Meet The 2023 Faces of Sola

The Faces of Sola program began in 2015 with the vision to bring together independent salon owners from across the country to share their personal stories and wisdom as beauty professionals, entrepreneurs, go-getters, givers, working parents, philanthropists, artists, educators, and people on a mission to change the world. 

Since we launched the program, we have welcomed so many wonderful independent Solapreneuers to the Faces of Sola fam – each hand-selected to represent our brand’s 20,000+ community of salon owners and serve as ambassadors by sharing their stories, wisdom and experiences with our Sola community & beyond. They are a testament to our mission of empowering beauty professionals to achieve their dreams of owning a salon. 

It is with great excitement that we introduce you to the 8 NEW Faces of Sola for 2023! We have a feeling you’re gonna love ‘em as much as we do... 🤩 

Kayla Orth, @hairbykaylaorth – West Palm Beach, FL 

Kayla Orth began her hairstylist career at the age of 16, working as an assistant and washing hair at a unisex salon. This set the foundation and ignited a passion for a career in the beauty industry for Kayla – she passed her state board when she turned 18, and hasn’t looked back since. Kayla considers herself a “forever student” because of how much there is to learn in this industry. Case in point: She specialized in color and precision haircuts for 13 years until she discovered a newfound passion and niche for invisible beaded extensions in 2020. After taking master courses and dedicating countless hours into her craft, she now holds the title of Next Gen Educator on the Platform artist team!  

Kayla knew she was ready to go independent after 13 years working in local salons – she shared a space with another stylist for about 5 years until Covid hit and in 2020, she moved to a suite by herself at Sola West Palm Beach. Since then, she has outgrown into a larger studio!  

“I love my Sola suite and community! All of my neighbors are so amazing – we help each other when we can. We can close our doors and have privacy or mingle and share a smile and a laugh with each other.”  

Chloe Calley, @hairbychloecooper - Fenton, MI 

Chloe has known from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in cosmetology – and since the age of 19 she has owned her own hair business. How many other people can say they owned their own business at 19?! But her goal-crushing doesn’t stop there; she made the top 25 for Behind the Chair’s Suite Décor!  

Before coming to Sola, she worked at a booth rental salon where she met one of her best friends and now business partner, Mesina. The salon they were working at abruptly closed and they were scrambling to find their next career step. They had both been on the waitlist for their local Sola location for quite some time - and as fate would have it, they got the notice that a suite would be available at Sola the day after they had to be out of the booth rented salon. Mercedes Brynn Hair + Company was born! 

“Once I had found Sola, I knew it was the perfect fit for me and my lifestyle and was eager to make my dreams a reality. My time at Sola has been more than I could've ever dreamed of and I am so excited to see what the future has in store...” 

Daniel Montes De Oca, @hairby_danielm – Greensboro, NC 

Daniel Montes De Oca is a true testament to the American Dream – he was born in Mexico and moved to the US in 2015. He started doing hair when he first moved here with no intention of becoming his own boss; but after years of learning, improving his skills and upleveling his client experience, he eventually found his home at Sola. Opportunities kept following Daniel as he outgrew a standard suite to into a large, and he has no plans of slowing down any time soon. 

Daniel has worked on all hair types, and over the years blondes have become his specialty. But above all, Daniel is passionate about more than just hair; he is passionate about people and getting that beautiful, confident smile from his clients post-appointment.  

“Becoming an independent stylist at Sola has been the best thing that has happened in my career so far. It has allowed me to manage my own schedule, I can spend more time doing other things besides work, and I feel a lot of support from Sola.”  

Deniece Jordan, @bhblounge – Port Credit, ON, Canada 

Deniece Jordan is the owner of Be. Hair + Beauty Lounge, where she welcomes clients of all backgrounds, races, and orientations. Having experience with all hair types, particularly including natural textures, it's her passion and mission to make all feel welcome in her space. Deniece is located in Canada and learned about the concept of salon suites at Marca College, and just knew Sola was meant to be. With her formal education from university paired with her years of styling, she has truly created a brand of her own!   

Fun fact about Deniece: she played assistant to head hairstylist Glenna Sandy on the set of CBC Gem's Virgins, released last fall! 

“A private salon experience was something that clients really appreciated during the pandemic, and Sola made moving in so simple. It was such a no brainer, especially because I could truly make the space my own. I wouldn't have changed a thing!”  

Jaime Castaneda, @jaimeecutzbarberstudio – Avondale, AZ 

Jaime Castaneda is a barber based out of Avondale, AZ. He unknowingly started his career in the salon at age 14, just as a hobby... and because his parents hadn’t quite mastered haircutting themselves, he had to take matters into his own hands to get the “freshest fades in school.” He practiced on his brother for years until he started barber school in 2011. After getting licensed, he worked at a barbershop until 2020 and the pandemic hit – leaving him to again take matters into his own hands and start cutting hair out of his garage. That’s when he realized he had what it took to be independent, and that his clients were willing to follow him. His wife’s nail technician told him to check Sola out, and he finally booked a tour. The rest is history – he signed his lease, mastered his craft, grew his clientele and has curated his dream brand. We have a feeling he’s got more up his sleeve for 2023... 

Beyond the chair, Jamie is newly married to his high school sweetheart, and is a girl-dad to two beautiful daughters, Nevaeh and Mya.  

“Becoming an independent studio owner has single-handedly been the best decision I've made in my life. Having a suite allows me to set the standard of top-tier customer service, set the mood for my clients and be someone my they look forward to seeing every week to 3 weeks.” 

Kimberly Loomis, @kimberlyloomis –  Columbus, OH 

Kimberly Loomis has always been a true creative, enjoying all different forms of art from an early age. One of her earliest memories is coloring her Barbie's hair with her mom’s eyeshadows. But this girl has got the beauty skills AND the brains - she attended a vocational school (and later became a part of the advisory board) and ended up managing a few corporate salons. From there it did not take long for her to adopt the independent mentality and go out on my own as a suite owner - something she’s been doing for the past 13 years, the last 7 being at Sola! 

Some of Kimberly’s highlights include magazine & article features, mentoring local beauty school students, becoming Green Circle Certified & becoming a 100% carbon neutral salon through Green Circle, being named a top 100 colorist in the world with Davines Talent GreenHouse, securing a top 100 salon suite with Behind the Chair, attending New York Fashion Week and (coming soon) she’s launching her own education program.  

Kimberly’s Sola neighbors know that she’s got their back – she's the go-to if someone has a question, needs a tube of color, or if they just need to decompress.  

“This has been such an incredible experience for me. I have had the ability to grow so much with my Sola... and I have always believed in stylists supporting stylists and try to demonstrate that as often as I can!” 

Ryan Sanger, @sanger_extensions – Century City, CA 

Ryan Sanger is originally from Northampton, Massachusetts, and he is the only hairstylist to achieve the status of owning a hair lingerie studio at 27 years old in Los Angeles, CA. If you aren’t familiar, ‘hair lingerie’ is the world's premier and most customizable hair. Ryan has worked in top salons in Boston and Los Angeles, won awards from Wella, and has done a handful of services for celebrities and Unites States elite. He has created his success entirely from scratch – and he has without a doubt made a name for himself. 

Before finding Sola, Ryan was like every other hairstylist: working 60 hours a week and making 40K a year; even while working at the top salons in Boston and LA. Once he realized that his clients were paying to see him, that’s when the game changed. He opened his hair lingerie studio at Sola, and was able to curate the high-end environment to match his high-end services – all while making the money he deserved.  

“Sola provided me the opportunity to create the exact environment and client experience I wanted. I also know my clients are happier because of it and I can confidently say I am now a happier hairstylist and owner.” 

Stacy Heintzman, @gingeryesthetic - Uptown Phoenix, AZ 

Stacy Heintzman became an esthetician over 15 years ago after spending some time as a chef. As her love for culinary arts faded, she knew in her heart that she wanted to do something with and for people and to make lasting connections. She graduated from esthetician school, got pregnant with her daughter and soon after started her career at Ulta. The environment she was in was not for the faint of heart, but nevertheless she rolled up her sleeves and learned what it meant to be resilient. But the one thing she constantly found herself missing was time – time with her young daughter, Olivia. That’s when she realized that it was a non-negotiable; she wanted to work for herself and be in control of her schedule.   

After a few moves in the Phoenix area, setbacks at other salons, and the pandemic - she finally found her salon home at Sola. Gingery Esthetic had hit the ground running because throughout each setback and obstacle she faced, she learned. She spent the time and energy to bring her dream business to life, and she jumped at every opportunity that came her way. Now, she has moved into a larger suite at Sola Phoenix and has cut back her days to spend more time with her daughter. Stacy truly embodies the #SolaBoss mentality – there’s nothing that can stand between her and her success!  

"I always knew I would flourish once I became a Sola boss. Being part of Sola helped to connect me with the right people. My name was being spoken in a room filled with opportunity and my colleagues believed in me and what I had to offer... which in turn, helped me to believe in myself. The community within Sola is nothing like I have ever been part of. I have cultivated the most meaningful relationships in my career and genuinely enjoy the community that I work with. We are a team that just so happens to have a door to our own room.” 

To the 2023 Faces of Sola, we cannot wait to see what this year has in store for you... 💥  

Got questions about the Faces of Sola program? Learn more here.