After months of living in a COVID-19 world, the adaptations we’ve all made can’t be called the new normal, anymore… it’s the “now” normal. A radical shift has happened in response to the coronavirus, and many of the changes are here to stay. Beauty professionals, for instance, must operate under stricter guidelines and practice protocols to keep themselves and their clients safe, and stylists who are independent owners say these practices are easier to implement inside their self-contained salon studios. Once their state reopened, with new sanitation policies and procedures in place that were supported by Sola Salon Studios’ educational resources and back-to-work guide, these independent salon owners, all Faces of Sola, were able to seamlessly get back to business in no time.

I’m Open

The move away from commission-based salons and towards solo artist status has been something beauty professionals have been choosing for years, but COVID-19 may have sped up that transition. The many suggested (or, in some states, required) guidelines that personal care and beauty professionals must follow today when they service a guest—temperature checks, masks, sanitation measures—can be challenging but still doable inside a shared space salon. But what about the one-person-at-a-time limit? And guaranteeing surfaces that have been cleaned and sanitized stay that way until your guest arrives? Not to mention managing clients’ apprehensions about entering a room crowded with people they don’t know.

 “Working in my own space has given me the opportunity to create a safe environment for my clients and really make them feel comfortable during their service,” says corrective color specialist, Kelsey Morris @kelseymorris18, who operates out of her Sola studio in Columbus, OH. “This has also meant less anxiety when a client goes to book a service because they know they will be in a one-on-one setting. And they know that I am taking measures to protect them. Being my own boss, I can also add little details to let my clients know that their safety is important. For example, I display a cleaning checklist and provide a phone/tool sanitizer for them to use if they like.

“I have always said Sola allows you to be your own brand, your own way,” she continues. “And this has been no different—I have created my own COVID brand!”

Since most states called for a shelter-in-place, beauty pros and clients were having the shared experience of lockdown. Once it was time to reopen, these Sola pros say they were confident that their salon studio was a safer option than a traditional salon environment and communicating the safety of their salon to clients was easier because of the one-guest-at-a-time assurance of a salon suite. Sola lends itself to a visual message of privacy, cleanliness and care to both beauty pros and their clients.

 “Clients are extremely appreciative and so comfortable knowing that I can control my environment within my four walls,” says Ashley Lantz @ashleylantzhair, a stylist who loves designing lived-in hair color and solution-based extension placement. “They’re guaranteed that every surface has been sanitized and disinfected since the last client walked out the door. I’ve gotten so much complimentary feedback on that in particular; a sense of security is truly felt inside my space.”

Bianca Margolis @b.rosestudio a color specialist in Chicago who excels in working with all types of textured hair, agrees. “It's so nice to have that peace of mind knowing I'm the only one in the room touching things and sanitizing. I like being able to have control of my environment to help me ensure that I'm providing a safe place for people.”

Time Managers

Didn’t we all used to dream about downtime? But when it was forced upon us, many balked; it felt unnatural for an always-busy stylist to come to a screeching halt.

“The shelter-in-place due to COVID-19 was the most challenging period of my career,” shares Steven Wren @mrwrencuts, a barber and events producer based in Bloomingdale, IL. “I maximized my days by spending time with family, taking various educational webinars and working on other aspects of my businesses. But now being back in my sanctuary, it became clear how essential our industry is as we help our guests navigate through this time. It feels great to service those who have become an extension of my friends and family.”

While our industry always knew the value of a beauty service, consumers and clients awoke to this realization and we saw some of them pressure their professionals into making exceptions to the rules. It can be tough if you, the stylist, nail tech, or esthetician, don’t feel empowered to make your own schedule or set the tone for your day. In a suite, though, your schedule is your schedule and after the lockdowns, it was important for Lantz, who says she spent crucial development time at home with her baby and got to re-learn how to slow down and enjoy her everyday life outside of work, to pay attention to what that downtime taught her. 

“Coming back to work during a pandemic is no joke! It has made me stay on top of my game with sanitation. It also gave me a chance to finally give myself the schedule I had wanted but couldn’t bring myself to enforce for my clients. I’m basically starting from a clean slate, so I completely revamped my schedule to allow myself at least one Saturday off per month. Eventually, I’d like to have all Saturdays off.”

This freedom to direct your schedule, choose your products, and establish your own culture helps Margolis, too, achieve that elusive work/life balance. “I can work as many or as few days as I want, for as short or long as I want,” she says. “Being in my own space allows me to work a schedule around my life.”

Experience Providers

Inside their Sola studios, creating an oasis for their clients and a creative retreat for themselves has been so important during the stressful crisis created by COVID-19.

Sola pros can personalize the client service inside their own salon, shutting the door and providing the pampering their guests need—and the time to practice and perfect their craft.

“The best part about having my own suite is the ability to control a client’s experience from beginning to end,” says Morris. “I loved the idea of building a brand and adding my vibe to my studio. Choosing the music, the lighting, the décor, I could really customize the way I delivered this to my client. When you are in business at Sola you are your own boss and you are the only thing standing in your way of success.”

“I can provide a customizable experience for every guest that enters, offering a variety of entertainment streaming services, music to cater to my guests and even video games,” adds Wren. “My suite allows me to create an interchangeable feeling for each person who sits in my chair.”

Inside her studio, Lantz says her vibe attracts her tribe. And her vibe represents her best self. “My studio is me. My clients and I control the conversation, the music, the time, the products. I get a different kind of respect than I did working in a traditional salon. I get to be a business owner, not just a stylist.”

Webinar: Join Sola on Monday, July 13, to hear from a panel of artists who found that Sola's tools, education, support and community have helped them thrive as successful salon owners, no matter what life throws their way.  Sign up here.