We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Wall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Angela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?
Before my husband and I became salon owners, I worked at a small local non-profit for a couple years. Prior to that I was working behind the chair as a hair stylist, self employed, but chair-renting. The most impactful thing I learned working the The Net FW (that small non-profit), was that culture matters! This was my first healthy job I’d ever had. They were hyper focused on their vision and mission and values and we talked about them almost daily. Everyone was on the same page about who we were, how we were growing and felt comfortable calling each other higher when we would misstep. That was our culture! Part of my job at the time was overseeing employees at the non-profit’s social enterprise, where our mission was to employ and empower survivors of trafficking. We also, daily, discussed our values. As all of this is happening, I am growing as a professional in my field, and it begins to bleed over into my personal life…. like I am taking these values home because they are so solid, I want to walk in them with my kids and my spouse. Because I was so positively impacted by healthy culture, when we decided to open a salon, I knew we couldn’t do it without building culture. What I have learned is that culture can actually happen no matter what, but as the business owner, you have to be in control of it. Values don’t belong in the handbook, they belong in the mouths and minds of your employees. When you continue to talk about them, everyone gets in unity, and even when tweaks need to happen because of growth of whatever, the unity is already there.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Well, hey! I’m Angela! Married with 3 kiddos! I have 16 years of beauty industry experience under my belt, having worn many hats from stylist, educator, and now salon owner. I took a short hiatus in 2020 to go work my “dream job” for a local non-profit I’d been serving at for years. Anti-trafficking work has been a heart passion of mine so when they offered me a job during a very uncertain 2020, I took it! Coming from the beauty industry, I never sat at a desk, or really replied to emails, or ever went to meetings. Although it was wildly different work than I was used to, I had a heart for people and that’s what kept me driven to give my best every day. In 2022, my husband and I had a wild idea from The Lord to open a hair salon in order to empower stylists through kingdom culture and education. 2 of my desires for stylists; that they grow professionally through a love of education, and that they grow through a healthy work culture, that bleeds into their personal lives (like it did for me). We want to be the healthiest workplace on the planet. And when you have a healthy workplace, your guests benefit the most from it!
Our salon has a retreat-like atmosphere that we protect like gold! We provide luxury services and experiences for any woman that wants to call our salon home. When most people arrive, they begin to scan the room, taking in all the beauty the carefully curated decor, noticing something new with each angle the chair turns. I can’t take credit for that, as we worked with a wonderfully gifted designer! The experience is next-level in my opinion. We pride ourselves in actually listening and engaging with our guests to thoughtfully plan out their dream hair.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
The year leading up to us actually opening our doors, I dove into many industry-specific leadership podcasts, PIP University Salon Owner School, I’ve picked up many great lessons and tools from. My husband and I read Profit First by Mike Michalowicz and did a deep-dive into being financially conservative with our business. But probably the most impactful resource I’ve come across yet was The Customer Service Revolution by John DeJulius. That book shaped our client experience and helped us put into words what we felt like our client experience should be like. Inspired beyond words. I could read it again and again.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
This is something we hit from many angles but I feel like brand loyalty begins with client experience, how they feel at every single touchpoint. Do they feel like the most important person in the room? Im talking from the time the call and make that first appointment too. We do encourage our guests to follow our social media, and sometimes that’s how they find us initially! We use an online booking software, making it super simple for a client to schedule something after they’ve put their kids to bed, not just calling when the salon is open.
Another thing we just implemented are Guest Loyalty Perks. This a physical card with a QR code that directs to our online store for those midnight shampoo shoppers, and a punchcard perks for 6 visits. Perks range from discounted retail, to a complimentary treatment to a free blow-dry. Clients love it, and they get so excited to pull out their card to receive the next perk!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dwellstudiosalon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwellstudiosalon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DwellStudioSalon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-wall-2844b574/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dwell-studio-salon-westworth-village?osq=dwell+studio+salon
Image Credits
Headshot- Kristina Avila