Sarina Paulson on leadership, salon growth, and building Willo Salons

Episode notes

She purchased a hair salon just three months before a global pandemic shut down your entire industry for six months. Most entrepreneurs would see this as the worst possible timing. However, Sarina Pualson saw it differently. In this episode of Growth Diaries, Sarina, CEO of Willo Salons, joins host Sudheer Koneru to discuss her unconventional path from studying criminal justice and rising through JCPenney’s corporate ranks to acquiring and transforming a salon business just before the pandemic. What You’ll Learn: How to transition from corporate to entrepreneurship without losing operational rigor Why transparent compensation structures drive talent retention in competitive wellness markets How to rebrand and modernize during downtime to accelerate growth Why education and visible benchmarks transform employees into business-minded partners How community involvement and local PR simultaneously attract clients and top talent Sarina Paulson is the Owner and CEO of Willo Salons, a thriving, multi-location vegan hair salon enterprise in Greater Sacramento, and a Professor with Aveda Business College.