Take a Moment to Listen: Interview with Gina Rivera, Founder of Phenix Salon Suites
I recently went one on one with Gina Rivera. Gina is the founder of Phenix Salon Suites, which she has grown to 300 plus locations nationwide.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Gina: Adam, so lovely to meet you, thanks for having me. Putting it simply my journey to Phenix Salon Suites started with the hairstyling industry, which is in my DNA. Since 1929, 27 members of my family have worked as hairdressers, so when I decided at the age of seven to become a hair stylist, no one was surprised. As a young girl helping out around the family salon, I loved to seeing clients’ faces light up after their experience in the chair.
After dropping out of high school, I moved to Arizona to begin my beauty school training. While these years were filled with learnings and challenges, I did eventually go back to receive my high school diploma at the age of 20 and by 22 I graduated from beauty school ready to start my career. Going back to receive my high school diploma after a number of years away was truly a pivotal moment for me on my non-traditional path. However, getting to return to high school as a more mature young woman ready to learn was the right decision that helped launch my career.
After working in a number salons for many years as a stylist, I was privileged enough to have worked with some A-list clients who were extremely encouraging when it came to my styling.
I really never wanted to own a Salon. I was much more comfortable behind the chair as a stylists. However, that all changed in 2003 when I became pregnant with my son Phenix, who is the namesake of my company. I went into labor 3 week early and at that time, I was renting a booth at a local salon. While at the hospital, the owner got in contact with me and asked where my booth rent check for the week was and if my father or husband could bring it down. It was at that moment, I became fed up with working for salon owners that don’t have empathy for what stylists go through. Six weeks later, with a six week old baby, I opened Phenix Salon and back then it was just a traditional salon.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Gina: As I mentioned, I opened up a salon shortly after having my first born son, Phenix. I had that salon for about three years with a dozen salon professionals working there. What I realized is that it was challenging for me to manage the salon and to continue focusing on my clients. I would come home and complain to my husband and I thought I was going to sell that location and just go back to renting a booth. Then one day in speaking with my mother, I was reminded of the way she worked – she had a private room in the back of a salon that she worked in when I was a little girl. I thought perhaps if I gave these dozen stylists more freedom with their own “mini salon” then maybe I could focus on my clients and that’s when Phenix Salon Suites was born.
My advice: if you have specialized experience in an industry that you are passionate about and you have an idea on how make the community you belong to better—don’t be afraid to just get started and hit the ground running! Your fearless decision will help make life better for up-and-coming professionals to come.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Gina: After sharing the idea with my family (who eat, sleep and breathe hairstyling), and seeing their eyes light up at the prospect of giving stylists and professionals an easier way to break into the industry, I felt that we had something special.
My advice would be to share your idea, not only with business advisors and entrepreneurs, but also with experienced professionals in the field who know the industry front to back from a hands-on perspective. While seeking advice from experts on the financial side is a great start, getting critiques from those who are the true industry experts is invaluable.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Gina: I think the first key step has been establishing a positive culture of mentorship in our ranks that begins at our corporate level and extends into our relationships with franchisees and lifestyle professionals. By having mentorship at the core of our business, we establish trust across our system and make our franchisees and renting professionals feel supported whether it’s their first time or 50th time owning a business.
Additionally, we have taken the concept of supporting the goals of lifestyle professionals online with my app Gina’s Platform, that provides our lifestyle professionals with the resources to help them kickstart their business ownership within our suites. The app in conjunction with our customizable, individual salon suites has aligned well with the 344% increase in demand from lifestyle professionals looking for a new space to work, helping to launch our 300+ locations in communities across America. Our team is even exploring opportunities to bring our concept abroad as well.
To bring your business to the next level, wear your values on your sleeve and make sure that every sector of your business functions in a way where this messaging and mission can stay consistent.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Gina: Before diving into your sales pitch, take a moment to listen to the story of your prospective customer first. Learning why this person has come to you and where they connect with your brand’s mission is extremely valuable and allows you to forge a deeper connection, one that is not only built on dollars and cents.
Also, for marketing, be unafraid to leverage social media to share your story. As I mentioned, we encourage our renting lifestyle professionals to share photos of their work, their suites and their successes. This is invaluable to show why our concept brings true fulfillment, support and happiness to those we work with, distinguishing us from our competitors.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Gina: I believe effective leaders know when to listen and recognize that they don’t always have the right answer. In turn, to get insightful answers, leaders know that they should diversify their team and bring experts from all disciplines to the table. This allows for new perspectives to help transform a business and keep it relevant, while empowering others to have their moment of recognition.
The next level of leadership begins when mentorship truly happens. Taking time outside of the boardroom to connect with team members and share your experience in a was that is helpful not haughty really build bridges and creates a welcoming environment for your business to grow.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Gina:
If you have an idea that you truly believe will make the world a better place, even on the smallest scale, then make it happen.
Make mistakes. But take the constructive information away and leave the rest behind. Putting yourself down doesn’t do any good.
Never forget your family. Family is what inspired me to begin Phenix Salon Suites in the first place and we even named the concept after my son. Finding inspiration from your roots helps to ground you when work can get tough and you need some support.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Gina: Be defiant. Don’t be afraid to speak up, go against the status quo and forge your own path in life. Your thoughts and innovations can help move mountains and help to make life better for those who will come after you. I’ve been defiant my whole life and sometimes it brought me pain, but without that fearless streak, I wouldn’t be here today.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter at @adammendler and listen and subscribe to Thirty Minute Mentors on your favorite podcasting app.