Episode 259
From Chair to CEO: Building a Scalable Salon Team with Systems That Stick | Diane Cole Stevens | CEO & Owner | Cole Stevens Salon
In this episode, Diane Cole Stevens—CEO of Cole Stevens Salon—shares how she built a high-performing team, established white-glove systems, and grew a brand rooted in excellence, mentorship, and leadership that scales.
🚨Diane will also be a Panelist at our upcoming Beauty Business Brunch on July 27th in Washington, DC. Use this link to learn more, and join us! - https://www.eventcreate.com/e/bbb25
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
🔅Train leaders, not just stylists: Diane built her salon by identifying team members’ strengths, documenting how they learn, and creating space for regular 1:1 meetings and growth check-ins.
🔅Leadership starts with clarity: From written service standards to team-wide communication systems, Diane ensures her brand is delivered consistently—whether she’s present or not.
🔅Brand = Experience: For Diane, her brand isn’t just a logo or vibe—it’s the way clients are greeted, how they’re educated, and how every stylist interacts with intention and care.
🔅Great teams are built, not found: Diane believes in investing time and mentorship into her team. Many of her key staff have been with her for years because they feel supported and seen.
🔅Systems support freedom: By developing operational systems—from front desk flow to white-glove service protocols—Diane empowered her team to deliver excellence independently, allowing her to focus on vision and growth.
🔅Know your leadership style: Diane knows her strength is vision and communication. She hires leaders with complementary strengths (organization, technical training, etc.) and builds a layered leadership model.
🔅Intentional branding creates trust: Every decision at Cole Stevens—from the scent in the air to the tone of voice in client scripts—is intentional and aligned with the brand promise of elegance and care.
👉Follow Diane on Instagram
👉Follow Cole Stevens Salon on Instagram
👉Check out Diane's nonprofit, The Cinderella Foundation
The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.
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Transcript
Diane Cole Stevens is a 28 year industry veteran.
Speaker A:She's a passionate cosmetologist, educator, philanthropist, mother, and the CEO and owner of Cole Stevens Salon.
Speaker A:Today we're going to hear her story, how she got to where she is and exactly what she's working on.
Speaker A:A serial entrepreneur with two locations.
Speaker A:This is exciting.
Speaker A:And developing an academy.
Speaker A:This is an exciting opportunity to, to hear from one of the DMV's greatest.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Hairdresser Strong Show.
Speaker A:My name is Robert Hughes and I am your host and today I'm with Diane Cole Stevens.
Speaker A:How you doing today, Diane?
Speaker B:I'm doing great.
Speaker B:Thanks for having me, Robert, on the Hairdresser Strong Show.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Thanks for coming.
Speaker A:So everyone, I met Diane at Aveda Institute, Arlington at one of the career days.
Speaker A:So shout out to Aveda for putting on that event where not only the students can network, but so can the people who come there.
Speaker A:And then that's actually not how I met because, because I was actually introduced to you by, by Reg's daughter.
Speaker B:Oh yeah?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And, and she said that you were amazing and I had to meet you.
Speaker A:So thanks.
Speaker A:Shout out to her too.
Speaker A:So let's dive right in.
Speaker A:So let's give the audience a little bit understanding of exactly why, why we're talking.
Speaker A:So some of the things I know about you and then you can correct me where I'm wrong and fill in any blanks.
Speaker A:I know that you own two locations.
Speaker A:I know based on my observations, it looks like you have a strong, and conversations with you.
Speaker A:You have a strong team and you're able to retain those team members in your business, which is currently a modern day challenge with salon owners.
Speaker A:So I thought that's pretty cool.
Speaker A:The two locations is awesome as well.
Speaker A:I've been in the second, the location in D.C. it's really beautiful.
Speaker A:And then also you're involved with Intercoiffure and you have launched an academy and you also have your, your charity and that, that I think you, you can tell us about.
Speaker A:And, and that's what I know about you.
Speaker A:I, I, I'm excited to learn more about you and, and all the things you do because I'm sure that I'm gonna be blown away.
Speaker A:And so let's dive right in.
Speaker A:Tell us a little bit about one.
Speaker A:Did I get that right?
Speaker A:What type of holes would you want to fill in?
Speaker A:Help us update.
Speaker A:Bring us up to speed.
Speaker B:You got it spot on.
Speaker B:And they all kind of weave in together.
Speaker B:So thank you for sharing that update as well.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:All right, so well, how let's start in the beginning.
Speaker A:Like, you know, we're thinking of how did you get to where you are, to where.
Speaker A:Oh, and the other piece that I think is really powerful and important is that you are not involved really with the day to day.
Speaker A:Is that right?
Speaker B:No, not.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So that is another thing that salon owners around the country would like to figure out how to do where they own a business and not a job.
Speaker A:And just to like, let kind of let get.
Speaker A:Bring.
Speaker A:Cue everybody in.
Speaker A:For people who have not heard me talk about this, the modern day hairpreneur understands the difference between owning a job and owning a business.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker A:And if you own a business, other people work for you and it creates revenue.
Speaker A:You don't have to be there if you want a job.
Speaker A:You have to show up and you have to be there.
Speaker A:There's nothing wrong with either.
Speaker A:Some people don't want to own a business because they don't want to manage people.
Speaker A:And some people would rather own a job and just invest their money wisely.
Speaker A:Some people own a job because they're building a business.
Speaker A:So I just want to put that caveat there.
Speaker A:All right, so.
Speaker A:So tell us, tell us about how you got into doing being a hairdresser and tell us a little bit of your story.
Speaker B:Probably similar story from most people.
Speaker B:As a little girl, I was always doing dolls.
Speaker B:And then it evolved because my, my father actually passed away when I was nine.
Speaker B:So I, I really started working with dolls.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:I started working with dolls because it was my escape and I started doing their hair.
Speaker B:My mom kept giving me these life size Barbies.
Speaker B:So then my sister had me do her hair.
Speaker B:And my sister's about 15 years older than me.
Speaker B:And so then her friend said, wow, your sister at 13 was doing your hair?
Speaker B:So I started doing like these women and I was 13 and I knew that I wanted a career in hair or at least to stay connected in hair.
Speaker B:After college, I went into corporate America, so I was working for a company called Mobile.
Speaker B:Now it's Exxon Mobil.
Speaker B:But when it became a merger and acquisition, I knew it was my time to take the package because the package would enable me to go back to hair school again and then get a license and maybe potentially get into hair and make it my full time career.
Speaker B:Now I say the package because I needed the money.
Speaker B:I couldn't just quit my job.
Speaker B:I wasn't in a position to do that.
Speaker B:I had a husband, I had three small children.
Speaker B:And I knew that we together made an income to make this thing work.
Speaker B:For our house bills and things like that.
Speaker B:So I took the package.
Speaker B:I'm paid for two years.
Speaker B:I go to Georgetown.
Speaker B:I saw a salon in Vogue, and I said, oh, they're top 10 in the world.
Speaker B:I think I'll get a job there.
Speaker B:Everyone was looking at me like, you're not going to get a job there.
Speaker B:I sure enough went in.
Speaker B:I went in with my.
Speaker B:I'm just trying to see end this call.
Speaker B:You can't see a call coming in, can you?
Speaker A:No, no, you're good.
Speaker B:I'll just keep going.
Speaker B:Sorry about that.
Speaker A:All good.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So again, like I said, I was ready to jump in.
Speaker B:I went to this place in Georgetown called Roche.
Speaker B:My boss is still my mentor, Dennis Roche.
Speaker B:He showed me the ropes, and he hired me to be like his human clip.
Speaker B:He brought me in.
Speaker B:I was holding the hair.
Speaker B:He was doing haircuts, and I was zoning right in.
Speaker B:His colorist.
Speaker B:His colorist was phenomenal.
Speaker B:She brought me in.
Speaker B:I was that stylist that I was one foot behind the master stylist.
Speaker B:And I wanted to learn everything I could.
Speaker B:I am a hair nerd.
Speaker B:I'm a science nerd.
Speaker B:And I really wanted that opportunity to really be with the best of the best, follow them, learn their skills, and then create my own.
Speaker B:So the create my own part was I started getting my own clients.
Speaker B:Then my boss said, you know what, Diane?
Speaker B:I love to keep you as my assistant, but you're really good.
Speaker B:And I was so honored because I thought he was the best, and he's allowing me a chair.
Speaker B:So I got in my chair, and I started doing clients with a lot of curly hair.
Speaker B:I did every hair, but I did mainly straight hair, balayage, or foliage, and all those type things, even back then.
Speaker B:And then I did a lot of hair cutting.
Speaker B:The haircutting is my love, but I think the color, because of the science of color, I know the science.
Speaker B:So I wound up getting put into color a lot.
Speaker B:But I learned when I had a lot of women that were from Jewish backgrounds, Italian, and then I started getting black women, and I was like, I was a happy camper.
Speaker B:The more texture I received, the better it got.
Speaker B:I also challenged myself with precision cutting on men's cutting from every texture of hair.
Speaker B:I wanted to make sure my scissor over comb was a scissor of a comb salon.
Speaker B:I wanted to make sure my scissor over comb was flawless.
Speaker B:So that Sarah, who was my mentor in growing my career and skill, that I made her well pleased.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Okay, so how long did you apprentice or work underneath of Dennis, your master stylist for.
Speaker B:So I apprentice for six months, and I thought that was too long.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:Back then that was too long because I wanted a chair.
Speaker B:I thought I was.
Speaker B:I really thought I was good, but I wasn't.
Speaker B:I wasn't that good.
Speaker A:So how long do people have to train before they get a chair at your salon?
Speaker B:That's a great question.
Speaker B:So for our salon, Cole Stevens, it takes about 12 months to 16 months.
Speaker B:But my new passion project is to get it done faster.
Speaker B:At least get it down to eight months.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So do you feel like it was, in hindsight, maybe six months wasn't too long?
Speaker A:Or you, you know, what are your thoughts?
Speaker A:I'm super curious because we.
Speaker A:We talk to a lot of students and this is one of the big things that they want to talk to me about, you know, so I'm super curious to hear your perspective.
Speaker B:I think that six months is not too long.
Speaker B:I feel like the biggest part of getting a chair is the consultation.
Speaker B:If the consultation.
Speaker B:If you can really talk to your client about her needs or his needs and how you can help solve some of their concerns and also turn their hair from maybe brown to a bronze, I think that you have an enter in the game.
Speaker B:That ability to communicate to me is more powerful than even the hands.
Speaker A:Gotcha.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:All right, so.
Speaker A:So you're working, you get on the floor.
Speaker A:And so from once you get on the floor, you're.
Speaker A:You spend your.
Speaker A:After your six months at.
Speaker A:How long from, like, did you work at multiple salon?
Speaker A:Like from there to owning your.
Speaker A:Your salon, what did that journey look like?
Speaker A:So training on the floor.
Speaker A:Boom.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think one of the key things in my.
Speaker B:My journey from school to salon, you must research the school.
Speaker B:You have to know brand wise, what you feel like your brand could be mimicked next to if you have that desire to be a salon owner.
Speaker B:I wanted a salon that really had my values, my commitment.
Speaker B:I love consistency.
Speaker B:I love the education that the salon, it was a family.
Speaker B:I loved every single thing.
Speaker B:I never wanted to leave.
Speaker B:I didn't even want my own salon.
Speaker B:But I knew that I wanted to grow more in texture and curly hair.
Speaker B:And I knew creating something would allow me that in my own brand.
Speaker B:But I never had to leave.
Speaker B:I love the money I made.
Speaker B:I love my clientele.
Speaker B:I had a clientele of 300 people getting color, cut and style.
Speaker B:I was living the dream in Georgetown, a beautiful salon.
Speaker B:And it was just that calling that you get that calling from God.
Speaker B:That said, it's time for you.
Speaker B:I'm like, time to do what?
Speaker B:I'm really happy.
Speaker B:But it was just that calling, and I think that's what salon owners get.
Speaker B:They get that calling.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Okay, so how long did you work at.
Speaker A:At your salon?
Speaker A:At the salon before, did you work at a different place before you open your shop, or you went from this place to shop owner?
Speaker B:No, I. I really researched that brand, and I only worked at one salon before I did my own thing.
Speaker B:And in fact, when I came in to tell my mentor who was the owner at that time, he was like, congratulations.
Speaker B:He said, I never heard of this.
Speaker B:I said, I only want to take 10 people with me.
Speaker B:He said, diane, you have a clientele of 300 people.
Speaker B:I know, but if I'm going to do this, thank you for your brand.
Speaker B:I want to create my own brand.
Speaker B:I don't need your clients to help me create my brand.
Speaker B:So he says, this is crazy, but I support you.
Speaker B:And he has.
Speaker B:He really.
Speaker B:And he always has and still does.
Speaker A:So I feel like we got to.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:We got to talk on this for a second.
Speaker A:All right, so stylist wants to open up a salon.
Speaker A:They currently working in a.
Speaker A:In a salon for somebody else.
Speaker A:And first question is, how long did you stay at Roche Salon until you left?
Speaker A:That's my first question.
Speaker B:Yeah, so I stayed seven years.
Speaker A:Okay, seven years.
Speaker B:Years.
Speaker A:So seven years.
Speaker A:So from the salon owner's perspective, I mean, you.
Speaker A:You're the salon owner, so I don't.
Speaker A:I'm not telling you something you don't know, but something that I hear from salon owners is that they need people to stay at least three years after training them in order to get a return on their investment worth training them in the first place.
Speaker A:Do you have a thought or statement or opinion on that perspective?
Speaker B:I don't have an opinion on that.
Speaker B:I mean, I'm pretty much.
Speaker B:I'm trying to make sure that our brand and our environment and our culture is so great and you're in a continuous learning phase.
Speaker B:I do feel if you have that passion or that desire to start your own, I am very honest.
Speaker B:I'll say, do you own your own home yet?
Speaker B:I'll say, what about your financial status, your money in the bank?
Speaker B:Because when you open up a salon, and, Robert, you're a salon owner, if you think you're going to get that from opening a salon, I promise you, you will not.
Speaker B:You will not get all those things.
Speaker B:So my thing is fix those things, make sure your house is strong.
Speaker B:Make sure it's not about the clients following your house, meaning your home, like my house with my husband and kids.
Speaker B:That foundation had to be solid financially.
Speaker B:And if I had to do it all over again, I would have stayed longer at Roche and I would have bought a building.
Speaker B:I would have owned the building.
Speaker B:I would have been the most quiet, most humble business leader.
Speaker B:But I'm not the Gucci girl.
Speaker B:I'm not buying a Gucci bag.
Speaker B:I'm not flying all around the world to take trips.
Speaker B:That's not what I, that's not what I do.
Speaker B:My goal is real estate and being generationally financially free.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:I love this.
Speaker A:So you answer my next question without me asking.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:Is like, okay, so say, you know, so someone wants to do this.
Speaker A:What, what, what's your advice?
Speaker A:So I heard you say, have your financial house in order, you know, have an asset, like you're owning your home and then like having, you know, what's the money in the bank looking like?
Speaker A:And are you ready?
Speaker A:Because like, in theory, you know, it's like, it's one thing to open up a salon right down the street from where you're at and try to get all your clients to walk down the street and maybe one or two stylists, which is kind of the way I feel like it happens a lot, but that's one way to do it.
Speaker A:Another way is, you know, your salon that you opened, it was like on the other side of the city.
Speaker A:Right when you open it.
Speaker A:So, so like for those of you who don't know, D.C. georgetown is in the upper left, kind of ish, left hand side of dc, the west side of dc and your salon is on the east side of dc just outside of the city.
Speaker A:And so, well, the one, one of your locations, the other one is in, in the city, but that one's pretty new, I think.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:The first one was in Maryland, it was in Netherlands.
Speaker B:And that was a little bit of a hike.
Speaker B:People from D.C. don't travel to Maryland.
Speaker B:People from Maryland don't travel to D.C. right.
Speaker B:But those 10 people, Robert, I have to say, the 10 people that I did take, I know that those are my ride or dyes, that no matter what, they're going to be word of mouth.
Speaker B:They were all different hair textures.
Speaker B:They kept talking about there's something big coming.
Speaker B:And I was scared, I was really scared.
Speaker B:But my husband kind of gave me the nudge, like, you're going to sign that lease right there.
Speaker B:So I signed the lease.
Speaker B:We have a little party And I said, well, maybe a few people will come to the party.
Speaker B:Because I'm thinking, my 10 people spread the world to 10 more.
Speaker B:We had 300 people.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker B:@ our grand opening party, it was so hot.
Speaker B:Our hair turned into an afro.
Speaker B:It was so hot.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:So, because, like, all I could think of is, like, anybody, any hairdresser.
Speaker A:Most hairdressers I know don't have their financial house in order enough to move to the other side of the city and start over building a new clientele and a new brand and a new business.
Speaker A:And what I'm hearing from you saying is, well, then you're not ready to open up a salon.
Speaker A:Like, maybe.
Speaker A:Maybe you should reconsider opening a salon.
Speaker A:It's like, you want a salon for emotional reasons or have you financially planned this out?
Speaker A:That's what I'm hearing you say.
Speaker B:I agree.
Speaker B:And when you're under great leadership, like I was when you're under.
Speaker B:And that's why I pride myself on being that great leader and creating leaders within the brand, I feel like a leader will share their best practices and their worst.
Speaker B:They'll let you in a little bit.
Speaker B:My boss told me, you know, Diane, your goal in this business is not to worry about my 55% that I'm getting because I was 45% commission at that time.
Speaker B:And he says, don't worry about mine because mine is spent.
Speaker B:And I. I just couldn't conceive him like, he's getting all the money.
Speaker B:He said, your goal is to make 180 an hour.
Speaker B:That is your focus when you have a client guest.
Speaker B:And that was back, like, 28 years ago.
Speaker A:That's some good money then.
Speaker A:I'm good money now.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:But he fed my brain, and he said, 180 an hour.
Speaker B:And I said, what's your hourly rate?
Speaker B:He said, don't worry about my hourly rate.
Speaker B:My hourly rate is 360.
Speaker B:And I said, been chasing his 360 for a long time.
Speaker B:But that is.
Speaker B:That is what I share with so many people.
Speaker B:There's enough for us to worry about to become the best craftsmen, to be the best communicators.
Speaker B:But when you start focusing on your dollar amount and you start to invest and you can go to the bank and you can sit down as a professional and you have your W2, and you're saying, yes, this industry is the best industry in the entire world.
Speaker B:And the money that we make in this industry, it is on paper.
Speaker B:And I am a solid business person.
Speaker B:I like to purchase that condo.
Speaker A:I Love it.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:It's almost like I'm just imagining a pathway for somebody.
Speaker A:They go to school, they go to a salon, they spend six to 12 months, maybe 18, depending on the salon training, and then they spend the first year to building a book.
Speaker A:By the third year, they hopefully they're fully booked.
Speaker A:By the fourth or fifth year, they're ready to buy a property because they have the income on their W2s.
Speaker A:So they got the history of income that the bank needs.
Speaker A:They buy the property, they move in, and then they spend another two years saving up money.
Speaker A:And then maybe then that sounds like that might be like a time to.
Speaker A:Then.
Speaker A:Then you're ready to take risk again with a capital investment because you've kind of been through and you've secured that space.
Speaker A:I would like to just add for my own purposes, because I give this advice to a lot of students.
Speaker A:Your six month emergency fund is it could some people say it only needs to be three months?
Speaker A:I'm just saying if you want financial security, get six months.
Speaker A:Do you have an emergency fund?
Speaker A:And don't use that money to invest in your business or your house.
Speaker A:Like that's money is supposed to never touch that money.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Okay, sorry, I.
Speaker A:That's like my side note there.
Speaker A:Okay, so this is so good.
Speaker A:Okay, so on this kind of conversation piece that from that you're talking about what you talked about leadership.
Speaker A:You talked about how you got some advice.
Speaker A:What, like what do you think it is?
Speaker A:Well, first of all, before we get too far down if I start asking questions, you were when you were at Roche, before you opened your spot, you were working behind the chair, working on your clientele.
Speaker A:I know the audience.
Speaker A:I don't know that the audience know this, but I know at some point you were teaching for Wella.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:So when did that, when did that happen in this journey?
Speaker A:Before your salon?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:At Roche or in your salon?
Speaker B:That's a great question.
Speaker B:It actually happened when I finally moved to my own salon.
Speaker B:But when I was working in Georgetown, the opportunity came to work at Fashion Week, the opportunity came to do a lot of hair shows in D.C. like at Big museums.
Speaker B:And I'd be doing the Donna Karan Runway show and being paid like a boss.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:That was different.
Speaker B:Money.
Speaker B:And then I worked with Nordstrom's.
Speaker B:Nordstrom's contracted me, they were doing a lot of fashion shows and they contracted me to be their travel hairstylist.
Speaker B:So I traveled all over the US for any store that was doing a new opening for Nordstrom's.
Speaker B:So I had a little bit of a taste of what I wanted.
Speaker B:I wanted more, of course, standing behind the chair.
Speaker B:That's my.
Speaker B:That's my piece.
Speaker B:That's my.
Speaker B:I love that more than anything.
Speaker B:But I think because I'm come from corporate, I needed more.
Speaker B:So having that diversity in hair texture, it's always stayed with me.
Speaker B:And I've always just used that as an entry in to so many places.
Speaker B:So when I moved to my own space, I heard about Sebastian, which is a product that was owned by Procter and Gamble, who owned Wella at that time.
Speaker B:And I did a video.
Speaker B:My hands were shaking.
Speaker B:I was doing a graduated bob on a mannequin.
Speaker B:I was like.
Speaker B:And then I styled it because I'm a strong finisher, you know, I guess I love cutting.
Speaker B:I like being exact.
Speaker B:I did the color beautifully, did the color placement on the mannequin.
Speaker B:I did the cut and I sent the video with my resume.
Speaker B:I do believe in having your paper ready.
Speaker B:You have to be ready.
Speaker B:You can't just wait for someone to say, oh, could you send me your resume?
Speaker B:You have to have your things always in order for the next opportunity.
Speaker B:So I sent it in.
Speaker B:They sent me to New Jersey to try out an audition.
Speaker B:I was sizing up the room, like, can I be as good as they are?
Speaker B:And I really did my best.
Speaker B:And they called me and said I got the job.
Speaker B:So I was in the world of Wella.
Speaker B:And then I started going up the ladder.
Speaker B:And then I eventually became a top artist for Wella and a brand ambassador, which was just a whole nother level for Nioxin, which was my passion as well.
Speaker B:So I accomplished those things on the checklist.
Speaker B:I was like, oh, yes, this is great.
Speaker B:This is awesome.
Speaker A:So, so, okay, so you're teaching, you're running your shop, and like, at what point in time and how did you decide to expand into a second location?
Speaker B:Now that's a great question.
Speaker B:Because it's a good thing.
Speaker B:And it's a not so good thing.
Speaker B:Okay, Learn more about the money.
Speaker B:Your money can get well with split shifts.
Speaker B:You know, one location and split shifts is like three salons.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So stay with me though.
Speaker B:So I was so booked out of one salon.
Speaker B:We had people on top of people on top of people working morning 5am until 8pm at night.
Speaker B:And we were still on top of one another.
Speaker B:So many stylists, so many people wanting a chair.
Speaker B:It was just a very good time for Cole Stevens in Maryland.
Speaker B:And then I had an opportunity to look at a property in D.C. the funny thing is we were able to purchase our place in Maryland.
Speaker B:The guy that we purchased it from, he was renting the place in D.C. he said, Cole, Stevens, whatever you want, you can rent this place.
Speaker B:I don't need any paperwork.
Speaker B:You all are good.
Speaker B:So sometimes consistency, consistency and really making sure you're paying your bills on time and that relationship, relationship and then just being solid in your.
Speaker B:In your money and your paperwork, everything leads to the next.
Speaker B:But it's really consistency, culture, it's the Cs.
Speaker B:Consistency and culture to get to that next level, that next opportunity.
Speaker B:Whether it's Nordstrom's or Sebastian or it's just being good.
Speaker B:They wanted to make sure, like when I worked in the world of Wella, that your paperwork was turned in quickly.
Speaker B:That was the rule.
Speaker B:If you did a show on stage, turn your paperwork in.
Speaker B:I had a fast track record for my paper.
Speaker B:Cause I was used to it from mobile.
Speaker B:So sometimes learning.
Speaker B:And I would love to learn and help train others in that as well.
Speaker B:That thing called efficiency.
Speaker B:It's good and bad though, when you're on like that, you know, because my husband's like, well, when do you sleep?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Don't say that.
Speaker B:I sleep after I do.
Speaker A:What do you do for.
Speaker A:To decompress and rest and relax and find, Find a way to get away from all of this stuff that you're.
Speaker B:Working on as terrible.
Speaker B:But I like to write.
Speaker B:I love to write about the industry.
Speaker B:I write for so many magazine publications about hate.
Speaker B:And that's my other side that no one really, really knows about that I love to do.
Speaker B:That's my escape, reading and writing.
Speaker B:But also I'm a mom, you know, I'm a grandmom.
Speaker B:I mean, I've got a good balance.
Speaker B:I mean, those, those little ones, you can't do any writing when they're running around.
Speaker B:So it's.
Speaker B:And then of course, being a wife to a great, great man.
Speaker B:I feel so honored.
Speaker B:He doesn't discount anything in my career.
Speaker B:He's always being my cheerleader.
Speaker B:He just doesn't want to be in the front.
Speaker B:He wants to be in the back.
Speaker B:He wants to be the person cheerleading.
Speaker B:I said this could work out good.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So what about.
Speaker A:What about a piece of advice for somebody who's early in their.
Speaker A:And earlier in it, like kind of thinking back to when maybe you were first opening the first couple years of your business.
Speaker A:You got any advice for the person who feels like they're drowning in.
Speaker A:To do lists and tasks and, and demands on their time and Any thoughts or you'd like to share, like, on the mental health side of the.
Speaker A:Of.
Speaker A:Of a.
Speaker A:Of a new.
Speaker A:New business owner or like the startup phase?
Speaker A:I'm assuming that was, like, more intense maybe, than your demand is now.
Speaker A:I could be wrong about that, but could you talk on that?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think it's really important early on in your career to find a mentor.
Speaker B:Now, that mentor doesn't have to be in the hair industry.
Speaker B:I mean, mentor, counselor, whatever you want to call it, right.
Speaker B:Someone that could help you grow, actually.
Speaker B:Someone who has the job that you want, someone who has the book that you want, someone who is doing things in the industry that you want to do.
Speaker B:Really find time to spend a little.
Speaker B:Carve out a little bit of time, whether it's lunch once a month, if they're too busy, maybe a zoom call once a month.
Speaker B:Find someone that has exactly the area that you want to go in, even if it's someone that's like a father, a mother, someone who's like, how in the world do you balance your job?
Speaker B:And then I got to pick up my child.
Speaker B:Find a mentor to help you balance.
Speaker B:And then when you have a challenge, that mentor knows you, and they can give the best advice for you at that time.
Speaker A:Nice, nice.
Speaker A:Don't do it alone.
Speaker A:And find.
Speaker A:Find support and community and mentors.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:All right, so now.
Speaker A:Now tell us a little bit about.
Speaker A:So you're.
Speaker A:You built your business, You.
Speaker A:You open up the second location, and now you're launching an academy.
Speaker A:Tell us about that.
Speaker B:I mean, when I first opened Greenbelt, we had an opportunity with my church to go to Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Speaker B:When I went to Sierra Leone, West Africa, I was really trying to make sure that young ladies that didn't have a job or occupation could learn cosmetology to feed their kids, to barter with their neighbors.
Speaker B:So I get to Sierra Leone, and, wow, it was like the biggest thing I've ever done in my life.
Speaker B:I learned about hair.
Speaker B:They were using the heat outside for, like, a flexi rod set to dry their hair, because unless you had a generator, it wasn't happening.
Speaker B:And I learned that there are a plethora of textures.
Speaker B:So I know that Andre Walker, Oprah's hairstylist, created this book on hair type 1, hair type 2, than curl type 3, and curl type 4.
Speaker B:I took a deeper dive in that because I was strong in coming up in texture type 1 and type 2, texture type 3.
Speaker B:I had to learn a few more things, but that four Category.
Speaker B:I said there was area for me to hone in on moisture and help people understand what healthy hair really is.
Speaker B:Healthy hair is not straight.
Speaker B:Healthy hair is not curly.
Speaker B:Healthy hair is hydrated hair of the texture that you have.
Speaker B:So the shapes that I can get from, say, 4C hair, I can't get that out of my type 1 hair.
Speaker B:I could get shapes out of 4C at a fashion show.
Speaker B:That could take the whole show.
Speaker B:So the education portion really said, oh, wow.
Speaker B:If I could share my passion for every single hair type and what every hair type needs to perform strong in color, in shape, and in style, they may not all be the same shape and style, but color on healthy hair.
Speaker B:If we get to that hair that is healthy on whatever type it is, then you could really start to brand in a very different way.
Speaker B:And so we're branding now in our academy.
Speaker B:We even have, like, you ever see, like, that pipe cleaner?
Speaker B:And we're like, okay, you all.
Speaker B:This is type 3C hair.
Speaker B:Make that off of a marker or a Sharpie and then pull the Sharpie out and then.
Speaker B:And see what you did, you know, and then let's go deep and say, what texture 3C needs.
Speaker B:Texture 3C does need moisture.
Speaker B:It gets high in frizz.
Speaker B:And we do it in an interactive way.
Speaker B:That's so fun and so exciting.
Speaker B:We have models, we have mannequins.
Speaker B:We even do hair wefts with those type hair to not be fearful of any hair type.
Speaker B:But you must learn to be the best in the world.
Speaker B:You must learn no matter what you're going to brand in, whether you're going to be a color salon, a cut salon, a treatment salon, whatever you're going to brand strong in.
Speaker B:You want to make sure you understand this game.
Speaker B:And that's what we're having a great time with, teaching people about this beautiful industry that we have.
Speaker B:And it is beautiful.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Well, I.
Speaker A:We're kind of coming up on our time here, so.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know it's.
Speaker A:It went by fast.
Speaker A:So just to make sure we stay on time, I'm going to ask.
Speaker A:I have a question.
Speaker A:So for everybody listening and watching, if you haven't bought your ticket to the beauty business brunch on July 27th here in Washington, D.C. then you better hurry up, because we're gonna sell out.
Speaker A:And Diane is one of our panelists.
Speaker A:And so I have a couple questions.
Speaker A:The audience is currently voting on questions right now and submitting their own questions for the panels.
Speaker A:So I'm gonna pick one of these and maybe two, depending on how much time we have.
Speaker A:And see what your answer.
Speaker A:How.
Speaker A:What.
Speaker A:What kind of answers we're gonna get here.
Speaker A:Race.
Speaker A:So let's see.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Well, one.
Speaker A:Do you.
Speaker A:How.
Speaker A:And I guess this is not a question from the audience.
Speaker A:This.
Speaker A:Do you engage with customers kind of like day to day, or is, like, managing, like, the customer experience fall within somebody else's realm?
Speaker A:I'm just curious just before I ask.
Speaker B:A question that is such a great question, because I will say yes.
Speaker B:And yes.
Speaker B:Told me one time that he went in and the Greenbelt lobby.
Speaker B:Greenbelt, Maryland, lobby salon was full, and everybody was on their laptops or their phones.
Speaker B:He said, when I walked in the door, women closed them, and they kind of just like, paused and they wanted to hear something from me.
Speaker B:And it touches me to this day.
Speaker B:It gets me a little bit emotional even to this day.
Speaker B:So I use that information to make sure I'm present to say, how are you today?
Speaker B:While your curls look nourished.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:Are you having a great experience here today?
Speaker B:Our rule is that you wait no more than five minutes.
Speaker B:Hey, how's your wait time?
Speaker B:You know, we apologize that it's 10 minutes today.
Speaker B:You know, we had a situation, and I just am very, very intimate with my guests.
Speaker B:They can call me if they're having any problem.
Speaker B:I know that my management team, they're on it.
Speaker B:They handle everything.
Speaker B:But they know that if I find out and it wasn't handled properly, they know they can get me by phone or by email or I like to talk specifically to Diane.
Speaker B:I hope that lasts for as long as I can.
Speaker B:I'm passing that torch to my family and to some strong salon leaders in the salon as well.
Speaker B:But I think that is like magic.
Speaker B:If you're going to do this, you got to stay in it to win it.
Speaker A:All right, that's.
Speaker A:That's a.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:That's a great answer.
Speaker A:So I have from that, I have a question for the.
Speaker A:For the hairpreneur.
Speaker A:Business owner.
Speaker A:Salon owner, Sweet owner, whatever.
Speaker A:The person, probably, I guess it would be in a salon.
Speaker A:Let's just say for the person who wants to remove themselves more from their business to work on their business as opposed to working in their business.
Speaker A:What piece.
Speaker A:What type of advice do you have?
Speaker B:I mean, first of all, every business is a great business.
Speaker B:Whether you're in a suite, that's the option that you needed.
Speaker B:And I think if you're going to do that, it's the same advice.
Speaker B:Being a stylist.
Speaker B:Behind the chair, same thing.
Speaker B:And then also, if you enter into even more responsibility, because they're all responsibility.
Speaker B:It's just to really know your book, to really make sure you call people in advance, make sure there's a personal touch element involved.
Speaker B:How dare you not have the time or be irritated because someone wants to book time with you?
Speaker B:This is our career.
Speaker B:I can't imagine going to a counselor for a therapist.
Speaker B:I'm sitting on their couch and they don't have time for me.
Speaker B:You know, that's the seriousness that we must take as an industry to really make sure that we stay top, top tier.
Speaker B:In my salon, it's white glove service.
Speaker B:What that means, everything that we can do to improve the life of that guest.
Speaker B:That is my goal.
Speaker B:Whether it's our branding, whether it's our technology, whatever we can do, we want an intimate experience to say, you know what?
Speaker B:I see you.
Speaker B:I see you.
Speaker B:That you matter.
Speaker B:So this is a serious profession.
Speaker B:It's for the serious.
Speaker B:If you want all that you can from this occupation, this career, you've got to put all that you can in.
Speaker B:Of course, there are systems.
Speaker B:There are systems that we must have in place for almost every single thing.
Speaker B:And there are clients that will help you.
Speaker B:There are clients that are already doing this in their careers.
Speaker B:They'll help you with any part of your business.
Speaker B:As we're all continuing to grow.
Speaker B:All of us are continuing to grow.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:That definitely helps with the.
Speaker A:The other.
Speaker A:The next question as well, about customer experiences and expectations.
Speaker A:Do you have, like, the white glove service piece I really like.
Speaker A:So do you have any specific.
Speaker A:Anything specific about current tr.
Speaker A:Current current expectations or trends in.
Speaker A:In customer service or customer experience?
Speaker B:In customer experience, sanitation, they watch everything.
Speaker B:So we are intentional with our barberside and our water a little watered down and we spray on a tap, we wipe.
Speaker B:We are so intentional that they see this consistency no matter how busy we are.
Speaker B:That is the rule, especially for the neck area.
Speaker B:And we share with them, you know, the neck, when you lean back, it is important that that is sanitized.
Speaker B:So that's part of the experience.
Speaker B:Part of the experience.
Speaker B:Also, even with our paperwork as well, we want to make sure they have tips for their hair when they go home.
Speaker B:So we have these tip cards.
Speaker B:So if they've gotten maybe color, these are the tips.
Speaker B:This is the shampoo that you must use for your color service.
Speaker B:This is the conditioner that you must use.
Speaker B:We also need extra hydration for if this is your hair type.
Speaker B:And if you need extra hydration you have a chemical, you have color.
Speaker B:These are the steps that you have.
Speaker B:And I'm happy to share that at the event.
Speaker B:We have samples of it.
Speaker B:We make it beautiful, we make it intentional that this is our gift to you on how to take care of your hair, which means retail, which means pre booking, which means this is my hair now.
Speaker B:It used to be your hair, but my reputation's on this line.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:All right, cool.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So first question was, how do we work less in our business and on it more on our business.
Speaker A:And it's primarily focusing on systems and making sure that you're.
Speaker A:You're putting your all into it.
Speaker A:Customer.
Speaker A:Customer trends and expectation.
Speaker A:Experience is sanitation.
Speaker A:I love this little add at the tip card.
Speaker A:I love that something for the intangible to take home is so smart and.
Speaker A:Okay, let's do one last question.
Speaker A:Let's see.
Speaker A:How do we handle.
Speaker A:Okay, how do you handle a client not getting the experience they expected?
Speaker A:What systems or culture?
Speaker A:Pr.
Speaker A:Cultural practices help you resolve it without damaging your brand?
Speaker B:That's a good question.
Speaker B:I mean, you know when you look to the left and you look to the right of you, you know your salon, just like when you come home, you know your household.
Speaker B:So, you know when something's not right.
Speaker B:And sometimes, you know, we have to allow that stylist to do their best.
Speaker B:And it's the coaching.
Speaker B:It is the constant, constant coaching.
Speaker B:We must remove all of their obstacles, retrain, put them back in the training program.
Speaker B:It is a benefit for them to grow and exceed their expectations as well.
Speaker B:So it's just that same thing.
Speaker B:Back in consistency.
Speaker B:You know the brand that you want, it's not about how good the hair looks.
Speaker B:It's about how great the hair feels.
Speaker B:And the experience that that client has to rebook and the advertisement on the way we made them feel within our brand, it's just constant, constant, constant.
Speaker B:Even if someone runs that for you, somehow there has to be a system where we follow through and say, I have to handle that customer complaint or concern.
Speaker B:And we handle it, we learn from it, we coach up to it, and we keep growing.
Speaker A:And so with all these systems and all these things that you're talking about, what.
Speaker A:What do you think your secret is to keeping your team together and keeping people working with you and for your.
Speaker A:For you and your company for so.
Speaker B:Long, I attribute it to my leadership team because the range of age goes from 30 in my leadership team to 66 years old and the young and the old.
Speaker B:I shouldn't Say the young and the old, the seasoned and the new talent.
Speaker B:The new talent, yeah, they're always open to the respect of learning.
Speaker B:People that are usually more seasoned can say it better.
Speaker B:And usually younger people are like, oh, I wish I could use that verbiage.
Speaker B:We've paired the power of that company together to continue to get the vibe and the word we.
Speaker B:Like I said, our culture is a little bit very new school and very old school all in one.
Speaker B:In fact, down to the music.
Speaker B:The music starts out one way and by the end of the day we've all, we're all happy.
Speaker B:But now the young people want the old music and then it's so crazy.
Speaker B:But I think really keeping your eye on the prize, which is the, the leadership and pairing them together.
Speaker B:So if you have leadership at your business, if you do not have leadership at your business, then finding books, podcasts, anything that will speak to the environment you're, that you want to handle currently and get stronger in your current business.
Speaker B:I never look too far out to the future.
Speaker B:There's enough going on right there today.
Speaker B:Think there's a Bible verse like that.
Speaker B:There's enough going on today that you don't have to look at tomorrow's woes.
Speaker B:So make today its best.
Speaker B:Make today, whether it was a bad day or a good day, make it better and then the next day be stronger from what you've learned, you know, grow daily.
Speaker A:So what do you mean by leadership team?
Speaker A:For anybody wondering what you're talking, what that means?
Speaker B:Yeah, we are blessed that we have people that handle the hr, the human resources department.
Speaker B:So you know, when you pull out the file, there's a picture of the person, there's their i9 form, any write ups or anything that concerns.
Speaker B:But the biggest thing in that, in that HR file is their learning style, how they like to learn.
Speaker B:It's in there, their reviews are in there.
Speaker B:So just having that consistently continue to be updated every six months unless there's a challenge and there's something we need to say, oh, you're retail numbers are a little bit lower.
Speaker B:Maybe there's something going on that we need to remove some obstacles.
Speaker B:Remember, we just have to remove some obstacles so that they can get back on their game and get stronger.
Speaker B:So a lot of it is, you know, my leadership team will meet with the employees regularly and when they block out that section on the book so that say it's like a 15 minute block or 30 minute block, that associate or that stylist, they look forward to the meeting because everybody, it's an environment where people want to grow, whether they want to grow to eventually have their own salons, whether they want to grow to the next level up in their cutting level, whether it's just.
Speaker B:They need to just talk about their goals, because we make them have their goals.
Speaker B:And then after every year, they're like, I achieved my goals.
Speaker B:You know, so that's what we like to do constantly.
Speaker A:How often.
Speaker A:How often do you meet with.
Speaker A:Do they do.
Speaker A:Do your team members meet with the leadership team?
Speaker B:It's about once a month.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:I feel like you.
Speaker A:You all heard it here, right here.
Speaker A:Hairdressers don't like meetings, but successful businesses have meeting, regular meetings.
Speaker A:Surprise.
Speaker A:Anyway, sorry I had to do it.
Speaker A:Okay, so.
Speaker A:So we're.
Speaker A:We're at our time, actually.
Speaker A:We're a little over.
Speaker A:So thank you for sticking with us here.
Speaker A:Everybody.
Speaker A:Again, come and check out Diane at the beauty business brunch on July 27.
Speaker A:And if people want to know more, get in touch with you or they want to hear more about your.
Speaker A:Your classes or your business, can you tell them where to find you?
Speaker A:And we'll also leave links in the description below, but go ahead and tell everybody where you where what to look forward to you next.
Speaker A:Also, like, what's coming, plus where to find you.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:On Instagram is Cole Stevensalon private message.
Speaker B:We always answer everybody back.
Speaker B:If it's a private message for me, they will get me that message so we can take a deeper dive in iron sharpening iron.
Speaker B:The reason why I'm excited to go to this beauty business brunch is because you have an opportunity to just say, hey, I need to know your failures.
Speaker B:I need to know your successes.
Speaker B:We become iron sharpening iron together.
Speaker B:And like I said, we grow the industry together.
Speaker B:It's a great opportunity to meet and talk and chat and have a cocktail, I hope.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And colstevensalon.com that's our website.
Speaker B:We just want to hear from you, no matter what it is.
Speaker B:I'm going to hold the questions hopefully for the brunch so we can get some nice ahas.
Speaker B:But let's continue to be hairdresser strong together.
Speaker A:All right, awesome.
Speaker A:Well, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker A:This has been a pleasure.
Speaker A:I. I got to know you a little bit better and so did the audience.
Speaker A:So I'm looking forward to more conversations and seeing you soon.
Speaker B:That sounds great.
Speaker B:Thank you, Robert, for having me on.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:All right, until then, take care.
