Ready to Open Your Own Salon? Read This First
Does any of this sound familiar? You’re a new stylist who wants to perfect your skills and never stop learning. You’re a passionate hairdresser who wants to elevate industry standards and try cutting-edge techniques. Maybe you and your friends talk about how cool it would be to one day own your own salon—a successful, trendsetting space with top education, overflowing books and amazing marketing and PR. How do you get there? Lauren Scaccia and Geneva Mendosa, two Newport Beach, Calif. hairdressers, knew the secret to achieving that dream: TONI&GUY.
Geneva and Lauren met 15 years ago and instantly became best friends. Lauren worked for TONI&GUY, and Geneva later joined the company as well. The pair worked alongside each other for years as stylists behind the chair and educators on the TONI&GUY Artistic Team, and they later became involved in the TONI&GUY Leadership Team. A few years ago, these besties began dreaming about owning their own salon, so they called up TONI&GUY CEO Bruno Mascolo to see what franchising opportunities looked like. Now, they own a successful TONI&GUY Hairdressing Salon in Newport Beach’s upscale Fashion Island.
“We actually didn’t ever set out in our careers to be salon owners,” shares Geneva. “As we ‘earned more years of experience,’ we felt it was time to invest in our future. Sure, we could have attempted to do it without the support of TONI&GUY, but we would have fumbled a heck of a lot more!”
BTC sat down with Geneva and Lauren to get all the details on their journey—check it out!
Lauren and Geneva: 15 years of friendship and
now TONI&GUY Hairdressing Salon owners!
BTC: What about the TONI&GUY culture do you most identify with?
Geneva: We identify most with the theory of precision haircutting and personalized texture, which allows our clients to continue to enjoy their shapes as they grow out. We also love the family dynamic that started with the Mascolo brothers and has expanded to include us and our team! And we fully believe in the commitment TONI&GUY has in elevating the industry standards as a whole.
BTC: What’s the franchise training like when opening a TONI&GUY Hairdressing Salon?
Lauren: Well, we would call it franchise coaching! And this coaching and involvement never stops, to which we are all about receiving that support! Being first-time business owners, we wanted all the guidance we could get, from details on which business licensing and requirements were needed, to one-on-one meetings with the franchise team and the president of the company regularly. Together the team has guided us to make smart decisions based on our demographic and clientele. Whenever we have a challenge or question (which can be frequent, ha) they are more than happy to be a sounding board and help us find a solution.
BTC: How about stylist training? What about the TONI&GUY stylist training sets it apart?
Lauren: The educational theory and standard set is what made us want to work for the company in the first place, so maintaining consistency in the standard has been a major priority when it comes to training our salon! The foundation program for the new talent with our company consists of weekly model nights, to which we require the staff to arrive fully prepared and ready to absorb the ins and outs of whichever technique they are working on that night. With Zak Mascolo at the helm of the Artistic Team, this program is in line with every TONI&GUY Hairdressing Salon, which helps keep our brand consistent and forward-thinking. We also facilitate monthly advanced education for the entire staff to keep on top of their game. What we appreciate the most about the national educational support is the emphasis on quality and progression!
BTC: TONI&GUY is adamant about having a simple business system and operational model to make owning a salon as streamlined as possible. How has it worked for you?
Geneva: TONI&GUY has well over 30 years of experience in the states crafting the perfect business model, creating a cohesive operation and education system. There was so much we didn’t know how to do, right off the bat. Through the coaching and support of the already fine-tuned business model, we have been able to grow our business and reach goals in a way that we believe we could not have done ourselves. Choosing this brand has given us a good standing in the community—it’s a trusted name that always delivers quality. We made the right decision to invest with the long-standing brand!
BTC: What else do you love about TONI&GUY?
Geneva: TONI&GUY is one of the biggest and most sought-out salons in the world. We value the innovation and dedication to raising the bar of education for the entire industry. They preserve their name by always putting education as the top priority. The branding is always clear and concise. We also love to see what the marketing and PR team come up with!
Sounds pretty great, right? Ready to see for yourself?
Take the next step and find out more about TONI&GUY!
Lauren and Geneva share why they love owning a TONI&GUY Hairdressing Salon!
Get Inspired!
For the first time in history, TONI&GUY’s annual Creative Release is open to ANYONE! You’ll see Zak Mascolo and his team take the stage to demonstrate the most trendsetting cut and color techniques. Over the two-day event on Oct. 23, 2016, you’ll participate in live cutting and coloring demos, a red carpet awards show, a glamorous afterparty and all the hands-on hairdressing you can take!
We still have a few months until Creative Release, so until then, get inspired by this amazing cut by Zak Mascolo, part of TONI&GUY’s latest collection, Westside: The Desert Project. “This overcut is approached utilizing a switch layering pattern, overdirecting out to the square guide and creating a heavier internal weight line,” Zak says. “Slide-cut to blend the perimeter, and finish with a square fringe.” Watch his step-by-step!
