We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Payton Hicks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Payton below.

Payton, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Oh boy! I have had names upon names for my Salon and Spa written down, filed as business licenses along the way (for the ones that I really thought were the one), and logos mocked up. None of them has felt as right as the names that I have now. It may sound simple, but when you have the right name for something you whole heartedly believe in, you’ll know. That is how I felt about my business names I landed on. My salon, “The PH Bar”, was inspired by how heavily our services involve the pH scale. From washing hair, to colouring, adding treatments and products, we are constantly changing the pH balance of the hair. My overall goal behind the chair as a stylist has always been happy healthy hair. No amount of money, cutting corners, or time crunching is worth providing services that don’t support this. Our brand embodies healthy services that help support a balanced pH level within your hair. It also happens to be my initials (Payton Hicks) which is a plus and something I think is super unique!

Our spa name is “The Mañana Day Spa”. It is located a few doors west of the salon and opening soon! Our name is true to Albuquerque Old Town and nestled away in a quiet comfy corner of our plaza. I wanted to provide an environment for clients that allowed them to feel at ease about their daily stressors, busy schedules, and our ever-changing world. The Mañana Day Spa is a place where your worries can wait until tomorrow.

Payton, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been in Albuquerque New Mexico my whole life and I have worked in a salon since I was 14. I got my workers permit (that regulated my working hours because of my age) and got my first job in a salon as a receptionist. I enrolled in beauty school at 18 and I have been doing hair ever since! I was very fortunate to find my passion at such a young age and be able to work in the industry up until I went to cosmetology school. I specialize in soft lived in blondes, dimensional brunettes, and Invisible Bead Extensions. I’m able to help clients feel confident and comfortable with their hair and make big transformations with Invisible Bead Extensions and custom colours. I have extensive training with the brand IBE extensions that offers a healthy and comfortable installation method. Extensions hold a special place in my heart because I struggled for a long time with feeling confident in my natural hair. It is a brand I truly believe in and I am happy it is apart of The PH Bar.

I am super proud to have a brand that focuses on overall hair health and helps educate clients on how to maintain their services they receive. I love teaching clients about all the hair tips and tricks I have learned along my career that make my life easier and my hair healthier.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Be consistent and have a niche. I truly believe that the more you try to do, the less you are able to dedicate to being really REALLY good at something. Focusing on your niche and knowing all the ins and outs of it is super obvious to potential clients and is a big draw. Marketing what you believe in will come naturally and should be fun! If it isn’t something you believe in it will be hard to sell and won’t feed your soul!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Online marketing. Form Google, to an online booking system, to a personalised website, and our business instagrams. I think it is always best to diversify your online presence and make it simple and easy to navigate. Google business is great for quick searches and location, a custom website is great for those who want to know more about your brand, and Instagram is great for visuals. I am always hesitant when instagram pages and google business pages don’t lead to a branded websites when searching for new businesses. Your online presence is such an amazing tool to grow your business with so many different avenues.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thephbar.com www.manandayspa.com
• Instagram: @thephbar @_paytonhicks @mananadayspa

Image Credits
Bethany Sena Photography