SUZANNE BOND

Owner and Master Artist

Perfect 5^th Salon, Mooresville, NC

L'Oreal Professionnel Portfolio Artist

Licensed: 1990, Utica Institute of Cosmetology, Utica, NY

First job: Tangles, Utica, NY

Clients per week: 25

Price point: Cut: $70; color: $111-150

P5Salon.com

Why did you choose beauty? I was good at it and beauty was always a part of my life. I was always the one touching up the other cheerleaders' hair and makeup and in charge of the makeup and hair for all of our school musicals and plays. It just happened!

Milestones: Opening my salon 12 years ago; being asked to join the L'Oreal Professionnel Team; standing in front of an audience to share information—every week

Career advice you’ve received: "For you it's instinct. For others, it can be learned."—friend and mentor Heidi Bryde. That advice keeps me level-headed and willing to teach every day.

Career advice you’ve given: No matter what your personality, stay professional behind the chair.

Your mentors? Andrew Bartfield, Kate Oechsle, Heidi Bryde, Scott Missad, Frank Gambuzza, Geno Stampora, Cathy Bateman, Carolyn Hawley, and Bruce Klein, and everyone I've ever worked with. You can always learn from people you surround yourself with!

You mentor: My employees, salon visitors, and anyone who had attended my education.

Are there benefits to being a woman in beauty? This industry has been rocked from male-dominated to equal opportunities by some of the greatest female talents we have now. Anyone who is willing to work hard and put her head in the game will be able to achieve success.

Sacrifice and lesson: I sacrifice sleep on a daily basis. There is always so much to do as a salon owner, and when you throw in all the other things in life and career, there just isn't enough time!

What does work/life balance mean to you? I think this industry allows for work and life to be one most of the time. We are relationship builders and networkers. Just treating everyone with respect will keep the balance. I don't even try to separate the two.

To follow in your footsteps, a woman would have to: Work way more than 40 hours a week, surround herself with like-minded people to support her efforts, and educate. The more you teach, the more you know.

Famous person you would like to style: I would LOVE to be the one to change Donald Trump's hair! To give it a real color and bring it back to this century.

Next change to my personal style: For fall darker, red hair and maybe some length to it! My closet is becoming more fashion forward and less street influenced as my tattoos grow.

Reading: For fun, The Confession by John Grisham and for work, The Brand Who Cried Wolf by Scott Deming

Playlist: Anything by Kid Rock, and Perfect by Pink

Important client experience: Not everyone is this lucky, but one of my clients left her management position for a large company and opened one of the most successful clothing boutiques in our area. Fortunately, we are friends and professional alliances. We support each other's businesses, promote and participate in events together, and meet to discuss employee/business practices to find the best solutions. That's what I meant by surrounding yourself with great like-minded people.

Every day, just for yourself: Try to remember to eat!

Working on: I have many irons in the fire! I've just written two new classes for the L'Oreal Professionnel Academy in Soho for 2012. Also working on a second location of my salon for the future, and a color tool kit with all of my favorite goodies!