Rimon Ebrahim, Hairstylist and IMAGE Studios Owner in New Jersey, Sees Success in Helping Individuals and Communities Thrive

In this episode, we sit down with Rimon Ebrahim, hairstylist, IMAGE Studios Owner  in East Hanover, New Jersey, and owner of Avalon Salon in Millburn, New Jersey. Rimon shares his remarkable journey in the beauty industry, from sweeping salon floors at the age of fifteen to becoming a successful salon owner. He emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where stylists can be happy and successful and discusses his motivation for opening an Image Studios location to empower other professionals in the industry.

Rimon's approach to marketing and building a clientele highlights the value of traditional methods like word-of-mouth referrals and community involvement. He shares his belief in the power of building relationships and fostering a strong sense of community within the industry. 

Join us as we delve into the mindset of a salon owner who prioritizes the success and happiness of his team members and clients, showcasing the true essence of entrepreneurship in the beauty industry.

Stay connected with us on Instagram at @imagestudios360, and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast for more engaging conversations and valuable content. Keep shining, growing, and making a positive impact in your industry. 

Transcript

Matthew Landis: 0:00

Welcome to the VIP suite. The podcast exclusively designed for independent beauty, health and wellness professionals. Brought to you by image studios the luxury leader in the Salon Suite industry. I'm your host industry expert and certified business coach Matthew Landis. Each episode will bring you insightful interviews with solo entrepreneurs who forge their own path to greatness. From sharing inspiring stories of triumph to practical tips and strategies for growing your client base and building your brand. This is the place to thrive and take your business to the next level. Joining me for this episode is hairstylist and owner of image studios in East Hanover, New Jersey and owner of Avalon salon in Millburn, New Jersey is Ramon Abraham, tell me a little bit more about your journey Ramon in the beauty industry.

Rimon Ebrahim: 0:52

We're a family of hair stylists. My uncle was a hairstylist and he owns his own salon in Egypt and that was my first job when I was 15 years old. Just go in there hanging out picking up the phone and sweep the floor that was it. Then one day, he short handed ask us to kind of help and we liked it and we kept working. I love it. Still doing it right now.

Matthew Landis: 1:11

So you went from sweeping the floors to getting your license to being a salon owner. What was that journey like?

Rimon Ebrahim: 1:18

Long and beautiful though was I started doing hair and Asia. So I was already hairstylist already did the whole run around. I got my license and everything going to start and client feel and everything. Then a move back to us here and that was in 2005 I went to Tucson Arizona then the journey started all over again. I worked at the Avalon salon in Tucson and it was very successful salon was dreamed to be only one of those and working next a very talented, very stylish, everybody was working there and I did it right from the beginning. They're folding towels sweeping hair assist everybody. Then one day I worked on the floor. One day I moved to New Jersey I start all over again folding Tao sweeping the floor at RBAs salon in Millburn, New Jersey, and G CQ in Cranford, New Jersey, as an assistant, and the stylists build it back up again. And I loved it in New Jersey and a southern New Jersey.

Matthew Landis: 2:18

I love the fact that you have always put in the work to get where you are and what motivated you to open your own salon.

Rimon Ebrahim: 2:27

I always loved or my own salon, just something you always wanted to do. That was a good question. I just wanted to be a salon owner. I never really overthought it

Matthew Landis: 2:37

How long have you been a salon owner

Rimon Ebrahim: 2:39

about 10 years in New Jersey, two years of Tucson

Matthew Landis: 2:45

And what's been the best part of that journey as an owner?

Rimon Ebrahim: 2:48

the best part, just seeing all those people growing and being successful now was the best part of it all the teaching people and you see them like just blooming right there.

Matthew Landis: 3:01

And what made you decide to open an image studios?

Rimon Ebrahim: 3:10

it's a part of it seeing people successful. So always struggled for the stylists when you move, especially in New Jersey. When you move from a traditional salon to traditional slot by how he didn't like the environment. He hit it, we hit the owners, he hit the boss, he had the system. He had the feeling of the salon going to work not happy, there was no option. And it's nerve wracking when you have a full book 100 $150,000 Book going with you around. So there was no option for us to do it my own. I wish I had it long time ago when I moved to New Jersey. And that wasn't exist. So as soon as I heard is allowed in New Jersey, and I looked how beautiful images. So I was like this is just the perfect timing, a beautiful place as a hairstylist wanted to be working as a business owner, all those successful people be working for me. And sometimes just they know that salon is not for them. And they're not for my team or my team, not for them. And I want to help them they're good people. I love them. All right, but I never had an option before so it's easier to help them out to open their own salon. So now I can just do the startup give them the key which they haven't done already. One of my employee one of the top stylists they have in my salon. We just arrived at a branch. I don't see her happy coming over. I take it outside. I was like hey Jan, listen. I don't see you have you come in here. Let me start something great for you. I give you a key of images studio. Look at her now she is blooming that just went in her own it was a completely different Gen their happiness than it just it's just good. Good feeling to see people successful. You know.

Matthew Landis: 4:49

I can see you light up when you talk about really empowering these pros and giving them these opportunities. You know you've built an incredible Empire Looking at your salon, and what you've done, what would you say your superpower is,

Rimon Ebrahim: 5:05

Success. That's my superpower. I was just want to be successful, and everybody around me be successful as a person, like I'm really inspired by that they'll soon look at me change the whole industry, right? Or be a lot of people. On and on. So many people did a big impact on our industry and our life. A lot of names a lot of artists, you know, a lot of legendary people didn't make me successful because I read their books, I watched the videos, I follow the footsteps. They're successful people and inspire by them.

Matthew Landis: 5:39

I love that you also said Help the people around you be successful. Tell me a little bit more about that

Rimon Ebrahim: 5:51

So you want to be have the top client in your chair. And you want to be have the top stylists right next year. So that is the joy that is what success mean to me. And that's how I help them to get them to be a dad share, taking care of a very successful clientele. And the working right next to a very successful hairstylist.

Matthew Landis: 6:12

I love that, you know, I used to work for a while I've worked for a lot of different owners. And I've of course talked to many over the years. And I think there's a there's two different mindsets. And a lot of successful salon owners believe that they made the other the stylists successful. And you know, I worked for a guy many years ago who believe that his stylists owe their success to him. And I was just a lowly little assistant at the time. And I thought, I think you've got that backwards. I think you owe your success to the stylist that have have come with you on this journey and helped make us successful and make you look good,

Rimon Ebrahim: 6:49

Absolutely work both ways. It's a two way highway. It's not just one way. So there's a lot owner successful to have the right environment and everybody coming to work happy and have a great t know how to talk to each other. That is a success for the salon owner for the salon owner. status are very different kinds of people. We're different. I'm one of them, right? I look at it because I like to be different. You know, I do like to be there.

Matthew Landis: 7:21

Yeah, we are different people, we marched to our own drum. And I think that's one of the things that's so great about image studios, is that we really respect that. And we foster that. And we celebrate that whether, you know, it's people in the beauty industry, or the health and wellness industries, is providing these spaces and these opportunities for people to really shine and to be able to run their businesses the way that they they see fit and to create their own successes as I think that you have done.

Rimon Ebrahim: 7:54

You just need to do it. You just need to know you know what, I'm going to be successful. That's it. I'm gonna be having a client today. I'm gonna be working hard to be there for my clients. You have kids, family, house cars, it's another struggle to just to get there to fly.

Matthew Landis: 8:13

Yeah, how do you balance all of that? I don't know. I'm I did not figure that out. But it is I have no doubt that just by surrounding myself with the right people again, it's the same thing. It's an ongoing process, right. It's a learning process. It doesn't stop. Yeah. So let me ask you a question. You know, everyday should be a good day. But there are days when we want to just throw in the towel and walk away from it. How do you overcome those days?

Rimon Ebrahim: 8:43

I don't think you're ever going to find an industry dealing with people. And those people can conspire with daily to be successful and what you do as much as our industry, construction guys, electrician, he doesn't deal with people they deal with the world and wires hanging and airs. This is one of the my watches a physician dealing with very sad people helping people should like to do it to help people not practicing now she's home but us as a special really special walking in seeing a healthy person happy to see you love working with you. And it's always a party, find something Kenny Chico that I don't think you're going to find it how

Matthew Landis: 9:22

did you build your business? How did you market yourself and build over time to what you are? Now?

Rimon Ebrahim: 9:29

That's a great question, Matthew. That industry changed so fast. And as I can say I am one of the people using the industrial way to build people and get a clientele because the business it changed on us so much to the point I really want to catch on it. But I'm working behind the chair and I own a business and I don't really have the time to capture and I don't want to leave behind the chair to catch on that fast way to build a clientele which I did not master yet. But I see it happening but the industrial way is to find the right environment and use your speed And it doesn't matter. When what do you do that day, you walk in there in a salon, you've been there, you're hoping every single person, you just need to be consistent with your service. Number one success, double the client is three times, follow up, follow up, on follow up, there is how you're going to build a client, you got the client, you need to write every single thing about that client into your system. Because you shooting for growth, you're not going to remember 1000 clients, our brain cannot store that information, but the phone can. So you write a little note, and you write yourself a note, when you should see that client, then you follow up, if you didn't see her name, you just shoot her a text message. Maybe she didn't like the bangs was a little bit short. But when the hair grow, it's beautiful. But she already said I didn't like it because the bangs are but if she saw that a little text message, hi, just thinking of you, how was your son because it took a little now that's a follow up. As soon the client finished, you need to follow up on it to book your next visit. Or at least to ask, I will call she didn't call a few weeks later, I will test follow up follow up follow up. That is really how to keep it when you have it. But get it in a chair that's been there in a salon and just hanging around the salon. And he'd been happy and have been given a buddy and you put in your name out there business card to all the salon. I mean all the business owner around the salon, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, all those you know, places have high traffic area, I'm sure but you guys in and out. I love in and out. But here, Dunkin Donuts is busy. So those places kind of you can pick up a client just walk in there getting your coffee, because we drink a lot of coffee. And thus your way of thinking is different than new way of thinking. So you can teach us now about the new way of thinking.

Matthew Landis: 11:46

It's interesting because I coach a lot of business owners and they get so stressed out because they don't feel like they're doing enough marketing on social media. And the research actually shows that the old fashioned marketing that you're talking about It Works is more effective, that two thirds of all new clients still come from referrals. So what you're talking about really is a more effective way of marketing. And I think that there's so much anxiety about not being good enough on social media, and really social media. If you look at it now, we're so flooded with with noise. What social media does, is it serves more as a portfolio of your work. But you're not really going to get new clients so much from the social media, you're going to get it from the networking, that you're talking about the referrals from the people that are in your chair on your table, those are the people that are going to be cheering you on and that are going to be doing the marketing for you. So yes, treat them better treat the people in your community better be the mayor of your town, when you leave the house, make sure everybody knows what you do for a living. And you will get the business now, when someone refers you. Some of them will go to your social media to see who you are and what kind of work you do. But that's not where the business is going to come from. That's just serving as an additional tool in the toolbox. So when you're talking actually is as a show, okay? It's more effective. And really, if you just think of social media, not as the end result, but it's just one of the tools in the toolbox. I think it's

Rimon Ebrahim: 13:30

the industrial way. It missing the old book haircut. Yeah, no start got we used to have them. So I can go now that social media is my book, mate, there's no book better than I leave it at the flow. Remember those Setka back in the day? We get them those book what they call it a pain point? Yeah, the point book, it's a book have all the boys haircut or the women's haircut or you know, so maybe there is a book now. Okay, I take it. I don't read it now.

Matthew Landis: 13:58

Well, you know, it's so interesting, because they did a little research on you. And I was like, you don't have a big presence on social media. In fact, you're very difficult to find as an individual, but your businesses, it's very obvious are thriving and doing well. So that's a testament to the kind of marketing that you're talking about and the kind of marketing that you do. You

Rimon Ebrahim: 14:18

I know, I don't even have my pictures and my name on my own website. And at Avalon. I have every single person working for me because

Matthew Landis: 14:26

I know that they tried to fight I tried to find more about you online and you know, there's not much there. Now. It's not so much. I did notice on social media that you your salon was had sustained some damage from Hurricane Ida a few years ago. Yep. Then what was it like coming back from that? Very strong.

Rimon Ebrahim: 14:50

It was coming back very strong. So we came out from COVID 2020. I was blessed. Because again, this industrial way of building business This is very successful. Because you're really working more into your community and your community get to know more about you and you get to know more about your community. I always order food from every single small business owner by me, I don't go to big boxes names. So now I'm evolving in my community where my sweet or my traditional slanted right 2020 came in, we close down and it wasn't just me that holy Street, that whole town supported us. 2021 was the storm either, I believe, yeah, it is 2021 One year later. So we cannot just walk in and out of COVID very fragile. And before you know it, bore rain came down, flooded the whole town, every single business at that day. Next morning, they went in over my salon, mother's like about it that much inside the salon from the water, every single business got that much about almost half a foot to a feet of mud. And some people get five, six feet of mud inside their business, the people of Northern New Jersey, the under on social media, happy Melbourne, descent, the data needed help so and we need to open they send their kids clean up all the streets, the sidewalks, the businesses, a couple of days later, most of us open and we came back, whoever was needed surface or doesn't need a surface, they just want to continue support us to make sure we have the capital to build a new furniture, new walls, new dry walls. That was just a community, people community. It's a huge to build people from the community. It's a huge advantage. They help you in every storm began coming your way. So one of them was item within three a storm that wasn't the first one.

Matthew Landis: 16:45

It's incredible to see people come together like that and support each other. And I always believed as a salon owner, as a stylist that you know, being part of the community and giving back and it comes back to get done. Let me ask you, I just have two more questions. And the one of them is what parts of your life bring you joy and happiness.

Rimon Ebrahim: 17:09

Right now, just being being happy. Seeing everybody happy around me say my kids were going up. We have a great, great quality of life here.

Matthew Landis: 17:19

So my last question for you is what does the future look like for you?

Rimon Ebrahim: 17:23

I think it's even better. I was always want to build more of a hair salons right? Now I want to build more of suites, to just building people, get them successful. It's a joy, you make a room for successful people to grow more and more. It's a different kind of joy. That's my future now just see and surrounding myself with an entrepreneur, not just an employee. That's a different joy.

Matthew Landis: 17:47

That's awesome. Thank you so much for for joining me for the podcast. Thank you so much for all the opportunity that you are providing to so many people. And you're just such an inspiration. I really enjoyed having this conversation with you today.

Rimon Ebrahim: 18:05

Thank you so much, Matthew.

Matthew Landis: 18:08

Thank you so much for joining me for this episode of The VIP suite. I'm Matthew Landis and I hope you found the insights and inspiration share today truly valuable for your journey as a solo entrepreneur, an independent beauty, health or wellness professional. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram at image Studios 360 And if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to the VIP suite on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an opportunity to connect with our vibrant community and to discover more incredible stories and strategies. We love hearing from our listeners. So if you have any questions, topic suggestions or want to share your own success story, feel free to reach out to me at Matthew at image studios three sixty.com Remember dear listener, you are the heartbeat of the beauty, health and wellness industry. Your dedication and passion make the world a better place one client at a time keep shining, keep growing and keep making a positive impact. We'll be back with more engaging conversations and valuable content in our next episode. Until then take care stay inspired and continue to create your own VIP suite. For more information about becoming a part of the image studios luxury Salon Suite community, visit our website at image studios three sixty.com