Our final 2020 Suite Elite Featured Member is Heather Bassano from MY SALON Suite of North Naples, FL. Heather has been a hairdresser since 2012 and has been with MY SALON Suite for the past 4.5 years. “I worked for a local salon for a number of years and that built me up to who I am as a hairdresser. They had their training from an elite hotel chain so I was trained to give the best service to each guest. I was told that you will never get in trouble for doing too much for a client. Buy them flowers, go above and beyond… love on your client, welcome them into your salon as if they are a guest in your home. Make people feel comfortable and loved.”
Heather loves the creativity she can express in her suite. “I can pick the best of the best products that I believe in so I can offer that to my clients. I am not tied down to one color line and product line. I love being able to set my own schedule and have control over the experience from start to finish. From booking to checkout, I want their experience to be amazing. Every step, I want it to be a relaxing experience for my client.” Heather goes on to explain what owning her own business means to her. “It means complete and total freedom- that is the best gift I could have ever given myself. I am able to have that work- life balance to control my schedule. I do a lot of cycling classes, I am involved in my community… I can give out a donation whenever I want to. I have more time with family and friends.”
Heather said that since joining The Suite Elite, it has impacted every aspect of her life. She said she is making 100% more than she was before. “My income has skyrocketed and I can invest it back into my business. I’ve been able to grow my business and my brand beyond anything I could in a traditional salon. It has impacted my creativity to be able to express myself. I can showcase my art and have the time to practice my hobbies on top of that. It has changed my life completely.” Heather also loves that she has the freedom to take classes when she wants to, buy better tools for herself and her clients and that she can control her prices according to that. “My clients appreciate what I put back into my business and they know that I care about bettering the experience for them.”
Heather said that she has always pictured herself as an entrepreneur. “As a creative person, I’ve always had a strong vision of where I wanted to go. When a creative get s vision in their head, it’s hard to stop that. I heard about a friend who was in a suite and I went to look. I talked to a Member and I talked to Scot (the location owner) and I got such a good vibe. There was only one suite left. I put a deposit down right that day and said I’m doing it. It was scary but if I can do three haircuts and colors a week and make rent, I can do this. I didn’t get bogged down with the fear. Taking that leap of faith is not easy for anyone… I jumped and looked at what I had to do after the fact. If you have passion for this, you cannot fail. You won’t let yourself.”
Heather’s MY SALON Suite location was closed for 8 weeks due to COVID-19. Heather said that her location owner, Scot Cumin, was “an actual angel.” She said he was extremely supportive including waiving rent during the closure. Heather said it was incredible and took away a lot of stress. She felt comfortable knowing she had a place to go back to when it was over. When they returned, “he took all of the precautions. Hand sanitizers, foot petal on the restroom door so you don’t have to touch it and a great cleaning crew that comes regularly. He provided us a safe space to work and a system to keep clients safe by waiting in their cars before their appointments. We didn’t have to think about anything- he already had suggestions and policies for us.” Heather also felt the support of the MY SALON Suite team during the closure by providing Members with information and resources. Heather took advantage of the Barbicide course to stay safe and loved that the CDC guidelines were provided for all Members. “It was extremely helpful. It creates a loyalty because Scot was so great in these moments, I want to stay here forever.”
What piece of advice would Heather give someone considering joining The Suite Elite? “Go for it. The world is at your fingertips and everything you want in life is waiting on the other side of fear. You will look back and say ‘wow that is the greatest gift I ever gave myself and my clients.'” Great advice, Heather! Learn more about Heather in her interview and follow along with us on Instagram @mysalonsuite and @salon plaza. Heather recently took over our @mysalonsuite Instagram stories. Watch our “Heather” highlight on our page to see what a day in the life of a Suite Elite Member is like and check out Heather’s amazing work @hairgodheather on Instagram.
