The Inside Scoop on the NEW Platform Hair Salon
Last month, we opened the Platform Hair Salon in St. George, Utah. We could not be more proud of this space. We aimed to create a home for Platform Hair Extensions while offering next-level services. Get an inside look at the salon and the year-long process of creating the space of our dreams.
What were your priorities when planning and designing the salon?
We needed the salon to have enough space to host classes comfortably and support the needs of our hands-on teaching style. We decided to go with a more open concept, giving the stylists more room to work.
The salon needed to be functional on all levels. This started with the stations, one of the hardest things to design. From prior experience, we knew we needed each station to have plenty of storage and electricity while feeling spacious and not crammed.
The last thing that took some time was figuring out the lighting. It took months of research to find the best Kelvin and CRI to use so the skin and hair look stunning every time and to ensure we could produce amazing photos and videos from the salon.
What was the vibe you were going for the salon?
The vibe we were going for was timeless, inviting, and intentional. We gathered a lot of inspiration from Restoration Hardware. Natural stone, real wood, warm finishes, and lots of texture were the main elements we wanted to build the interior design around. Since we will be using the space to film and shoot, we did not want the finishes to be too overpowering and obnoxious. We love the outcome and know you’ll feel right at home when come to visit. Stay tuned for new classes dates launching soon at Platform Salon.
What are some of the challenges that you weren't expecting?
To be honest, there were a lot of challenges that came up during this process. The level of communication with specialists and different vendors this project took was our biggest challenge. They often would proceed with how they wanted it done instead of checking with us first.
We wanted to cover every detail to ensure this building was as functional as possible, so we had to be straightforward about what we needed from them. Everything was custom-made to fit those needs, even down to the doors to account for things like pallets of inventory. Thankfully, my dad and my husband, Ryan, stayed on top of many of those details.
What was your approach to staffing the salon, and what were you looking for in your new staff?
Hire slow and fire fast is something we keep top-of-mind when staffing. The most important thing we started with when interviewing was our culture. We have a very loving, optimistic, forward-thinking, wholehearted culture nationwide among all our employees. The stylists we brought on also needed to embody that culture. We have zero tolerance for gossip or negative talk. Our company motto is, "We Rise By Listing Others," which we truly live by. We weren't afraid to say no as we interviewed and kept going until we found the right fit for the position.
For the salon, we also created a new pay structure for stylists called Platform Performance Pay. Booth rental and commission are on such far ends of the spectrum we wanted to create something in the middle. We took the best of both of them and developed a pay system that benefits both the stylist and the salon. So when hiring, that pay structure and overall business structure needed to fit well in the potential stylists' lives, and then the obvious thing was that their skill level had to match the level and quality of services we offer.
