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

Sydney, appreciate you joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is about knowing your goal and creating a clear vision for what you truly want. It takes a strong personality, hard work, and determination to keep pushing forward, even when things don’t go as planned- because failure is just part of the process. I think having a strong support system is the backbone of success , having those people who see your vision and believe in it gives you drive, but so does building real, genuine connections along the way. For me, success isn’t about just hitting the goal- its about staying to true to your vision, putting the work in, and embracing the challenges that make you grow.

I’ve been doing hair for eight years now, and even as a baby stylist, I knew I wanted to own a salon one day. Back then, the hair industry felt stuck in an outdated, toxic hierarchy. New Stylist were at the bottom of the totem pole- treated poorly, constantly at everyones beck and call, and often dismissed, especially if you showed natural talent and have a strong personality. I knew I didn’t want to be apart of that culture. I wanted to be a part of the new wave of the hair world- modern, collaborative, supportive, and unafraid to embrace social media and fresh techniques behind the chair.

From day one, I was determined to rise above that toxicity, but don’t get me wrong there were plenty of times I caught myself falling off track and loosing sight of the end goal because the environment you’re in can consume you overtime. I worked my ass off to become one of the top stylists, built a local name for myself, and created such a high demand that my clients would follow me anywhere. Along the way, I was lucky to have the support of my entrepreneurial family and boyfriend that became my husband/business partner, the connections I made within the hairstylist community, and, of course , the loyalty of my clients who also saw my vision from the start. All of that gave me the confidence to take the leap 5 years later (a month before covid happened.. eek it was a very hard and scary time in the hair world) and start SAINT + TAYLOR SALON- a space built on the values I’ve always believed in: collaboration, creativity, and community.

Sydney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always been creative—ever since I was a young girl. I wasn’t the book-smart type, but I was definitely street-smart! I’ve always had a passion for hair, makeup, and fashion, so I knew I’d end up somewhere in that world. After high school, I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to go, so I took a job as an independent contractor for Dior and worked makeup events all over Washington. That experience taught me a lot—how to connect with people of all ages, provide product info, and sell, all while building meaningful connections in a short amount of time.

After doing that for a year, my mom encouraged me to go to cosmetology school, knowing how much I loved getting my own hair done. A few months later, I enrolled at Toni & Guy Academy and from the moment I stepped into that building, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I felt more confident than ever in my decision, It all just clicked, and that’s when I knew this was my path.

What sets me apart is my authenticity—I’ll always keep it real with my clients. I’m personable, raw, real, and relatable, which helps me build strong connections. I also have a deep love for education, staying ahead of current trends, techniques, and color lines to provide the best possible experience. I specialize in modern blonding, aesthetic hair, and I’m a 3x certified extension specialist. I’m passionate about enhancing my clients’ natural beauty and delivering customized, high-quality results.

I’m most proud of creating my storefront salon while becoming a first-time mom. A little backstory—after leaving my old salon in 2019, I started working in a salon suite. During 2021, while planning my wedding, my fiancé and I were also looking for the perfect storefront space to bring my vision to life. We searched for so long but couldn’t find anything that felt right. I’m not one to rush into things, I truly believe when it’s your time, it will come. So, after our wedding in 2022, I got a call from my commercial real estate agent about a space that checked every box. Before we went on our honeymoon, we met, reviewed our business plan, and everything just aligned perfectly, so we took the leap, laid the deposit and signed the papers.

Three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. At that point, I was taking a huge step in both my career and my personal life. The emotions were overwhelming—so much uncertainty. I was working 10 to 12 hours behind the chair, building out the salon, and struggling with a difficult pregnancy. But I knew the one thing I had to do before my baby girl arrived was get the salon up and running. It was a challenging time, but I had an amazing support system. As I started feeling better, I hustled even harder to save enough money for maternity leave and to keep the salon’s bills paid, even if I couldn’t fully build my team in time. Luckily, I found a few stylists before giving birth, and that felt like a gift from the universe, giving me the confidence I needed back.

Now, two years later, with a lot of trial and error, I’m still working on my work-life balance, but I believe that if I could birth two babies—my daughter and my salon—within six months of each other, then I can handle anything that comes my way.

Even during that challenging year, I never lost sight of the foundation of what the salon is made from—collaboration, creativity, and community. These values have always been at the heart of everything I do and continue to guide me as the business grows.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Managing a team and maintaining high morale starts with strong communication and building a culture of trust. It’s important to be transparent with your team about expectations, goals, and challenges. I believe in leading by example—being consistent, approachable, and creating an environment where everyone feels supported. I love to tell them that this isn’t just my salon, that this is all of our salon so I am open ears to ideas and feedback.

One key to maintaining high morale is fostering a sense of community and collaboration. I encourage my team to work together, share ideas, and learn from each other. That’s how you build a strong foundation where everyone feels valued and motivated. It’s also important to celebrate wins, big and small. A little recognition goes a long way, whether it’s through team outings, small rewards, or simply acknowledging someone’s contribution in a meeting.

Ultimately, when your team feels respected, supported, and appreciated, they’re more likely to stay motivated, focused, and driven to help the business succeed.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I would say social media, especially Instagram, has been incredibly helpful for attracting the clientele I want. It’s such a powerful tool for showcasing my work and connecting with potential clients. However, at the end of the day, the foundation of getting new clients is word of mouth. When clients leave the salon feeling confident and rep your brand on their heads, and others ask who did their hair, that’s the best advertisement you can get. It’s all about building those genuine connections and creating experiences that make clients want to share their positive experience with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saintandtaklorsalon.com
• Instagram: Sydneytaylorhair & Saintandtaylorsalon

Image Credits

Branding shoot done by Miyah Burgy, IG handle @photosbymiy