Emily Chen

***Owner | Executive Stylist***
***Brooks & Harlow Salon***
***Victor, New York***
***@emchenhair***
*Photo credits: Luke Laporta*

I have been interviewing stylists and salon owners with feature blogs for over 5 years now. My goal is to provide you with insight from other industry leaders and educators so you feel supported and inspired after reading them. And this blog is NO different.

My girl Emily Chen is a trailblazer, leader, educator, and next level content creator. She has a real, FUN, and relatable approach to salon ownership in 2023 and beyond.

Enjoy! And as always, we hope this interview inspires you to get out there and reach for the stars in your own business. Be sure to check out her IG @emchenhair

1. THE COMMISSION SALON MODEL HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO STAY CURRENT AND KEEP YOUR BUSINESS AT THE FOREFRONT OF STYLISTS’ MINDS, SO THEY WANT TO WORK WITH YOU?

Commission salons have historically offered security, structure, leadership, a team atmosphere, and employee benefits; but have lacked the freedom, flexibility, and autonomy so many stylists are looking for. My question is, why can’t we have both? We’ve seen a huge shift in the way people behave and feel about work. Flexibility and balance are no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. If you’re not offering that, then it’s going to be pretty challenging to attract & retain the best of the best. Being OPEN to new ideas and being ADAPTABLE to change is one of the must-have qualities of any owner or leader in 2024. In my salon, any policy and any system is subject to being challenged by ANYONE in the organization, regardless of role, status, seniority, etc. If there’s a better way to do something, I want to hear about it and I want to figure out how to make it happen.

Some recent examples include changing our dress code which has allowed each individual’s personality to shine through their daily outfits; modifying our PTO policies to allow for more flexibility, and something I’ve done since day one is allow for all of our artists to have complete autonomy over their books. Need a break? They can block it out themselves. Some catch-up time? Sure. Want to come in a bit later? Leave early? Go for it. As long as it’s communicated so we avoid any booking errors, then I don’t see where the problem is. I think the fear that some owners have about schedule autonomy is “what if they ‘abuse’ it?” - but I challenge you to ask yourself - what if they don’t? If someone abuses it, then be a leader and address the individual, but don’t punish the whole group for the actions of one. Put your TRUST in your team, and they will put their trust in you.

2. FINDING NEW TEAM MEMBERS IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE IN OUR INDUSTRY ESPECIALLY NOW. WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU ATTRACT NEW TEAM MEMBERS TO YOUR BUSINESS?

Put yourself out there! Build a reputation - BOTH online and offline. How do you do that?

ONLINE: Social media is a great way to share your business and your salon culture with the community. Don’t just post hair pictures. Post about your team. Post-action shots. Post clips of team-building activities. Post reels of your team members talking about one of their favorite services. Going to a hair show? Taking a class? Post about it! Follow your local beauty schools. Better yet, get in touch with them & offer shadowing programs & internships.

OFF-LINE: Who have you done business with, and what do they say about you? I’m not just talking clients. I also mean your vendors, neighboring businesses, and TEAM MEMBERS - both current and former. When someone chooses to join your team, they are choosing to do business with you. Just like with your clients, a team member’s experience doing business with you matters - so make sure you’re putting enough focus on empowering & growing the team you HAVE, vs the energy put into constantly finding new team members. When it comes to attracting new talent, the best of the best do their research when choosing which salons to apply for.

3. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ATTRACT NEW CLIENTS? WHAT HAS WORKED FOR YOU IN DRIVING NEW TRAFFIC TO YOUR BUSINESS?

It used to be “word of mouth”, but I’m going to add to that - word of mouth AND online presence. Have you ever had a friend rave to you about a new restaurant? And what’s one of the first things you do? Probably pull out your phone to find them on Instagram to check them out, am I wrong? It’s the same in our industry. Word of mouth = the friend recommending a business, a restaurant, a salon, a tattoo shop… and then social media solidifies the deal. Speaking of social media, it’s called SOCIAL media for a reason. Don’t just create posts, but BE SOCIAL. Engage with your community. Spend some time each day commenting, and networking. Remember that people don’t want to do business with “businesses”. People want to do business with PEOPLE. So get yourself out there and start “people-ing.”

4. TELL US ABOUT YOUR SALON CULTURE. HOW DO YOU CREATE A TEAM-DRIVEN SALON THAT WORKS TOGETHER AND TRULY SUPPORTS ONE ANOTHER?

Prioritize respect, accountability, gratitude & kindness at every level. Nothing big is ever done alone. It takes a village; a TEAM to move mountains. All of us at Brooks & Harlow are unique individuals who lead different lives outside of work, but what ALL of us have in common is the desire to have a workspace we’re proud of, and we know it takes teamwork to do it.

5. YOU HAVE HIGH STYLIST RETENTION. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KEEP YOUR STYLISTS LONG-TERM?

My leadership team & I put a lot of energy into gathering feedback from our stylists. We consistently ask them what’s working for them, and what’s not. We consistently ask how we can serve them better. Think of your team members as your best clients. Just as clients have a CHOICE of which salons to go to, your team members have a CHOICE as to where they want to work. Just as you strive to give your clients the best salon experience, strive just as hard to give your team the best working experience. Stylists want a safe, supportive environment, and continued growth. They want security, as well as freedom & autonomy. Listen to your team. Find out where the holes are & work together to find solutions.