Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Selena Garde. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Selena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
Thank you once again for the opportunity to be apart of Voyage.
Being a business owner is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Working with an amazing team everyday is just part of what makes owning Red Dahlia a dream come true. Yes, being the owner/manager/guest services etc. means I never really have “a day off”. But, I can also hire and fire myself in the same afternoon.lol At times the stress of handling all the business issues along with trying to balance home life can be overwhelming. I think most business owners feel this way at times and wish they could clock out and leave the stresses behind.
Fortunately. the pros of being your own boss, building and supporting an amazing team, bringing new products, brands, ideas and redesigning a business each time you dream it, calibrating with my amazing Red Dahlia family, this out weighs a “regular job” everyday of the week.
We are blessed to have made it through a pandemic, by remaining together, supporting each other. We are growing stronger everyday.
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?
As most people know becoming a salon owner was a happy accident. I am a numbers girl who loves working in customer service and leading an energetic team. I have never been a hair stylist, most people are surprised by this. I love the hair industry and the artist I get to work with everyday. Red Dahlia Salon is an Aveda/Bumble and Bumble/Davines salon. We believe having these three amazing brands gives us the opportunity to truly take care of all our clients needs.
What I’m most proud of is the longevity of our Red Dahlia Family. I have worked with most of the team 9-12 years. We have added a few new members to the team in the last few years and are excited to see what the future holds.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think having a kind, talented/solid team that works together and truly makes our guest feel like they are part of the Dahlias is what has built our reputation in the salon industry. Our clients know each of us personally from the front desk& stylists to the assistants. We all care about each other and do whatever it takes to provide a wonderful experience each time they visit the salon. Without them their wouldn’t be a salon. We guarantee our services and do everything we can to make sure our clients are happy.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Like I said earlier becoming a salon owner was never my plan. Once the team and I decided to put being a flight attendant on the back burner and open Red Dahlia. I went over my business plan, which was built on having 3 stylist. I decided to take out a small personal loan. Again, not being a stylist myself. This was terrifying! I believed in the team and knew we had the drive and skills to bring Red Dahlia to life. I believed even more so that together we would make Red Dahlia successful. On October 31, 2014. Red Dahlia Salon opened with 7 stylist.
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