At its core, the beauty industry is centered on taking care of others, whether it be salon or spa clients, the employees who work there or the members of the communities in which they operate. At SASSI, we have long recognized the importance of prioritizing mental health and wellness for both clients and employees. This year, our annual salon contest titled SASSI Salon Stars: Mental Wellness Champions showcased the impressive efforts of our community to usher in a new age of mental health and wellness awareness throughout the industry.
Winner Jenna Bowden, CEO and founder of Crown Extension Studio, highlighted the studio’s devotion to combatting burnout and prioritizing a healthy workplace through various efforts that support work and life balance. The studio’s wellness program offers its stylists contributions for health services and medication through a direct primary care health center that includes free virtual and in-person sessions. Employees also have access to monthly in-salon, one-on-one empowerment meetings where they receive personal coaching sessions focused on individual and team goals. Offering employees resources and the time to take advantage of them, while also supporting their professional goals lends to Crown Extension Studio’s employee growth, staff retention and the overall positive experience of both clients and team members in the salon.
In addition to Jenna’s winning submission, we received many strong entries that highlight how the industry is setting a new standard when it comes to prioritizing mental health and wellness. Some of the top submissions included those by:
- Nick Trombetta, a musician and salon owner of Salon Maffei in New York, who combined his passion for beauty and music to help others express both inner and outer beauty through art. Trombetta founded the HOY project, which stands for “Help Our Youth.” The project aims to address topics such as bullying, racism and suicide in children and young adults to help them see a better life.
- Chrissie Roche of The Treehouse Salon in Missouri, who is familiar with sensory needs and recognized a need for haircut services for sensory and special needs individuals by stylists who understand them. Chrissie implemented Special Sunday in her salon, a program that offers zero-cost private haircuts for families with sensory needs and other needs. Each appointment is a private, one-hour-long session designed to give the families time to get to know the stylist and to let their children have a positive experience in a salon environment.
- Lisa Conway, owner of Vantage Salon in Colorado, has experienced her fair share of tragedy, and now hosts regular free wellness events. Lisa lost her infant son mid-way through construction of their new and expanded salon, eventually having to close the salon in 2020. With a renewed sense of purpose, Lisa opened her new salon in 2021 and now puts mental health and wellness at the top of their agenda for both clients and employees. Aside from hosting regular free wellness events, Vantage Salon provides educational resources for staff on mental health and wellness and encourages consistent, open conversations about mental health with the team.
As the beauty industry endeavors to prioritize mental health and wellness, it is crucial to highlight the work salon pros are doing to support their staff and communities, and to celebrate that work along the way. SASSI Salon Stars: Mental Wellness Champions gave us an opportunity to see that the future is truly about serving others as best we can and promoting wellness in the salon community. Stay tuned for future contest announcements to give your salon a chance to shine.
Kathy Lopez, Account Manager for SASSI, the Salon and Spa Specialty Insurance program at Brownyard Group. She can be reached at klopez@brownyard.com.
