Description
In this episode, we sit down with Margo, a proud graduate of Tricoci University, who shares her inspiring journey from student to professional cosmetologist. Margo talks about the highs and lows of beauty school, the skills she mastered, and the lessons that prepared her for a thriving career in the beauty industry. From styling tips to real-world advice, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about hair, beauty, and success!
Find Margo on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairbymargo_/
Follow LUX Salon on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theluxsalon/
Show Notes
– Meet Margo – How she found her passion for cosmetology.
– What it’s like to study at Tricoci University.
– The skills Margo mastered in school.
– The realities of beauty school and the industry.
– How Margo transitioned from student to professional stylist.
– Margo’s favorite products and styling secrets.
– Tips for those considering the field.
– What’s next for Margo in the beauty world.
Links
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Npb1ww1PXWc
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xT3lrMsll4bl31LFI0QqW?si=99bee9f42c354587
Transcript
We are here to make people feel good about themselves.
We really have to feel like we are a day maker for the guest
You’ve made my day.
How great is that when you hear those words from your guest.
Hello, I’m David Dolce
and welcome to the Day Maker podcast.
Today we have salon owner and Tricoci alumni. Margo with us.
Welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me.
Of course. Like you came highly recommended from Joy.
She’s all about you. She loves you so
that’s fantastic. She has
To love me ’cause I do her hair. So
I was gonna ask, do you do Joy’s hair?
I do. And it always looks good, so thank you.
Yeah, good job. She’s a blonde.
Do you specialize in blondes
because you’re a blonde? Blonde?
I actually do specialize in
blondes, but I also do brunette.
So I don’t want people to think that.
No, it’s just blondes. Makes sense.
So we had a privilege on a different episode
to interview Nikki who’s one of your workers over there,
one of your stylists.
And she happened to be a Tricoci alumni as well.
So I think one of the cool things about this is we’ve been
around so, so long mm-hmm.
That we’ve actually created this network, right? Yes.
Was there, is there a reason
because you’re hiring people,
like people come from this school, they come from
that school, somebody’s coming from Tricoci.
Do you look at that Tricoci name
and think, you know what, let’s give this girl an interview
because Chichis are A, B, C, and D?
No, not necessarily.
Um, but I have noticed that with our chichi graduates,
they’re just more prepared.
Mm-hmm. And um,
hands-on even little things like the verbiage of cosmetology
and the terms, you know, like, um,
and I think I’m just more comfortable with them
’cause I, I’m to coach alumni so I kind of understand
and see, know that um, their way
of professionalism is different as well.
I would agree. So I went to a different beauty school
but I did Tricoci for my teacher training.
Mm-hmm. So in between that, when I was managing other salons
and I saw somebody came from Tricoci
before I knew anything about them, I was like cool.
’cause they were the ones that came in fresh
and like weren’t afraid to take clients.
They were like ready to get in there
and do it where everybody else
like, haven’t done this before.
Oh my God, I’m so nervous.
What advice do you have for a student?
’cause they get out, you hit that
, you can’t tell me nothing.
I know more than anybody in
this building, but they’re ready.
But now they’re coming into your salon.
And how long have you been doing this?
I’ve been doing this for over years.
So what advice do you have to somebody
that’s coming into a salon with no experience compared
to somebody that’s coming in with years experience?
Um, I would just say have a good attitude.
It’s all about attitude. Have a good work, work ethic.
Know that it’s not gonna be easy at the beginning.
You really have to work your way up.
Um, and just be ready to grind basically.
And we love hiring new people. Right. Love ’em.
They’re fresh, they’re hungry. It’s the best.
They are the best. Mm-hmm.
So just ’cause you’ve been doing this years mm-hmm.
You actually, you have an edge.
I think a new student over somebody else. Yes.
They always try to outperform everybody.
And I think my favorite part about like owning a salon is
mentoring like the young ones.
Mm-hmm. Just because they are just eager
and um, they’re so passionate.
They are. It’s really. Mm-hmm.
So what I love that you were talking about is
that your hires can actually take clients
while they’re learning too.
Because some places make you wait till you finish this
whole training program right.
Before you can even take a client, you might lose interest
or you’re making minimum wage to shampoo and hair.
I like how you do it.
Yes. So with our program it’s different
because they’re not just assisting.
They get one-on-one time.
So they at least get an hour and to an hour
and a half with me each week without clients,
not just shadowing.
Um, and then I can determine if they’re ready to move on
with the service and then they’re open for that service
and they can actually start taking clients instead
of being in a program that takes three to five years.
And you’re constantly shampooing, sweeping.
Like I feel like they just get burnt out
and nobody wants to do that.
No, I agree. They wanna do hair.
That’s what they went to school for.
It’s rewarding for you too, right? Like Oh, I love it.
They’re Catching On.
Yes. I love
when they’re just excited.
You know, they’re really nervous at the beginning
and I’m always like, nobody was just born knowing
this, you know, so I
Love this makes me wanna start all over.
I know. I love to. It just takes me back to those days.
Mm-hmm. And just the sweat. You see the sweat. Yes.
It’s true. You know, and they’re nervous
and then you really see, like, once they build
that confidence, it’s amazing. And
You’re not training people to go work at this corporate
place, place that you work at.
This is your place with your name on it.
My favorite reels of tiktoks I’ve been seeing it’s like
how is how you think a salon owner walks in for the day
and then how they really walk in.
What made you take that jump
to say I want It’s a huge responsibility to take
that responsibility to open up your own place.
Well, you know, it’s not always glamorous.
I will definitely say, um, when I was just behind the chair,
which I’m still a hundred percent behind the chair,
um, at a different salon.
Like I was helping with the training of the stylist
and then I was like, well if I’m gonna do this,
I’m gonna do it for myself.
So took that on
and it’s definitely a lot more management.
Mm. But it’s, it’s rewarding.
It’s, it’s rewarding to see, especially somebody coming out
of cosmetology school and see how much they can grow advance
and also like even bring their income up.
You know? I think a lot of, um, people don’t realize that
stylists make good money. Yep.
And it’s good for you. Yeah.
Like you put in the work you did the grind. Yeah.
Like you should be super proud of yourself
to even be able to do that.
’cause like you said, they make a lot of money. Yeah.
Some people don’t think that.
I’ve had opportunities where people have been
like, oh, you’re a teacher.
Yeah. What do you teach cosmetology?
And then they’re like, oh.
’cause they thought I’d say history or this, that,
and I’m like, don’t get it twisted.
Yeah. My job’s hard.
Yes. Yes. It’s hard.
I’m shaping. It’s so hard. Young
Life changing attitudes, getting people to work
with creative people Yes.
In those types of environments.
’cause that’s stuff people are completely new to.
Yeah. And it’s not easy. It’s all hands on.
It’s all technical, you know?
Yeah. So I have to ask you,
’cause I ask everybody, when when did you realize in your
career, whether school, whether stylist, whether owner,
that you had the power to actually change somebody’s day
to make their day.
You were that day maker for somebody.
I think just every day coming in
and like being around clients
and them sharing their stories with you.
Mm-hmm. And it impacts not only yourself,
it impacts their lives.
And they’re just happy to be with you.
And what we do is we build their confidence. You know?
Yeah. We do. I was talking about that with Nikki.
Like, we’re in charge of somebody else’s confidence. Yeah.
And you see that I’m sure carry outside mm-hmm.
Of just your salon, right? Mm-hmm.
They’re going home, they’re feeling good.
If they feel good, they’re gonna do good.
Change their attitude, change their day.
I think a big thing that I learned is that a lot
of my clients that were moms, when they’d come in
and say, this is the only time that I have to just sit
to myself, sit by myself and have an adult conversation.
Yes. And I’m like, wow. ’cause I don’t have kids.
And I’m like, yeah, that’s true.
Running after all these kids doing all that stuff.
What, what’s a typical day
of a salon owner’s life look like?
Oh, I mean, let’s see.
Well there’s a lot, you know, first you wake up
to somebody being sick or trying to cancel their day
or, um, just no.
True. Just managing everyone’s books.
Um, I feel like I’m always on so many multitasking,
so many different roles, but then also coming
and seeing your clients and being prepared to take that on.
Mm-hmm. You know? And being able to
almost like, put things aside
and then just focus on the individual
that’s in your chair while there’s other things
going on in the background.
Yeah. That’s hard. It’s like more difficult for you.
Oh yeah. And like separating your own bad days.
Like we are almost not allowed to have bad
Days. Yeah. You don’t have bad
days because we’re
that day cares day for your clients.
Like, I don’t wanna say it like that,
but like, at the end of the day,
like you’re there for other people. You know,
You’re there for other people.
Yeah. And you’re building those relationships. You are.
So tell our new students how important
that relationship building is in order
to build your clientele.
Not just not for today, but forever.
Okay. You, you just have to show up.
You have to be positive. Your attitude is everything.
Nobody wants to sit in someone’s chair That’s mopey
or like a downer.
It’s, it just,
It Doesn’t work. No. It’s
not where you’re, you make their day.
So here’s one more question. I’m sorry.
I just keep coming up with these things. Yeah.
Um, but ’cause there’s just so much knowledge, right?
So I have students today, they come in
and their main goal is to open their salon suite.
Yes. And I try to tell them it takes some kind of effort
before that to even get there.
Mm-hmm. So I’ve always recommended you need
to work in a salon first.
Yes. Right. To get that experience.
How do you feel about that?
I feel like because of social media, the reality
of it, it looks glamorous, right?
You open up your, your your own boss, your own business.
Right. It’s not always like that.
You have to gain experience.
Like if you are in a room with just a client
and you don’t have other people around you, other stylists
to help mentor or just feed off of ideas.
Yes. Like who, who are you, who are you gonna ask?
Like that takes time.
Like I know out of beauty school
or even five years in, maybe even years in,
I would never be able to do that.
Because you’re constantly learning.
Yeah. You’re still bouncing on ideas,
Ideas off still bouncing off people. Mm-hmm
For me, being by myself all day really isn’t what I think.
You think you want to do it. Yes.
But then you’re like, no, I got a lot of personality.
I love talking to people. Yes.
The banter in the salon, it’s a whole culture
And it’s just nice to have other people
that always have your back say like, from things from
being sick, then you always have other sides
that can help you out that day.
Mm-hmm. And like, and uh, that’s just how our salon works.
You know, like everyone can kind of bounce, um,
from stylists to stylists and it’s okay.
’cause it’s just a comfortable environment.
That’s cool. Tell me a little bit about your salon.
The name, how people can find out about it.
Okay, so, uh, my salon is called Lux Salon.
I do have a business partner, Sarah.
So we worked at another salon together, um,
and then we opened up our own.
So, and we’re both moms and equally just, um, hands-on.
It’s gonna be six years in March. Wow.
That we’ve opened our salon.
We closed for Covid on our one year anniversary. Oh, I know.
We have stylists now.
It just started, we started with just the two of us.
Um, it’s in Northbrook, Illinois and it’s called Lux Salon.
And that’s pretty good. Can we find you on social media?
Yes. So, um, we’re on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.
Um, it’s just Lux Salon.
Great. Well thank you so, so much.
Thank you for having me. It was
An honor to get to interview you.
I really, really appreciate it. Thank you. Alumni to alumni.
Yes. And you’re just hiring Nikki. That’s beautiful.
Yeah. I have to come check out the campus again.
I haven’t been, been here in a while.
You’ve it, you’ve been there. It’s changed.
It’s changed for sure.
Yes. Well, again, thank you so much.
We need more people like you in the world. Thank you.
You’re very welcome.