When it comes to climbing the professional ladder, some sectors are much more straightforward than others. Traditional jobs often provide you with a ready-made career path for success. However, those who work in non-traditional industries are typically subjected to the trial-and-error approach of professional progression. Therefore, those of us in the beauty industry can find it challenging to take our careers to the next level. Luckily, this week’s episode of Huddletime with Ronit includes an amazing story of going from a stylist to salon owner.
Huddletime with Kalena Duru
Ronit sat down with Kalena Duru, owner of KBB Salon in Marietta, Georgia. Kalena is a wife, mother of two, and as of this writing a mastery Salon Cadence member. She is a very successful salon owner with a very unique story of her journey to success. As a naturally talented stylist, Kalena has been doing hair for most of her life. Not wasting any time, she decided to open her first salon at the tender age of 24. Now, having been a salon owner for over eight years and has gone through a series of ups and downs. Her experiences have allowed her to gain invaluable knowledge sure to help anyone emerging onto the hair salon scene. Kalena’s interview was very candid and shows how much is possible for those who refuse to settle, never giving up.
Kalena’s story
Despite her humble beginnings, Kalena is now well on her way to securing the financial future she has always wanted. She has managed to do so despite illness, a global shut down, losing her entire staff, and many other obstacles. In fact, most things would have caused others to close their doors for good. Kalena’s early days included working in the urban salon market and the hair show realm. From there, Kalena decided to elevate her career by enrolling in a series of leadership classes.
Although she didn’t come from a wealthy family, Kalena knew she wanted to create financial security for her family. Moreover, she planned to use her experience and love for hairstyling to create the wealth she desired. By consciously developing a wealth mindset, she managed to have several chance encounters with leaders in the hair salon industry. One of those encounters was our very own, Ronit Enos. Since then, Kalena has realized that changing her mentality was the best way to change her life for the better.
Tips for going from stylist to salon owner
If you are a stylist interested in owning your own salon, here’s a list of tips to get you started.
Change your mindset
If you want to go from stylist to salon owner, the first thing to do is change your mindset. According to Kalena, she was working long hours and exerting lots of effort without seeing the profits she desired. Therefore, even with the skills and resources to succeed, her mindset was holding her back from achieving greatness. She asserts that anyone who feels like they are stuck working as a stylist should simply take the steps to develop a winning mindset. This could include attending more networking events, reading books, working with a mentor or consultant, etc.
Become an effective leader
In order to be a successful salon owner, you need to become an effective leader. Given that becoming successful requires the ability to make changes and encourage others to be the same, those who want to be successful must never be afraid to step up and lead others into unchartered territories. For instance, Kalena once lost her entire staff because she decided to create a new business model following a health scare that resulted from being overworked. The change was difficult and cost her several members of the team. However, it was needed to move forward with the vision she had for the business. This is what it takes to be an effective leader.
Decision making
Decision making is a major part of being a successful salon owner. In fact, the difference between being where you are and where you want to be is based entirely on the decisions you are making from one day to the next. Therefore, any stylist who wants to be a salon owner needs to become a more skilled decision-maker. This means you may have to make tough, abrupt decisions that may not be popular with others in your circle. For instance, Kalena expressed the fact that many of the best decisions she has ever made in her career involved her starting over. While revamping your business and starting over from scratch can be intimidating, it can also lead to a much more lucrative career.
Money matters
A large part of being a successful salon owner involves learning how to make your money work for you. Understanding how money works in the business realm allows you to make more informed decisions. This will help you to build a more successful business. If you are coming from a stylist background, your understanding of finances and how they work may be limited. However, if you want to drive business, you have to understand concepts such as profits, projections, investments, etc. This can involve reading books, taking courses, hiring an accountant, or anything else that can help you better understand the financials of your business. Building a solid financial foundation is one of the first things we focus on in the Salon Cadence Accelerator program.
Remember your motivation
You have to remember what you’re working for. While creating a successful salon is certainly a great goal to have, this may not be enough to keep you motivated for the long-term. However, if you take the time to remind yourself why you want to be successful, this is a great way to stay motivated. For instance, Kalena is motivated by her children, family, and the fact that she has struggled financially in the past. When you are doubting yourself, take some time to remind yourself why you were motivated to achieve your goals in the first place.
Social media
Lastly, stylists and salon owners need to realize that social media can be a great way to network and even earn money. Kalena uses her social media following to gain more clients and to connect with like minds. This has helped to keep her motivated. Moreover, this is a great method for creating a well-known brand. She now has her own successful YouTube channel, called “KBB Salon“, and encourages anyone who wants to become more successful in the salon industry to do the same. Instagram is another great platform for salons, check out this article on Instagram for Salons.
In Summary
Although it may seem that the salon industry does not offer the level of upward mobility as other sectors, this simply is not the case. Those who wish to progress their careers need to be determined and steadfast in order to achieve success. Kalena’s story is a shining example that you don’t have to inherit wealth or have a family who is seasoned in the business to become successful.
When you are dealing with times of uncertainty, those who want to get and remain successful must be prepared to make changes, decisions, and learn the new skills necessary to take their careers to the next level. If nothing else, Kalena’s story has shown us that success as a salon owner is attainable. This is true no matter where you come from or what your goals are.