Paige’s Practice Days

Is your soul in need of some self-care? Is your budget in conflict with that goal? Read on…

Almost four years ago, a young teenager obtained her work permit to become a presence in our salon. Still one year away from enrolling in the cosmetology program at the Academies of Loudoun, Paige just knew that she enjoyed the world of hair. At that time, Glass Door Salon was deep in the weeds of the pandemic’s “great resignation.” We desperately needed reliable staff and were coming up short left and right. I, Suzanna, had never hired anyone so young! But there was something serene about Paige, so we took a chance! Paige impressed me almost immediately. I thought, “She’s like a shark in the water. She never stops moving!” This little shampoo assistant would seek out ways to keep busy and enhance the salon environment. She seemed immune to drama and maintained professionalism more than most!

Fast forward to June of this year, Paige has graduated with a cosmetology license, and I’ve truly never known someone more eager to get styling!

One thing that’s making it challenging to launch her career is ME, the business owner. I’m the problem! If I wasn’t behind the chair doing hair myself, I’d be coaching Paige every minute of every day and she would be on her way in NO time! Unfortunately, that’s not my reality, so Paige has been “the salon shadow.” Getting her fingers in all of our appointments! We do everything together, just shy of haircutting. She’s absorbing the best that each stylist brings to the table and is building great habits this way! But this mama bird is afraid to kick her baby bird out of the nest. Northern Virginia isn’t known for being the most laid back and understanding place. Our youngest stylists are often met with unrealistically high expectations that demonstrate just how little our community understands about the outdated licensing requirements of the Virginia cosmetology industry.

When new stylists join our salon, it takes a couple of years to unlearn outdated curriculum and relearn modern hair. The cosmetology state board exam doesn’t translate well into 2024. It’s like taking a test to prove that you can drive a horse-and-buggy, passing, and then being given keys to a car. And, in a culture where keyboard warriors can take one negative experience with one young stylist, write a review, and then impact a team of twelve, it is scary for me to trust that our business will be shown any grace during her (or anyone’s) learning curves.

Side note: Even though Virginia doesn’t require licensed hairstylists to demonstrate continuing education, we cherish learning and pursue it anyway. This past June, we took a road trip to Nashville, Tennessee (ask about the mechanical bull), attending the annual Redken symposium. At the end of this month, we’re headed to Columbus, Ohio, for the Premier Beauty Show. When guests purchase hair care at our salon, we do not pay ourselves for retail sales. You could buy twenty shampoos and nobody’s paycheck would be any different. Instead, we put it towards continuing education to improve ourselves and our customer service.

So this is me trying something different! From now until the November 30th we’re having Practice Days and Paige’s pricing will be reflected as follows:

Haircut & Style, $25 (with or without styling, so you might as well style!)

Color Services, $50 (reserving the right to discuss the possibility of slightly raising this amount if we go over 2oz. of lightener and 6oz of color mixtures)

To reserve Paige’s practice days, we need an image of your current hair and an image of your inspiration. This will help us determine if Paige is ready to take on the details of your transformation, or if she needs more one-on-one coaching around the necessary techniques. We will be requiring that all Practice Day guests sign an apprentice service agreement. These agreements will indicate that you understand that this is a learning position, that these services are not subject to refunds, and any requests for corrections or redos will be performed only by Paige, subject to additional chemical cost reimbursements should more coloring be necessary.

In an economy where inflation is pinching everybody left and right, we are so excited to offer this opportunity to our community and grateful to our community for helping us grow one more career stylist!