The Alimond Show
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The Alimond Show
Ryan Mallard and Nese Altas Owners of Current Salon and Color Bar
Ever considered a dramatic career pivot or dreamt of crafting a success story from the ground up? Ryan Mallard and Nese Altas, the visionary partners behind Current Salon and Color Bar, join us to recount their extraordinary journey from disparate beginnings to the pinnacle of the beauty industry. Nese, whose odyssey began on the vibrant streets of Istanbul, talks candidly about overcoming cultural and linguistic hurdles to become a luminary in hairstyling. Ryan, who swapped the predictability of corporate life for the maelstrom of salon ownership, harnesses his business savvy to share how they navigated the highs and lows of building their brand.
This episode isn't just a recount of triumphs; it's a masterclass in marketing tenacity and the art of staying true to one's vision during the most challenging times. Our guests lift the veil on how they used every tool at their disposal to keep their business flourishing—even through a global pandemic. They confront the hair industry's toughest misconceptions head-on, revealing the pivotal role of stylist education in managing the gap between social media fantasy and hairstyling reality. If you're yearning for an authentic slice of American dream-chasing, peppered with humor and hard-won wisdom, you've found your match in this compelling narrative.
Okay, Full name Ryan Mallard. Current salon and color bar is our business. Current salon and color bar by Neche. That's what we do business as, and the nature of our business is, you know, a hair salon, beauty services. You know it's predominantly hair. We offer some small esthetician services, but our focus is hair. You know that's what she grew up in, did it for 15 years prior to us opening the salon, and so that's where our focus has remained.
Speaker 2:Okay, my name is Nesha Altash and the name of the business is Current Salon and Color Bar by Nesha. And yeah, just like you said, we focus on hair, color hair and making just people beautiful.
Speaker 3:I can see that you both have great hair, speaking of which, my goodness.
Speaker 1:I had to beg for a haircut a couple days ago, you know, before I did this, that's all right, that's all right.
Speaker 3:Can you tell me your story, Like I want to know a little bit about both your childhood, like how it was growing up. If anything during that time led you up to this point in your career, what did you guys like doing?
Speaker 2:Do you want to tackle that first, your story I can. So I am. Actually. I was born and raised in Istanbul, turkey. So I grew up in Istanbul, went to school and right after high school I ended up immigrating to the United States to achieve my American dreams right yeah, the big dreams. And I come from a family of four. I'm the youngest, so my parents had. All of my siblings are a lot older and so I was the last one. And my brother is about 18 years older than me and he moved to the States, got married and then I was basically you know the very early on. You're just gonna go live with your brother, make you know a great life for yourself and, you know, just move to US. And that's kind of how I ended up here.
Speaker 3:Okay, what did you like doing as a kid?
Speaker 2:like anything, in particular when combing Barbie's hairs, cutting their hair, you know a lot of people ask me that, like, did you know that you were going to be a hairstylist when you grew up?
Speaker 2:I say no, actually just came here with the for the opportunity of just making you know a great life for myself and I actually, um, didn't have any guidance or where I was going to go. I was just offered from a bigly member to work in their salon as an assistant and when I actually got into it I realized how much I enjoy being with people. I remember very early on I didn't speak a word of English and clients would bring me books and every visit then they'll be like oh, you went through this page and your English is a lot better. You know people being so confident I mean for very complimentary. It built my confidence and I started really enjoying just kind of people talking, telling them my story, and each time, you know, english was getting better and I was getting more and more confident. So yeah, that's kind of how it started I love that.
Speaker 1:She only had one Barbie and that was sent over, if I recall, from a family member and it was her pride and joy. And then she had it for a very short period of time when she was little in Turkey and somebody stole it and never heard.
Speaker 2:I had my first Barbie when I was 14. I had to beg my brother to send one from the US because I think Barbies were so expensive back then and you know my parents were like no.
Speaker 1:So my story born and raised in this area, reston I was in Reston for 32 years and then it was when we opened the salon that I moved out to the Ashburn area. But yeah, growing up, you know know, normal, traditional household and I played sports school, went to George Mason, tried to go away to school for a little while. That didn't work out. I tended to party too hard in school. So I came back and worked and went to school, and worked and went to school and so the business didn't come about. Because I had dreams of opening a hair salon.
Speaker 1:I was after I got out of school, I was in the corporate world and I was there 18, 19 years in management leadership. I had opened up operations for a company they were in Maryland and I expanded to the Virginia offices and so I've been in the corporate world. And again, I had no intentions or didn't think I was gonna end up in the hair industry. But when she and I met and started dating, she would come home and share some of her challenges. And they were challenges that I thought were all easily overcome because there were things that I was accustomed to in the corporate world that she just wasn't experiencing and that I wasn't seeing in the salon industry. So that's how I got pulled in. So we had talked about it, then decided that we were going to open a salon, and that was in 2012. So I think there was a few years where I transitioned out of the corporate world. They needed to replace my position, so I gave them some time. But here I am, in hair Never played with Barbies, I was going to ask you.
Speaker 1:I was involved in sports, but it's been remarkable.
Speaker 3:Awesome, it's been a lot of fun. I love that. Now, how did you both meet? How did that happen? Oh, that's dicey. Is it Want to share now?
Speaker 1:I don't know that it's dicey.
Speaker 2:We were mutual friends, okay, cool.
Speaker 1:I had some friends in high school that were Turkish.
Speaker 2:And they were my friends, and that's how we met.
Speaker 3:Cool, I love that. Now tell me a little bit about your business. What do you guys do for marketing purposes? How are you guys putting yourself out there? Are you online Instagram? What all are you guys doing?
Speaker 1:Everything you know, um, can you not be you know everything? Um, you know, at this point, to kind of get your brand out, um, you know, I, I think you know I did a lot of marketing in the banking industry. Uh, when I, um, when I was kind of get your brand out, you know, I think you know I did a lot of marketing in the banking industry when I, when I was kind of building the business, but originally, when we opened up, we certainly we had a social presence, but you know, instagram wasn't what it is now, certainly not for the beauty industry. She had built a wonderful reputation as a top stylist in the area and so I think you know my feeling was we use her name, her reputation. And so, you know, when we opened up, you know, at that point in time we were doing some direct mailers, certainly some social media, but not nearly to the degree that you know we're doing now.
Speaker 1:So, you know, very early on, it was more simplistic, you know to, you know, to now fast forward, I mean it's, you know, all social channels for the most part. What else you know? Seo, e-newsletters, you know we're constantly in front of our clientele, so I don't know if there's something more specific, but just audience engagement. You know our client engagement. We're trying to constantly be in front of them.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm just a little bit curious like what are you guys doing like on Instagram, any dances, any like informational, like pointing stuff, anything like that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I think it started off as just more photos and videos of our work, but as the team has grown, you know, we've got a lot of younger team members and we do have a third party that has helped us out, you know, certainly with our um, our marketing, uh, cause it's not something that she nor I could handle, but, um, but with a lot of the younger team members, you know they, they push the envelope. In fact, you know one of our education classes the other day, um, she wanted to start what was it? Not YouTube, cause we have that, but a Tik TOK, um, yeah, and so she pulled Nesha in to do this dance with like six of the other girls. It was Nesha, you know, with a caption kind of, where all my assistants yelling for them and then they all run out of the break room dancing and yeah, so so she got super excited.
Speaker 1:She's in high school and it was, hey, can I can? So she got super excited she's in high school. And it was hey, can we start a TikTok account? So yeah, you know we're constant. I mean, you know marketing is always evolving, as you guys know, and so we're always looking for.
Speaker 3:You know different angles. What kind of advice would you give to business owners who are struggling on the marketing end, Like what would you like them to know as far as marketing goes?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, I I'll say this I been doing hair for 25 plus years and back in the days there was none of them, um were existing. And um, in the beginning, when we first opened the salon, that's when the social media became like, really, you know, kind of picked up. Instagram was just slowly coming in, facebook was a big thing and since I didn't see that part of it, so I had to, like, work really hard and word about, and you know, it took years for me to build my business and um, when ryan with his background, when he had the budget for marketing, and I don't even have this salon yet we, why are we? You know, um, it's, but I, when I started seeing the, the um, you know the results results results from it and I was like I'm all in.
Speaker 2:So I think that's one thing, that he always, from day one, had a budget for it and then still does.
Speaker 1:I would say I mean. The question, I think you know what would I tell other business owners is you know, commit to a plan and stay committed. I think you know I saw it during COVID. You know a lot of people you know were pulling back from marketing budgets and you know, for me, you know I you know we stayed. You know pedal to the metal and you know people are still. You know we stayed. You know pedal to the metal and you know people are still, you know, seeing your brand, seeing you on social. So it was important to stay front and center, especially when you know people were probably curious are businesses, are all these businesses going to survive? So I wanted to make sure they saw that you know we were still committed to to, you know, working through that incredibly challenging time. So, yeah, I would just say that the discipline and commitment you know develop a plan, you know, and then look at the plan, you know whether it's monthly, quarterly. You know review, you know refresh, you know pivot but see what's working. But you know, stay committed.
Speaker 3:That's a good one, thank you. What is a common misconception in your industry with hair? That a lot of people are like I thought this was that or like isn't it supposed to be this that you would like them to know?
Speaker 2:uh, misconception on, I'll say, for a period of time, um, um, instagram at times made things difficult. In what way? In what way? It's just people came in with unrealistic expectations and it put so much pressure on the team and the stylist behind the chair, stylist behind a chair and people, um, when they the younger stylist, when they didn't, they didn't have enough experience, they didn't know how to communicate that with the client that I cannot achieve this result in. You know, one visit, we may have to redo it or, you know, I think that is um being a little bit more balanced now, because I think a lot of people are just putting more content of like hey, you know, I achieved this look within for a visit. You know that was the. I think that was the the challenge for a period of time, but I feel like it's just kind of leveling out now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'd say kind of similar. It it's just you know the hair industry has changed so much as you know any industry right. But you know highlighting, you know you'd put a cap on and pull through hair and just be a global highlight. And the looks that people see on social, you know that they bring in as inspo photos. You know it's not that simplistic. I mean we go through an abundance of education and to achieve that, those lived in looks, those new looks that people are showing, it's much more complex and time consuming and so I think that, yeah, I mean, in line with kind of what she's saying, it's trying to, you know, almost educate the clientele on. You know how much more complex and difficult that is. This is, I mean, it's not rocket science, but it's not as simplistic as it was 10, 20 years ago.
Speaker 3:I agree with that. Yeah, because I feel like some people and everybody's hair is different different hair color, texture and when people see one thing online, they're like, oh, my hair's going to be like that or it's going to come out. It looks like they only went for one thing and it puts so much pressure and all of that for you guys. So I can definitely see that being like a doozy there for you guys. But I'm glad that there's more information out there telling people like no, this is not a one-time thing. You've got to go in a couple of times and level your hair to get to that point.
Speaker 3:So you understand it yes, I know because my hair is really thick and sometimes I want certain haircuts that it's like baby, no, this is not for you, um, and it's hard to accept that sometimes, but I'm starting to understand that now. With some of those videos it's like, no, that doesn't work for you. So I mean, there's ways you can find right, but not always because the texture but I think another thing that's not always the client.
Speaker 2:Stylist needs to be confident enough to convey that to a client kindly. And they don't always do that because you know people don't want to disappoint people. They want to try their best and sometimes it doesn't. You know don't want to disappoint people. They want to try their best and sometimes it doesn't. You know, turn out so good.
Speaker 3:But that's right. Um, and then last question here if you could leave one message for our listeners, what would that message be? It can be in regards to hair, life, anything in general, family you go first.
Speaker 1:You don't get what you wish for. You get what you work for. I think that would be, you know, my message that the business, when opening it I think people have seen you know around us. You know some of the success we've had and there's maybe an assumption at times that it's easy and it's not. You know, running any business is incredibly difficult and it requires a lot of sacrifice, and she and I have made a lot of sacrifices. And so I think you, I think, if you've got a plan that's based on hope or wishful thinking, unless you work incredibly hard and are prepared to make sacrifices, it's hard to achieve those goals. So that's kind of my thought on it.
Speaker 3:That's a good one.
Speaker 1:Work hard right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Teach that to the younger generation.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think same thing in the lines of what he is saying. I mean, I immigrated here to you know my American dreams and I am actually living my dream. I'm living my American dreams and I am actually living my dream. But that was with hard work, dedication, until this time. I started at the age of 18, and I did not stop until now, six, seven days a week, up until I built my business, up until I built my clientele, and yeah. So work hard and focus.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Thank you both so much. We really appreciate your time and sharing your stories with us. That was funny about the Barbie. I love that. Sorry you lost it, but yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having us. It was a pleasure, of course.