42. How Sola Helped Her Dream Again with Annie Hayes

As we turn the page to a new year, there's one thing we know for sure, this past year threw us all some curveballs, and yet it also provided many people the opportunity to pause, pivot and proceed forward on a new path. At Sola, we want to provide a fresh start for those searching for a new salon home.

Our guest on this episode, Annie Hayes from Jacksonville, Florida, opened her own Sola studio in May 2020 after being furloughed by her previous salon. Since then, Sola has helped her get back on her feet and turn her career dreams into her career reality. We wanted to bring Annie on the Sola Stories podcast to share her story and help anyone out there who needs a bit of inspiration to dream again.

Listen as Annie shares her journey from her start in the hair industry to going independent and opening up her Sola studio amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Annie talks about building her book of business before and after going Sola, the tools and resources she’s used to create a seamless transition to salon ownership, and why she says it’s the best decision she has ever made for her career.

In This Episode

[02:10] Welcome to the show, Annie!

[04:23] Annie speaks about getting started in her career.

[05:46] How did the COVID-19 closures affect your career?

[07:38] Annie discusses looking for options when salons were able to reopen and why she chose Sola.

[11:39] Annie chats about being furloughed from Ulta.

[13:54] Annie speaks about getting new clients because of her private, one-on-one salon suite and how every one of her clients followed her.

[14:43] Annie talks about her most powerful marketing tool to build her book of business, Instagram.

[16:23] Jennie talks about the power of hashtags.

[18:17] Annie talks about her clients pre-booking more since the shutdown.

[22:36] Annie discusses opening her Sola studio during the pandemic.

[24:50] Annie speaks about having the bare minimum in her studio when she opened.

[26:15] What did Sola do to help you get started?

[29:11] Jennie shares some things that Sola has to help you open your studio, the podcast, a blog, and much more.

[30:10] Annie talks about the Sola tools and resources she’s leaned into to start her Sola journey.

[32:06] Annie discusses her dreams for 2021 and what she would like to see happen with her salon in the coming year.

[35:05] Thank you for being on the show!

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Connect with Annie

@_anniehayes_

Connect with Jennie

@jenniethewolff