We recently connected with Karen Sgroi and have shared our conversation below.

Karen , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My Mission is redefine beauty through sustainability, exceptional customer service and a commitment to education.

This is so important to me, because I feel sustainability should be a huge part in everyone’s life. We as hairstylists make a lot of trash, therefore we have to set an example for our clients and community to be sustainable . If everyone does their part we will get so much more out of our environment. Exceptional customer service is a huge part of what we offer. I feel the human touch and making people feel beautiful inside and out is a gift that our industry can give to others. People need to be seen , heard and cared for.

There are not a lot of places you can go to get this uplifting feeling of joy and care.

The commitment to education is a huge passion of mine. I thrive on mentoring and I always love to learn and to continue growing. I feel it is so important to have a career path for all young stylists and to provide mentorship to help them grow to their fullest potential. Our clients deserve to have educated stylists who also have a passion for growth so they get the best possible service.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Karen Sgroi, hair stylist for over 30 years, Salon Owner for 20 years.

I entered this industry after going to University of Delaware for 2 years and decided the college path was not for me. I was looking for something more on the creative path. I then started my journey to the Beauty industry.

In the beginning I worked at one of the top salons in Delaware. I grew tremendously at that salon. After being there for 10 years and building a large clientele I needed a change. I moved to New York City, and worked at 2 top salons in the city for 2 years. I after growing more and meeting some fantastic friends, I realized my heart was in Delaware and returned home to continue my career in Wilmington, Delaware.

After returning home and regaining my clientele, there was an opportunity to own a salon in a partnership. That was a great experience and lasted for over 17 years. My co owner and myself then grew to have different values and goals and it was time for me to go my own way, and open my dream salon.

LOKA Beauty Studio was opened in 2022. LOKA Beauty Studio is a salon of sustainability, clean products and, mentorship and education.

I am also very passionate on giving back to the community. I have developed a passion for helping people who have cancer and lose their hair due to other medical condition’s.

LOKA Beauty Studio has partnered with Wigs for Kids, which helps children who lose their hair due to cancer or alopecia. I fit these chosen kidos for their wigs and then cut the wig they are sent from wigs for kids. It is incredibly rewarding to help make them feel like themselves before they lost their hair. To see a smile on the faces of these kids is so impactful, I absolutely love it!

LOKA Beauty Studio also offering alternative hair solutions such as toppers and wigs for those who need help feeling confident by adding hair.

This is so fulfilling and rewarding to be able to help people in need.

We are also partners with Ronald McDonald house DE. We offer services to the families who are staying at the house to help them feel a bit better in their most trying days.

I am most proud of the team I have built in the past 3 years that LOKA Beauty Studio has been open. Attracting like minded people who want to join along with my LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD motto is definitely what brings me the most joy.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A few books that stand out for me are

The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks

It made me look at how I perceive things and makes it all relative you have control and your mind is definitely in control of your reality.

Also the Book Little Voice Mastery was pivotal in my daily dealings with staff and coaching.

The book Unreasonable Hospitality, was extremely helpful with our first class customer experience training.

Probably the most influential book is Profit First by Mike Michalowicz has completely transformed how I manage my finances. I got control of my finances and plan for everything by using Profit first and finding a Profit First accountant.

I also use a business coaching group for the Beauty industry journey. The High Performance Salon Academy. This academy has definitely changed the way I run my salon. It is a group of salon Owners that offer support and guidance on how to effectively run a profitable salon.

How did you build your audience on social media?

 I have built a presence on social media and on google By investing in a SEO Company called Fully Booked AI.
I feel Social Media and the web is a Huge driver in Salons success. In the Beauty industry it is all about Looking your best and doing good work. Clients want to see before they commit to going into a new salon. Having a good engaging presence is so important. Referrals and reviews are the #1 things that drives in New customers. I believe investing in a company that knows SEO well and are up to date on all the regulations is Absolutely Essential to the business growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lokabeautystudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lokabeautystudio?igsh=MWQzcWhmdXo2MXZ2OQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lokabeautystudio?
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=loka+beauty+studio
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/loka-beauty-studio-wilmington?osq=Loka+beauty+studio

Image Credits

Kelli Wilke From the Portrait Club