We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Galati a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
As far back as I can remember, I was always subconsciously interested in hair and fashion history. Growing up in a conservative household meant we were restricted in every way possible to control what we were exposed to. I grew up watching the censored sanitized films from the 30s-70s and some 80s, and 90s G only films.
I always needed to know the year that movie was made. I took a photographic note to memorize both the differences in Fashion and Hair. You can throw any photo in front of me, the makeup, a clothing item or a hairstyle will give away that time in history. A skill I was unknowingly developing in childhood.
Fast forward 13 years in the salon hair industry when I really wanted to pivot. My risk was selling my condo I bought in 2017. Moving to LA, keeping my salon suite so I can still have a 2023 income while I pursued film work without burning out. And that change meant I needed to scale down my days traveling to my salon to 2 days a week while still somehow paying the salon suite rent and all the related expenses for a relevant business to exist.
I’ve never searched for and rented an apartment before. I’ve never lived anywhere but San Diego my whole life. And I was a single income that suffered a severe financial setback with a destroyed credit score in order to hang on post 2020.
It was sell my condo to pay off my debt, restore my credit, and finally just do what I want to do next or stay and flounder like I had been since 2020.
Oh and I broke my foot a few months before all this risk taking. A hairstylists nightmare. I was doing hair on a scooter in a boot for 2 months and went into escrow during that time.
I literally hired a redfin agent on that scooter. I was in a hurry to change my life’s situation asap.
I was able to hire a stylist friend in my salon suite in the knick of time to keep my business open while I navigated a very quick home sale.
By January 2023 my house closed to a marine who was buying her first house, it was perfect. I lived in a hotel with my cat and dog for a few nights while I still worked. Anxiously awaiting the profit payout in my bank account. Because I had no more funds in my bank to stay another night in that hotel.
The timing was perfect. I packed up the fur babies and ventured into LA where I booked an airbnb while I searched for my first apartment in the wildest place to find living situations.
I was so nervous my credit score wouldn’t pick up in time. I was paying off all my debt at once. My only saving grace to be approved for an apartment was my home profit.
And then everyone decided to go on strike the year I was so ready to work towards my union hours to get into film productions. Which I fully support…but the timing…
So I hired 2 more stylists to work the other days I’m not in my salon Suite. So now there’s 4 of us sharing one chair. I think I need to open them a salon next year…
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 don’t care if you want to be a janitor or a lawyer. You be the absolute best at it.” -Grandpa G. to tiny grandchildren
A huge ask for someone that was steeped in traditional gender roles immigrated from Sicily. Severely mentally destroyed by the Korean War and checks off every box description of toxic masculinity and narcissism.
But weirdly as a girl in that ancestry it is my mission to do more than any of the women in my family before.
There wasn’t a glass ceiling for us. It was a basement.
I’m 2nd generation Sicilian American and 1st generation Mexican American.
I don’t take the legacy of my ancestry lightly. Not to make them proud, but to make sure the future generations have seen no limits. I have 4 Nephews and one Niece whom I share a birthday.
At this time 13 years into working behind the chair in San Diego I am in this transition phase. Where I’m no longer trying to grow my client list or be the one and only. But in a place to pave the way for the next generation of hairstylists. While I simultaneously start from scratch in LA film hair work.
The goal is to open and run the first salon in San Diego that is willing to f*** S*** up when it comes to “the way it’s always been done”.
So far I have 3 hairstylists I’ve been micro testing the process, and it’s been easier than I thought it would be.
How are we shaking it up?
First by making capitalism work for us without exploiting our wellbeing or compromising our principles.
My employees have all of the freedom of a self employed lifestyle. Meaning I don’t own them or need to micromanage them. They get what they put into their careers. It’s called personal responsibility.
But they have the safety of a w2 payroll. Taxes automatic, incomes proven, approval for unemployment, car loans, home loans and workman’s comp.
We don’t take tips. Why are we still perpetuating systems of oppression with racist, classist and sexist roots?
My stylists are in charge of their prices without stupid benchmarks gatekeeping their growth. Like forced retail sales minimums or business is withheld (yes that’s a normal practice I’ve personally experienced). Retail in the salon space was made up by product companies run by white men only interested in exploiting profit off hairstylists while they sell the same junk at Walmart….I digress.
Or prebook goals. That’s why they desperately bother you about it before you leave… their career is on the line in that salon.
We take one client at a time.
Ever been double booked? Triple booked with a stylist? Handed off to an assistant that doesn’t know your hair…That is the result of a generation of hairstylists refusing to charge sustainable prices. So you just pile people into the schedule for 10 hours, dehydrated, dysregulated and shrug it off as glorified “hustle” as the peak of a “successful and high demand hairstylist”. It is not sustainable and a fast track to burnout, health issues, and quitting altogether. I would know. I got there myself. And I watched stylists forced into physical retirement if not emotional.
Stylists don’t sign non competes. We do an open door policy. Because hairstylists do their best client work and experiences when they are free and happy. I have 2 stylists working part time at the local beauty school. This fulfills their desire to give back and mentor the next generation while maintaining their desired clientele and schedule. I have one that works at a blowdry bar while they build a clientele. That’s no threat to my business if its helping them live and steer their growth behind the chair. It would be sweet if salons stopped owning humans and accept open door policies as the norm to share in mutual love for our craft and communities instead of being threatened by each other.
We charge for our time. Not by gender or by service.
One flat hourly rate that reflects the needs of the stylist and the business without sneaky annoying add on services. We do what needs to be done with the time that is booked. Full transparency at checkout. Hair has no gender. We are done with that narrative and welcome all humans in all their forms to be treated equally. No patriarchal discounts here.
We are a Strands for Trans recognized business. And outspoken about our support and care. All of my employees are in the lgbtqia+. If they have a hard time finding safe spaces to work, then we know how much harder it is for them to find safe salons with adequate awareness to treat them equally with respect.
Low Tox work environment. Anti conglomerate. Pro Indie low tox products that perform. Companies that prioritize people and the environment over profit. Companies that facilitate true retail profit to the stylist in relevant ways without selling to target behind their back…
Rather than overstock products not guaranteed to sell and take up space and frankly are a headache to keep track. We partner with companies that have smaller minimalist lines. Offer affiliate links for stylists to make commissions off online sales so their clients can get what they want when they need it. And beyond the chair to their circle of influence online. No loss in revenue stocking products that don’t sell. Most of these lines have refill options so it’s kind of pointless to keep restocking things with a shelf life.
Low tox does not mean no tox. It’s simply the best available to the industry with quality functional plant ingredients, no synthetic fragrance (a well known irritant wild card) and non aerosol options. I call it botanical witchcraft.
Sounds like a sick place to be doesn’t it?! Brb while I manifest a brick and mortar expansion.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Instagram, yelp and google. But mostly instagram. From clients posting selfies and tagging me to working with local photographers tagging me and simply showing up as myself without overdoing it on hair education. People want to know if they would like to hang out with you and vibe while you transform them. I worked really hard to present my specialties on yelp, google, and my website. But a simple story share of any local business tag can go a long ways to reach the locals. I got 2 clients by tagging goodonya our neighbor in a story they reposted. I’ve been to local events that reposted me and people found me there or recognized me from the event!
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
I got fired from gusto payroll for overdrafting payroll too many times in 2022. I was barely hanging on that year and needed funds. Jokes on me because my bank stole so much money from me in overdraft fees. I had to pay my employee via venmo while I figured out square payroll for us in the middle of december while I was in escrow a month behind in paying my mortgage. It was so humiliating. But I survived.
Contact Info:
- Website: hairbyrachelgalati.com
- Instagram: @hairbyrachelgalati
- Yelp: Hair by Rachel Galati
Image Credits
Alternative Standards SD Photo