In Part 2 of our real-time salon build docuseries, we return to Corte in Washington, D.C., now fully built and officially open. Gabby and Franky, two first-time salon owners in Washington, D.C., reflect on the months between construction and opening day, sharing hard-earned lessons on patience, budgeting, design compromises, team building, and what it actually feels like to step into ownership.
This episode goes beyond the build to discuss comfort, workflow, client experience, and what it takes to step into ownership intentionally.
👀Watch this episode on YouTube to see their salon!
Follow/subscribe to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Like what you hear? Leave us a review!
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
🔅Patience is not optional – From signing the lease to opening day took six months, with half that time spent waiting on permits before any work could begin.
🔅Budget for time you can’t use the space – Paying rent on a location you can’t touch yet is a real cost of ownership and should be planned for upfront.
🔅Expect your vision to evolve – Design ideas you feel “married to” will change as limitations surface, and often the final result works better than the original plan.
🔅Comfort and workflow matter more than size – Narrower stations, wider walkways, and intentional spacing improved movement, client comfort, and overall functionality.
🔅Prioritize where clients spend the most time – Investing more in stations and touchpoints paid off, while other design elements were kept intentionally lower-budget.
🔅Outside input can strengthen your vision – Feedback from trusted peers helped refine the space and made it feel more welcoming and alive.
🔅Customer experience starts at the door – Clear points of contact, knowing where to go, and feeling acknowledged immediately shape how clients experience the salon.
🔅Community and education fuel long-term growth – Beyond opening, Gabby and Franky are building toward education and collaboration as the next phase of ownership. Check out Corte Education.
Corte is a space where clients feel at home and stylists feel supported. Gabby and Franky aim for their salon to be recognized for its precision cutting, creativity, and collaboration, while cultivating a culture of leadership, education, and comfort for both guests and their team.
👉Follow Corte on Instagram
📱Follow Gabby on Instagram
📱Follow Franky on Instagram
The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.
CONNECT WITH US
📬 Subscribe to our free newsletter
📸 Connect on Instagram
🎵 Connect on TikTok
📺 Watch on YouTube
📝 Check out our Blog
The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.
