“When I opened my salon, I knew I wanted to build it into something worthwhile. It’s part of the reason I decided to become North America’s first B Corp hair salon, to ensure that my business was a force for good and positive change. My mission is to offer hair services and products in a welcoming environment, with a focus on promoting and supporting inclusion and the well-being of all our customers, employees, and community.
“How do you do this?” is a question I ask myself often.
The answer I always come back to is, “By supporting people.”
To me, supporting people means not just welcoming but embracing and encouraging diversity, and continually working to make my salons a safe space for diversity to exist and flourish, both for staff and clients.
For staff, this starts during hiring. To ensure we are hiring based on skill alone, we have implemented a hiring process that avoids bias by eliminating the collection of identifying information from our job application form
Once hired, our education program has been intentionally designed to meet the needs of all learning styles, so no one is left struggling to grasp the material, and our continuing education prioritizes training in inclusivity as well as hair. We offer paid holidays that staff choose for themselves, because not everyone celebrates, believes, or lives the same way, and supporting the well-being of employees means enabling them to honor the days they hold sacred. We’ve also implemented a Gender Transition Policy for our transgender and gender-diverse staff members, ensuring we have policies in place to protect and empower them at every step. Understanding that there is always room for improvement and to do better, our employee feedback process is set up to encourage free communication and sharing, without fear of retaliation.
When it comes to our clients, one truth that has stayed front and center is this: If you are asking the general public to come to your salon, you need to make sure you are able to do the general public’s hair.
A fact that seems too often neglected is that the general public doesn’t have only one type of hair. The “general public” isn’t comprised of just one person; it’s this whole beautiful sea of different people and different styles and different needs. And the goal is not just to be able to do each of their hair, but to do it in a way that makes them feel safe and valued.
I created the Learning Exchange because caring for super curly and coily hair types isn’t taught in hair school—and then is often neglected in continuing education—as a result of the hair industry’s historical and continual exclusion of the Black population. Not only does this need to change, but steps also need to be taken to bridge the knowledge gap this has created for many hairstylists. The Learning Exchange is my way of helping to bridge that gap. It is available to clients with 3A-4C hair types and can include consulting, detangling, cleansing, cutting, finishing, hair coloring, and product guidance. All services through this program are free of charge, because I realize that each time a client comes in for an appointment through the Learning Exchange, they are offering their time and patience while our stylists enhance their skills in caring for very curly and coily hair.
I want better for my salon. I want every single one of my stylists to be able to offer haircuts and haircare for all hair types in an environment that includes and supports as many people as possible. I want every client who walks through the doors to feel welcomed, comfortable, and confident that they will be cared for. To me, that is what’s at the heart of owning a hair salon. That is what I will always work towards.”
– Deanna Everson, Founder of Ginger & Maude® Hair Salons
