Gina Rivera, the visionary behind Phenix Salon Suites, has become an iconic figure in the beauty world. With Phenix Salon Suites, she propelled herself to extraordinary success as the beauty industry’s fastest-growing salon suite company. Standing alone, Phenix Salon Suites proudly holds the distinction of being the sole salon suite company recognized on Entrepreneur Magazine’s prestigious Top 500 Franchise List. Having earned this accolade nine times, Phenix Salon Suites has been ranked as high as Top 25 out of 500. In this elite group, Rivera stands as the Founder and Chair of the company that she started, further accentuating her trailblazing achievements. Her company thrives with over 350 locations nationwide, while embarking on an exciting international expansion into Europe and Asia.
Below are highlights of the interview:
What inspired you to start Phenix Salon Suites, and what were some of the challenges you faced in building the company to where it is today?
I gave birth to my first child and the namesake of the company, Phenix, two weeks early. On the day he was born, the owner of the salon where I rented a chair called my husband and asked him to bring down the booth rent immediately. At that moment, I knew that I had to find a better solution to help myself and other lifestyle professionals become independent salon owners. Hence, the idea of Phenix Salon Suites was born.
Can you tell us more about your experience on the Emmy Award-winning show, UNDERCOVER BOSS? How did it impact you and your business?
UNDERCOVER BOSS was a life-changing experience for me. I was so blessed to meet the amazing lifestyle professionals that trust Phenix Salon Suites to be the home of their businesses. It was an extremely eye-opening experience. I was able to see the company from a completely different perspective and develop a deep empathy for those who operate their businesses in our locations. As a result, we have changed some of our processes and policies to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the Lifestyle professionals that have entrusted us with their livelihood.
What do you believe sets Phenix Salon Suites apart from other salon suite companies in the industry?
Phenix Salon Suites is deeply rooted in my family’s 90-year legacy in the beauty industry. I currently have 27 hairstylists and barbers in my family. I have personally worked behind the chair for more than 30 years. This has allowed me to develop great empathy for lifestyle professionals. I believe this is crucial to our success. Every decision we make as a company is centered around creating a successful environment for our lifestyle professionals to thrive in.
With over 350 locations nationwide and international expansion in the UK and abroad, how do you ensure that each location maintains the same high standard of quality and customer service?
We are very selective about who we trust with our brand, from the staff to the executives to the franchisees. Phenix Salon Suites has an amazing culture, which is key to ensuring our locations have a high standard. Everyone who engages with our brand understands what our mission and vision are. These facts, paired with a quality training program and new innovations, contribute to ensuring our high standards are maintained.
Can you share some of the key lessons you’ve learned about leadership and management while growing your business?
It’s extremely important to surround yourself with key individuals who are strong in areas where you may not be. There will always be times that you will face challenges, however, it’s crucial to recognize challenges as opportunities to grow and thrive. I always say, “Never be afraid to step out of your box and try something new”.
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired, especially during challenging times?
I start each day with my devotional. This helps me to be grounded and ready to face anything that comes my way. I am also regularly inspired when I visit our locations and meet all of the incredible professionals that are working under the Phenix roof.
In your opinion, what are some of the biggest trends and challenges facing the beauty industry currently?
Beauty is a billion-dollar business, which means at times the lifestyle professional can get lost in the mix. Some companies are so busy with the demands of sales and production that they have lost sight of the beauty professional’s needs. This is one of the reasons that I created the Colors by Gina hair color line. I noticed that many of the hair color lines were made up of 200–300 tubes of color. This can be very expensive as well as confusing when creating formulas. I created Colors by Gina because it’s a highly curated line that only requires 60 tubes of color to create a variety of beautiful shades and tones. For a stylist, this means that it’s easier to store in your salon or suite, and it’s also much less expensive to achieve terrific looks for your clients. With the advent of social media and the information highway, staying ahead of the trends is another area where companies need to place their focus in order to be successful. Beauty is already a very fast paced industry, so it’s crucial to have a constant pulse on the trends in order to stay current and relevant. At times, this can be a challenging task due to the variety of social media platforms as well as all of the additional avenues that are available to obtain information in today’s world.
How do you see technology impacting the beauty industry in the future, and how is Phenix Salon Suites adapting to these changes?
Technology already plays a large role in the beauty industry. Most professionals operate their businesses from their cell phones. This trend is not going away anytime soon. Realizing this, at Phenix Salon Suites, we have created a complimentary business management app called Gina’s Platform. Through Gina’s platform, lifestyle professionals can communicate with their clients, schedule appointments, process payments, tap into education, and even order products and obtain services. We have also made the technology available to any salon professional industry wide who would like to use it on a complimentary basis to enhance their businesses.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own business in the beauty industry?
Don’t be afraid to step out on your own and try something new. Sometimes you have to be willing to create your own opportunity, and starting a business may be the exact opportunity that you need. You will make mistakes along the way, which is fine. Use them as an opportunity to learn and become better.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own business in the beauty industry?
Don’t be afraid to step out on your own and try something new. Sometimes you have to be willing to create your own opportunity, and starting a business may be the exact opportunity that you need. You will make mistakes along the way, which is fine. Use them as an opportunity to learn and become better
Website: https://phenixsalonsuites.com/
