Michael Graham Salon Managed With Experience

Anne Grabowski has been running the Naperville location of the Michael Graham Salon for eight years and recently added a brand new location in Western Springs to her plate. After a fast, but incredibly chic, remodeling of a space that housed a previous salon, the Western Springs location opened in August. Grabowski, who sets the tone for the sunny and welcoming staff and salon, shared a bit about her experiences as a salon manager.

Question: Why did you choose Western Springs for this location?

Anne Grabowski: Sean [Graham, who owns the salon with his wife, Cindi] and I were looking at La Grange, and we like La Grange, but when we walked through both towns a couple of times we just liked the people and the way the community felt like a small community [in Western Springs].

Q: What are the challenges of managing a brand-new salon?

AG: Building a clientele, getting our clients to trust that we do know what we're doing, that we've got a great team. I believe once they know who we are, once they come here, we won't have any issue, but it's just getting the word out there that we're here and that everyone knows we're here.  We are offering 50% off the first service a client receives through the end of September.

Q: What is the best thing about management?

AG: Building a team, I think, getting everyone to work together. That's my favorite part: getting everyone to connect and work together as a team. I like to be able to say that we all really like each other, get along, want to help each other out. That really does depend on management.

Q: What type of advice would you give to a first-time manager? What's the best advice you have received?

AG: [Have] patience and respect your employees and they'll respect you. I think that's the best thing I was told when I was getting into this: have patience and remain calm.

Q: What is it like working for your brother?

AG: Easy. We work very well together. We both have the same vision of how we want things done...We decorated the Naperville salon together from scratch and both have similar taste. Here we painted and redecorated together.

Q: What is the most common question you get from customers?

AG: The most common question would be how we decide what level a stylist is at because we charge different prices for different services based on the level of the stylist. Our answer is that it's really based on the education [of the stylist]: the length of time they've been doing this, the clientele they have.

Q: Were you trained as a stylist?

AG: No, I came from a retail background and I switched to this when they wanted someone they knew and they could trust. I always laugh because I may as well get up and do it because I've gone to so many color classes and cutting classes!

Q: What's the most interesting thing that you've learned and apply to your own hair?

AG: In all of these years, it's to use the right shampoo and conditioner. When you're not in this industry you think they just want you to spend money on the products but it is worth the value! Your hair will be so much better if you use the right products. Skincare, also. Unfortunately a lot of people will spend the money and get their hair colored but they'll go home and use something from the drug store and they're just stripping the color out without putting moisture back in their hair.