Our Blog

Good mental health is not just a state of mind; it is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and career. Mental health determines how we handle stress, relate to loved ones, make decisions, and even how we think, feel and act. As a hardworking Sola-preneur in the modern world, we know keeping a positive attitude can be a balancing act. So we shared some simple reminders on how to maintain the healthy mindset that will enable a thriving career, fulfilling relationships, and a positive attitude all year long.  Read More

As a busy beauty professional, we know you’re constantly looking for new ways to manage your schedule more efficiently. For many of our Sola pros, that comes in the form of an app called SolaGenius, the $20/month all-in-one business marketing and management tool designed specifically for Sola professionals. We chatted with some of our trusted SolaGenius users to find out just exactly how SolaGenius helps them run their business and enjoy their life like a serious boss.  Read More

The San Diego Sola Sessions was an event full of milestones. Our 10th Sola Sessions (that’s right, 10!) was held on May 6th in San Diego. And while the 425-attendee event sparked excitement for the future of Sola, it also encouraged us to look back on the past 15 years as Kim Bennett shared her journey as the first-ever Sola stylist. We also hosted the first Faces of Sola panel and had every single one of the 2019 Faces of Sola in attendance in the front row. With so much inspiration, education and community-building spanning the two-day event, we wanted to make sure you didn’t miss any of the magic. So here are our top 10 takeaways from the San Diego Sola Sessions.  Read More

“Being a mother is easy,” said no one ever. Add entrepreneur into the mix and it becomes quite the juggling act. Balancing life as a mother and salon owner can be as challenging as it is rewarding. To all the hard working mamas out there - we see you and are so inspired by your superwoman powers. We wanted to know, what’s your secret? How do you keep it all together? Check out what these #MomBoss entrepreneurs had a lot to say, just in time for Mother’s Day.  Read More

Instagram has taken the world by storm now has 1 billion monthly users and is now commonly the first people will go to when checking out a brand. Therefore, it's important to know how to make your Instagram work for you to help keep your books full. Whether you're new to the Gram or are an Insta veteran, we've got some easy tips to take your social presence to the next level.   Read More

For a community to continue to grow, it needs the support of those in the community. This can be done in various ways - supporting local nonprofit organizations and initiatives, volunteering your time and services, or through mentoring and education. Rona Bunch, a 2019 Faces of Sola and owner of Rona Bunch Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, makes it a priority to give back and has shared with us some ways you can too.  Read More

Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who came out of the womb knowing exactly what you wanted to do for the rest of your life. Grew up with a brush in your hand, cutting the hair of your dolls or putting nail polish or makeup on your little sister (or your tortured brother). Or maybe you’re more like Nelly Weeks, esthetician and owner of Voyage de Splendeur in Brookfield, WI, who found herself on a path that ended up not being her true calling.  Read More

The Sola story is made up of 12,000 individual stories... This means that when we ask our community what having a salon studio at Sola means to them, we get thousands of different answers. For some, Sola represents freedom and control. For others, it's about opportunity and living that boss life. The reasons to own your salon, and the feeling you get inside your studio space, are different for everyone. And that’s the beauty of Sola!  Read More

JayR Mallari, owner of Legacy Barber Studio in Walnut Creek, California, started his career cutting hair in his parent's garage. Today, he has an all-star clientele with celebrity clients including Stephen Curry, Doc Rivers, Chuck Liddell, Carnage and Blake Griffin...to name a few. How did he take his business from garage to A-list entourage? It all starts with providing an excellent client experience. Check out his tips to help you elevate your barber business.  Read More

As big as you can dream you can do it at Sola. So after her first location was thriving, Tiffany Martincic, owner of The Tan Banana kept dreaming. “I knew I had built a really successful business and it had proven capable of running and being profitable without me physically being there while being away on long vacations.” With multiple successful locations under her belt, this Sola-preneur knows a thing or two about what it takes to expand your brand across multiple markets.  We sat down with Tiffany and asked her to give us some realistic advice for expanding your brand, business, and clientele.  Read More

The beautiful thing about being at Sola is you get to pick and choose what kind of services you want to provide. Many of our Sola professionals offer a range of services and some provide a very specific type of service that speaks to a very precise type of client. Read these tips from niche stylist Elom Thompson if you're thinking about developing a niche in your salon.  Read More

With Sola Pro you have unlimited access to inspiration and education in the palm of your hands. Pretty awesome, right?! But did you know Sola Pro offers so much more than just that? Discover how our exclusive (and free) app to the Sola community is a resource you can’t afford to pass up!  Read More

With such a busy life, streamlining processes and having the right systems in place is what allows our beauty professionals to get everything done and more. SolaGenius helps put your business on autopilot. Read more to find out how this app is changing lives both in the salon and out.  Read More

Ours is a self-segregated industry, which has never made sense to Chissel Espinal, our 2019 Faces of Sola stylist from New Orleans, who grew up in a family of hairdressers. “My mother had a diverse clientele, and what I learned from her is that hair has nothing to do with the color of your skin,” says Chissel, who loved the arts but wasn’t sure she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Admittedly they were big shoes to fill because “my mother is amazing.”  Read More

You know that little voice inside your head that says, “Go for it, you’ll be okay,” or that quiver in your gut that whispers, “Trust me. I know this will work out.” Some call it intuition while others refer to it as an “inner voice.” Roxanne Muir, our 2019 Faces of Sola stylist from Leaside, Canada knows that voice quite well. She’s had a few “leap of faith” moments in her life, including the biggest one of all—leaving a commission-based salon and becoming the first-ever Canadian Sola stylist.  Read More

Kelsey Morris, owner of Studio K Salon in Columbus, Ohio, is one of our 2019 Faces of Sola, a GlossGenius Ambassador, a Sunlights Balayage Educator and most importantly, a mom. Sola has provided her the unique freedom and flexibility to be both a stay-at-home mom and a successful business owner. How does she balance it all? She has developed strategies to help her work smarter not harder. Check out Kelsey's tips to help you develop systems to thrive in every area of your life.  Read More

Joey Figueriedo is no stranger to working behind-the-scenes, whether it’s behind the chair, behind the camera or, most recently, behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. If you follow this Instagram rockstar @stylistjoey, you’ve seen how his eye for creativity extends far beyond hair.  We are so inspired by this artistic go-getter so we sat down and had him share his backstage backstory, some trade secrets, how-tos, and advice to those of you who one day wish to also be behind-the-scenes.  Read More

A Color Queen is someone who defies all limits. A Color Queen doesn't play by the rules or follow the law of color she was taught. She thinks outside the box and creates with her whole heart. Kayla Valerio, one of our 2019 Faces of Sola, is slaying it day-to-day in her Sola as well as on social media. From content to color mixing and everything you need to know in between, check out these tips and advice from Kayla to help you go from colorist to Color Queen.  Read More

You’ve heard the buzz, but if you haven’t yet experienced the magic of the Sola Sessions, you won’t want to miss what we have in store for you. With a lineup of presenters full of some of the biggest names in the industry, a kick-off Cinco de Mayo pool party, a vendor expo, a historic venue in the heart of San Diego, the first ever Faces of Sola panel, we are barely scratching the surface of what's in store for you if you join us in San Diego on May 6. Check out the below for 10 reasons why you should grab your ticket and join us for the 2019 San Diego Sola Sessions!  Read More

Having a strong web presence is one of the most important investments you can make for your business to be successful and grow. SolaGenius offers the ability to create an attractive, user-friendly booking website that reflects your unique brand, helping clients discover your business and easily book online 24/7. Learn how SolaGenius has helped some of our Faces of Sola build their business, brand, clientele, and most importantly, increase their profits.  Read More

For many of you, and for most of our Faces of Sola, it was a no-brainer. You knew right away the Sola life was the one you wanted to live. But it isn’t uncommon to be unsure and sit on the fence wondering if making taking the leap of faith is the right thing to do.  We asked our 2018 and 2019 Faces of Sola a question we knew they could ALL answer without hesitation: What would you say to a room full of beauty professionals who were on the fence about joining Sola? Read what each of them had to say.  Read More

As professionals in the beauty industry, if we want to continue elevating ourselves as well as our industry as a whole, we must make it a priority to continue our education, long after leaving beauty school. At Sola, we are always striving to provide top education, whether digital or in person, so no matter what kind of learner you are, or what your specialty is, you always have the tools and resources you need to stay ahead of the curve. Make it your mission to explore at least one of these resources this year, and we have a feeling once you start the fun won’t stop.  Read More

According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend a near-record $19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. Holy cow! The NRF survey also revealed that 23.7% of respondents planned on giving a “gift of experience,” and 42.3% said they would love to receive an experience as a gift from a loved one! ‘Tis the season to “Pamper Someone you Love” and “Treat ‘Yo-Self” – and it’s time to position your studio as the ultimate celebration destination.  Read More

With an easy-to-use search function for consumers, a detailed database of SolaGenius pros, and a refreshingly simple way for clients to search, discover and book, BookNow by SolaGenius gives you more visibility and scheduling power than ever before. We broke it down with some helpful FAQs to help you rock online booking like a boss.  Read More

Read tips from Amanda Fagan to help you live and work an intentional life. "I’ve found that being intentional is about changing perspective, actions and behaviors in a positive way and acts as an antidote to stress. While I don’t hold the key to all the answers, I have moved from a stress and anxiety led life to one where I remain intentional in my process to continue to grow and recover. I am deeply grateful for the blessings that this perspective has resulted in."  Read More