We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Filomena Bettencourt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Filomena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Naming the business was both challenging and fun! I was fortunate to have a very close friend that, at the time, had recently completed her design degree at Parsons School of Design. She generously offered to help me in re-branding the salon which included coming up with a new name for the business. I still have my Apple Notes saved with the other names that weren’t chosen. I look at them every so often and have a little chuckle.

In 2012, I purchased the salon where I had been working, and I knew that I wanted to keep the retro vibe. Also, I grew up with the Yellow Pages. Having your name in the beginning of the alphabet for businesses was something marketing people would advise on. Other than that, I had no idea where to go with it. To help with the renaming process, I completed my friend’s Renaming Profile Questionnaire. Here’s just a few of the twenty-one questions.

1. Should it be a reference to a styling tool? If so, which one(s)?
2. Do you want the name to feel concise, feel like storytelling or conversational?
3. Pick three or less (anymore will confuse the audience) adjectives that you want the name to reflect verbally and visually. Here are a few to get you started: irreverent, romantic, modern, contemporary, satirical, funny, serious, elitist, populist, sexy, cute, glamorous, conservative, etc.
4. Should it reflect something personal (family, birthplace, ancestry)? If so, which one(s)?
5. Should it reflect a personal experience you’ve had? If so, which one(s)?

The rebrand was officially launched one year later in March 2013. I chose to wait, because the salon had a very loyal clientele, and I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers with too much change too soon.

The “B” in our name stands for Beauty, and is also the first letter of my last name. “Parlor” is our nod to the classic, retro name associated with traditional hair salons. Back in the day, beauty parlors served not only as a place to get your hair done, but also a place to share stories, relax, and escape for an hour or two. B Parlor strives to preserve that “home away from home” vibe. Our salon as a whole represents growth and modernity, while appreciating some gems from the beauty parlor past. This is shown through our hair artistry, our personal style, our desire to learn about our clients, and our true love for our industry.

B Parlor’s character is reflected in our open and bright space. A visual tour will reveal the symbolism of our name. You’ll see some vintage hair styling influences while witnessing our appreciation for the modern in our decor and personal styles. We greatly respect where hairdressing has come from and always anticipate where it’s headed.

As is the nature of a classic “Parlor” (a space meant for conversation and building connections), we genuinely want to get to know you. We also respect one another and want to see each other succeed, which means it’s normal to have another stylist lend a hand with a shampoo or blowout. The building blocks of our salon is education. Our motto often is: “two heads work better than one,” especially when it comes to formulating your perfect color.

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.

Hi! I’m Filomena Bettencourt, a hair stylist since 1999 and a proud salon owner since 2012 in San Francisco, California. It may come as a surprise to you but I grew up on a dairy farm in Stockton, California. I’m the youngest of three sisters. I’m 1st generation Portuguese (yes I speak it too). I bring that warm, country vibe to both my work and life – I’m a huge hugger. When I’m not styling hair, you’ll find me dancing and singing in my kitchen, being in nature (especially near the ocean), listening to podcasts, and reading/listening to self-help books, business leadership, finance, and marketing books. I have a passion for continuous learning, regularly taking hair industry technical and business classes. The simple things in my life are what bring me the most fulfillment like cuddling with my cats and spending quality time with my husband.

My parents owned the dairy farm I grew up on. I definitely got their entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance and work ethic. I didn’t come from a family of hairdressers. I remember completing a comprehensive career questionnaire during high school, and the results gave us some ideas on the profession/s we would be best suited for. For me, it suggested hair styling, nursing, and veterinary care as potential fits. It was during my first salon job where I gained invaluable experience and insights, not just to the craft but also into my own dreams. That’s when my desire for salon ownership started to brew.

Every job I’ve had, I consistently would be promoted to management positions. I have a genuine love for people. As a Libra, I’m naturally seeking balance, which at times makes managing people hard. However, coaching people is what lit me up. I absolutely loved to teach co-stylists color, cutting and styling techniques.

The second salon that I worked at became my own after I purchased it from the previous owner. Initially, I was the salon educator and also assistant manager. When I transitioned into the role of salon owner, I had gained a lot more responsibilities. Soon, I needed help with teaching, and then established our in-salon education team. Together, we developed a structured stylist assistant program. It made me quite proud to see our assistants graduate our program and then continue to grow professionally and personally. I’m extremely grateful to have stylists continue to work with me for 7+ years, which is not the norm in our industry.

I take great pride in cultivating a salon culture that’s collaborative, friendly, eager to learn, great at building relationships within the community, and has unwavering integrity. Having strong systems and boundaries in my salon has allowed me to enjoy my time on my days off and it also builds the business’ confidence with clients and nurtures the team’s confidence.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The first five years of ownership were fun yet challenging. The novelty of owning the business brought a palpable, exciting energy, but was challenging because I didn’t have strong enough systems in place, which didn’t allow us to scale. I struggled with asking for help and establishing boundaries with myself and the team, often finding myself handling tasks like completing payroll at 11pm, or preparing for a class and dealing with work-related messages from my team on my days off. I brought physical and emotional work home all the time, blurring the lines between work and personal life. I was really stressed and started to have anxiety. It was putting stress on our marriage. Something had to change. I started to work less behind the chair so that I could focus more on operational aspects. Our assistant manager started to document our front desk processes, while I looked for a new CPA to gain a better understanding of our finances. I realized I needed guidance to do things differently, and I wanted to have a business coach to guide me. In 2019, I found my business coach who specializes in the hair industry.

In November 2019, we lost the home we lived in and just about everything due to a devastating house fire. I was at work when it happened. Thankfully, my husband, our two cats and dog survived. My husband endured serious injuries and was hospitalized due to 3rd and 4th degree skin burns and had to have skin grafts done. This tragic event was the spark that changed how I was going to live life at home and work.

Then, just four months later, Covid-19 hit. San Francisco was shut down for a total of 10 months. Like so many others, I started questioning many parts of my life. Despite the exhaustion and burnout that set in, I wasn’t going to allow Covid-19 to take our business down. I did what I do best and with perseverance, I sprung into action. I made sure to apply for the PPP Grant, SBA EIDL loan. In April 2020, I found a new CPA that was Profit First certified. They have changed the way I run my business financially. During the shutdown, I kept close communication with my team and ensured their continued employment with me. Although we were closed for business, I created remote work teams for them to work on the business. We had a retail marketing team, a website design team, a sanitation team and a client experiences team, providing hourly wages to sustain them. To start creating boundaries with my team, I got them on Slack and held regular Zoom meetings to feel connected and eased some of our anxieties. We even had our Christmas party over Zoom complete with (perhaps questionable) karaoke.

What I didn’t realize was that I hadn’t really allowed myself to digest the effect of the house fire. Even after reopening 10 months later, tending to employees, clients, and my own fears, I was emotionally drained. I had always loved work, but suddenly it felt like a burden. I desperately wanted to be present when I was at home with my husband, family, and friends, and I wanted to rediscover a sense of fulfillment in my work. I wanted to be creative at home again. I wanted to love walking into the salon. My passion for the industry and the people remained, but I struggled to maintain the level of commitment I had for the past 7 years. I just didn’t have it in me to do the bi-weekly 1:1, bi-annual reviews, educate and coach on a weekly basis. It wasn’t fair to my team. When searching for clarity, I read a ton of books, listened to podcasts, I became a part a mastermind of women entrepreneurs, and I started a daily meditation practice. I was wrestling with big decisions: should I sell the business and just work for myself, should I bring in a stylist as a business partner, or do I change our structure to chair rental? This process was not easy. I cried a lot and shared my fears with my husband, close friends and family. The fear of disappointing others and the weight of their expectations heavily weighed on me. Seeking guidance, I learned to ask the right questions and soon felt I was shedding the old version of myself.

After three years and lots of soul searching, I rewrote the salon’s Vision and Mission statements in January 2023. By May 2023, I successfully launched our new structure, transforming us into a collective of independent stylists with a fresh approach. Going this route meant accepting a potential reduction in profits, but the trade-off was reclaiming my own happiness and authenticity. I knew that I would be happier not having the pressure to be the person that I just couldn’t be anymore. Currently, I have one employee. She’s our marketing and customer success assistant while also supporting our salon’s operations. This shift has alleviated much of the pressure on me, allowing for a healthier balance between work and personal life. I prioritize being fully present at home, cherishing moments with loved ones. I have discipline work hours so on my office days, I’m done by 6pm. Now, I’m emotionally present at home. My creativity is back; I’m having fun cooking again, and doing yard work is zen for me. I absolutely love walking into the salon again and working alongside some of the best humans. I’m able to blend my professional guidance with genuine compassion. The transition of over a decade in employee based salon to championing independent stylists, I’m able to foster a space where mentorship meets collaboration.

Life is short. Quality time and experiences make life special and more memorable. I couldn’t be more grateful and proud with the pivot that I made.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ll preface by saying, in addition to improving my craft as a hairdresser, I love learning about business and what makes people behave the way that we do. I listen to podcasts and books via Audible, as well as traditional reading. Additionally, I find great joy in attending classes/courses. Surprisingly, narrowing down the books and resources that have had an impact wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.

Books
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, led to find my Profit First CPA and changed the way I do my finances
Redefine Wealth for Yourself by Patrice Washington, challenged me to shed the old version of myself and what wealth means to me
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, my morning meditation and journaling practice is because of this book
Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, taught me how to have meaningful and constructive conversations at work and in my personal life, to be more inquisitive and recognize that everyone has their truth

Resources
Britt Seva the founder of Thrivers Society, marketing and leadership coach for hair stylists and salon owners and has created a community of salon owners and hair stylists so that we can be with other like-minded people
Stacy Tuschl the founder of Well-Oiled Operations, teaches business owners how to to create systems so they can scale while scaling back and leads a mastermind for entrepreneurs

When I looked at this list, I realized I have Britt Seva to thank for introducing me to everyone on here, except for Susan Scott, the author of Fierce Conversations.

I will continue to learn and unlearn. Here’s to many more years of reading/listening to books, taking classes and listening to podcasts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bparlor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bparlorsf/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bparlorsf/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/b-parlor
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/b-parlor-san-francisco

Image Credits

All image credits to Morgan Kennedy @themorgankennedy on Instagram and www.southandwestphoto.com