Welcome to another Salon Spotlight! In terms of advice, nothing is more valuable than the advice from our fellow industry colleagues. They’re the only ones who understand both the challenges and rewards of working in the hair space, and they also know the tricks and tips to get the most out of it!
This Salon Spotlight highlightsAlbert Whitehead. Albert is a Georgia native who has been in the industry for 26 years! Styling hair has long been a dream of his and he’s here to share his journey with us, from styling his younger family members to owning his own salon and working with celebrity clientele.
Q: Albert, where did your hairstyling dream stem from?
I got into hair at a very early age. When I was 9, I used to comb my younger cousin's hair. I enjoyed it so much that I always said, “when I grow up I am going to be a hairstylist.”
Since then I have been styling hair. Styling hair had always been a dream [of mine], and by cosmetology school, I had already made up my mind: I wanted to be a well-noted Hairstylist in the Hair Industry.
Q: So, how did you come to open up your own salon?
I decided to open up Luxe because the salon owner at the previous salon I worked in decided to retire.
[My salon], Luxe Natural Hair Salon, is where you can get luxury hair services (such as Natural hairstyling, Oil-free Natural Press, Luxury Hair Extensions, Sew-In Weaves, Micro links, I tips, and Braids. We also offer haircuts and color services.
Q: Wow, so when the previous salon owner retired, how did you know what to do?
Well, I immediately started wondering what I was going to do and [which salon] I was going to home.
After about 3 weeks of going over the plan for the next phase in my life, I decided to open up Luxe. I opened up Luxe with a business partner and decided to stay in the same building space where I have been for the last 10 years. It’s very spacious, giving an industrial-chic look.
Q: Wow! 10 years! What are your business secrets?
A big retail tip to any stylist is to retail products that are going to help enhance and maintain hair.
Q: And why is that?
That way, your clients will not say no because they want their hair to stay pretty! Another secret is to always have good customer service and your clients will always come back.
Q: What are 3 elements of salon success?
1: Stay loyal to your customers and your staff.
2: I can't stress this enough: Customer Service.
3: The last thing is to just enjoy what you do because there will be days that are just not fun, but it always pays off in the end!
Q: What do you wish you could tell younger stylists? What advice do you wish you had been given when you were just starting out?
I wish as a young stylist, someone would have told me to learn as much as I can and just take my time with building my career.
Albert Whitehead’s Salon,Luxe Natural Hair Salon, is in Atlanta, Georgia at the address 644 Antone Street NW Suite 5 Atlanta, GA 30318.
It’s located in the Posh West Midtown Area in Atlanta.
Do you know the optimal temperature range you should be using to not only style your hair, but to protect your hair from unnecessary damage?
Different hair types call for different temperatures on your flat iron or curling iron to ensure your tresses can withstand daily use.
