Brooklynite Natasha Watterson, is the owner of Vanity Hair Studio NYC. She operates the only private salon in New York City. With more than 10 years of professional hair care knowledge as a licensed cosmetologist, we were excited to sit down with Watterson and learn from her.
Why did you decide to open a business during this economic downturn?
Despite the economic structures that exist right now, self-grooming is an essential part of everyday life. According to the New York Daily News, Bedford Stuyvesant is the fastest growing neighborhood in Brooklyn, adding 20,000 new residents over the past decade. Someone has to do their hair!
What makes Vanity Hair Studio unique?
There are a few factors that make us unique. The first is our commitment to client privacy. The studio has private styling, washing and drying stations that are fully enclosed to allow patrons a very intimate experience. The other dynamic is our salon culture. Our methodology is T.C.E. – Transparency Consistency and Education.
Transparency: Prices for services are not open ended. All services and costs associated with them are listed at the reception desk.
Consistency: We are open at the same time every day. It is easy for patrons to remember the hours of operations, because they don’t change.
Education: We inform our clients about the state of the hair during the initial consultation. We offer product recommendations for aftercare maintenance. We show the client the shampoo, conditioner and treatment solutions being utilized during their service. Our goal is to ensure that all of our clients have healthy hair.
Can you share some hair styling tips and trends for the upcoming season?
1. Less is more. Try not to weigh down your hair with lots of products. Buy products that actually match your hair type. 2. Clip your ends quarterly. Healthy follicles start with the ends. Not cutting your hair doesn’t stimulate hair growth. 3. Avoid trendy hairstyles. Looks should be based on your lifestyle.
Do you have any advice for a hair stylist interested in opening their own salon?
1.Make sure to research the contractors that you want to hire. Doing the right research on people is even more important than having the money to pay them. Contractors can make or break your business. 2.Maintain business insurance during the build out process. This is important, just in case a construction worker becomes injured. 3. Hire licensed staff. Anyone performing services in the service industry should have the appropriate documentation. Make no exceptions in this area.
