces of Sola who generously shared all about how they handle raising their prices.  Read More

An optimized social media profile will tell your followers who you are and what your profile is about. Here are a few simple ways you can optimize your social media profiles to make sure you’re getting the most value possible from your social media marketing.   Read More

Growing a beauty business isn’t just about keeping existing clients, it’s also about attracting new clients. How can you do both? It's easy - use the power of reviews! Reviews give potential clients access to feedback from other clients. Having a collection of detailed, positive reviews makes it more likely for potential clients to be confident in booking you!  Read More

NYC-based hairstylist Sade Williams worked at one of the most prestigious salons in the industry, but knew she had the potential to build her own brand. In this in depth Q&A, she shares why she left working at Ted Gibson’s salon, tips on how to find a mentor and create a portfolio, and ways to land more freelance work. She also explains how creating an apprenticeship/assistant program helped her bring that big-city level of service to her 150 square-foot Sola studio.  Read More

“I’m one of the old dogs around here,” says Ralph Lyman, owner of Hair Mechanix at Sola Shoppes at the Village in Green Bay. Ralph has been working in the industry for 24 years — but he might not have gotten into hair at all if it hadn’t been for a friend convincing him to move to Green Bay on a whim! But before long, he was touring a cosmetology school in the area, and Ralph says, “I just fell in love.” The hairdresser, you see, had always loved art – especially sculpting – and his newfound passion was strikingly similar to his former pastime.  Read More

You wear so many hats as an independent salon owner at Sola. You’re an artist, receptionist, bookkeeper, marketing director and so much more. What if you could simplify your day-to-day and focus on being an artist? Introducing your new best friend, a technology solution that was truly made just for you: SolaGenius. We recently caught up with eight SolaGenius rock stars to find out the ways technology is helping to run their businesses efficiently. From online booking to customer management to point-of-sale, there are so many ways SolaGenius can help Run Your Sola Like a Boss.  Read More

Next time you need a quick burst of energy during a long and hectic day behind the chair, try one of these tips for increasing vitality – naturally!  Read More

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