Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Moran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I have taken many risks in my career and, especially, in my adult life. I think taking a risk feels scary because of the desire for a successful outcome or the possibility of consequences of failure. For me, it was risky to choose to go to cosmetology school and a path no one in my family had taken before. It was risky to think I would find an internship in a high-end salon. It was risky to decide to be an educator and travel for work. It was risky to decide I was ready to take on the endeavor of opening a salon and risky to have complete faith in my business partners. It was risky to put my heart and my life in my husband’s hands and it’s risky for me to send my sons into the world. I think risk is more a matter of choice. I choose to make a decision or take a risk and then I commit whole-heartedly to that choice. Whether it’s learning everything I can about my industry, or going above and beyond to create the best experience for my clients, or making sure my family has everything they need. Hard work and dedication is what makes the fear of taking a risk less scary.

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.

I am a hairstylist, salon owner and entrepreneur. I was always drawn to makeup and hair, even at an early age, and went to cosmetology school right out of high school. I have worked in luxury salons for 20+ years and I am an educator and mentor for beauty professionals. I specialize in color and extensions and I have been very lucky in my career to feel passionate about what I do. It is an indescribable feeling to make somebody feel their best self and to see them light up by what you helped them accomplish; that is addicting. When we decided to open DUO Salon we set out to create a salon client experience that felt comfortable, luxurious and welcomed everyone, and for our internal client (our stylists) a work environment that is based on collaboration, education, mentorship and work life balance. DUO salon is a full service salon but houses stylists that are specialists in their own niche, first and foremost. Curls, for example. My business partner, who is also my best friend, and I both have curly hair and years ago saw the need in the market for a salon who could serve clients with all forms of textured hair. We have two in-house curl specialists, as well as stylists who specialize in color, blonding and extensions. What sets us apart from other salons is our unwavering commitment to and culture of customer service. We want our clients to know that their care and comfort is our utmost priority. One of the things that I’m most proud of is our truly diverse clientele. We really welcome everyone and aim to provide everyone with an upscale experience.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I have two business partners in the salon. I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to do this alone. I believe in the saying, “if you want to go somewhere slow go alone, if you want to get there fast go together”. One of my partners is my best friend of 27 years. We met when I was 12 and she was 14. She had just moved to Texas from California and the first day I met her she was wearing a tube top and black and white striped winged eyeliner and I, immediately, was impressed and thought she was so cool. I still do! My other partner is one of my sisters. She is my first and forever partner in life. She is my hype-man, the wind beneath my wings, the Frank to my Sylvester, my nuts and bolts, and my cookie assistant. I’m lucky to have a team of smart, strong, capable women.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Countless!! I love to research and gain new knowledge. I’m constantly trying to feed my brain anything to be a better person, leader, partner, owner. YouTube is one of my resources; there are so many people giving away free knowledge on that platform. Some of my favorite books are The E Myth by Micheal E. Gerber and Emotional Intelligence for the Modern Leader by Christopher D. Connors.

Contact Info:

• Website: Theduosalon.com
• Instagram: @theduosalon
• Facebook: Facebook.com/theduosalon/
• Yelp: Yelp.com/biz/duo-salon-dallas