Beauty is only skin deep, as the saying goes. And when it comes to the beauty industry, what you’ll find below the surface is anything but pleasing. Cosmetologists are pitted against each other—competing for clients, tips, and booth space. While some find the ability to set their own schedule appealing, the unpredictable nature of the work can make it hard for stylists and beauticians to secure housing and other necessary services without a cosigner or guarantor. Most don’t have access to basic benefits like PTO or health insurance. And, like other tip-based industries, making a living wage relies on the generosity of customers— something a third of Americans have been cutting back on post-pandemic according to a new survey by Bankrate.
Kayla Nayes wanted something different when she opened Enlightened Beauty Salon and Spa in Fargo.
Doing It Different
“Starting in beauty school you’re taught ‘my chair, my client,’” Nayes said. “You’re focused only on your customers. I wanted something that really felt like a team effort.”
With a team-based, no-tipping structure, Nayes is able to offer her employees the security—and benefits— of a more traditional job.
“I was frustrated by the way things were done,” she said. “I worked in commission tipping out of school and as an independent contractor. I didn’t love either system—to the point where I considered leaving the industry. Then I went to a conference in Connecticut that was doing something different.”
Attending a Strategies incubator program, Nayes found the resources and support she needed to reimagine her salon space to better support her employees and her customers. She instituted an hourly structure with fourday workweeks. She offered benefits like PTO, sick time, and health and dental insurance.
The transparent pricing structure and no-tipping policy made it easy for clients to budget salon services. Additionally, employees worked as a team, so it didn’t matter which chair they were sitting in, clients were guaranteed an exceptional experience.
“We’re a team through and through,” Nayes said. “Maybe I’m doing a color and the client needs a haircut. I don’t have time, but another team member does. We just swap chairs. There’s no bad blood. There’s no worrying about where the tip goes. It’s so much better for us and for the client.”
Cultivating a Safe Space
The business model is working. Nayes leads an excited and talented team, and Enlightened Beauty’s clients love the results. Word has spread that Enlightened Beauty is not only a great salon, but somewhere anyone could go for top-notch service without judgement.
