Moving in a Pandemic and Finding Your New Salon Home

When stylist Gabie Vossler learned she and her husband would be moving from Honolulu to Salt Lake City for his career in medicine, Vossler says, “It was both exciting and scary. Fortunately, we were given notice about moving a year before the next job start date.  Unfortunately, we didn’t know that date would be in the middle of a pandemic.”

Even during these stressful times, it is possible to find the right salon home. Here is what helped her do that.

Connect and Engage

Vossler had rebuilt a clientele in new states before as her husband’s surgical training progressed and took them to new places. They had moved from her home state of California to North Carolina, where she built a clientele mostly for her work with hair color, blonding and updos.

“Once I started to understand what I wanted in a salon, and what type of clientele I wanted to attract, we were off to Hawaii for the next phase of my husband’s training for 5 years.”

The main challenges she says she faced for this move during COVID were that some salons were not hiring because the future is unpredictable. Others were challenged just getting their current staff enough hours because of COVID restrictions.  

Still, she found a new salon to work in and is busy building a clientele. Here are her suggestions for doing both:

1. Research salons and send resumes well before your planned move. Engage with them on Instagram.
2. Connect with local television stations, websites, and editors. “This way, I’m getting my name out there before I have even found a salon home.”
3. Before a formal interview, ask about your non-negotiables up front to save everyone time. “For me, I’m not comfortable being required to sign a non-compete when I am new to a town.”
4. Show up to an interview well-prepared, with copies of your resume, and a list of questions.
5. Research ways to get involved in the area. “Pre-COVID, I was styling fashion shows and charity events.  Those will come back, again, and I can start reaching out now, to be top of mind.”

See more from Gabie Vossler on her Instagram feed.