This weeks American Salon Best Advice video series comes from one of the world's most renowned colorists, Wella Creative Director, Sonya Dove. As Sonya was quick to remind us in our recent Artist Stories video interview, she is also a working cutter and stylist, AND a long time salon owner. With an amazingly busy life in and out of the salon, Sonya says she learned the hard way that we have to pick our passions –and know our limitations.
Being successful behind the chair can be(dare we say "should be"") all consuming. We would say that same applies to building success as an owner. If your passion is business, look to replace yourself behind the chair with those who have a passion for working with clients all day, every day. If your passion is doing hair and working directly with clients (but you have also chosen to be the owner), than consider bringing in a strong manager who can take responsibility for the day to management and marketing while reporting to you in way that works within the context of your larger business plan.
The bottom line is that taking on the role of ownership while continuing to be a working professional behind the chair is the equivalent of working two (very different) jobs. If we know anything about the best practices for building long-term sustainable success in our profession, it's that having two jobs is not a sustainable approach to getting there.
To hear Sonya's Best Advice on the topic, please view the video.
About: Gordon is Senior Director of Digital at American Salon where he works with the entire editorial team as well as with the considerable resources of parent company Questex to bring you stories, resources and more, 24/7.
Gordon can be found online at facebook.com/gordnm or as @gordnm on Instagram. In real-time, you can find Gordon at major beauty events where he often teaches classes on business and career development as well as best practices in digital and social media. Email Gordon at [email protected].