20th Anniversary Spotlight: Christopher Michael

We’re still celebrating 20 years of Sola by spotlighting some inspiring Sola pros in our community... and last but not least, we are sharing the story of Sola pro and business coach, Christopher Michael!  

At Sola, you get more freedom not just behind the chair – but beyond the chair; and Christopher’s story is the perfect example of this. He’s been doing hair for 22 years, starting his journey in Michigan. A career change, a move to Asheville, North Carolina, and a pandemic later, he found himself in a new venture: coaching! 

“During the pandemic when the salons closed down, I realized in the lockdown that I didn’t really miss the craft as much as I missed the people... So, I became a certified business coach. When the salons reopened again, I decided to move into a Sola space to operate both businesses – because I had the freedom to do so.” That’s right! He’s got two sources of clientele; hair clients and business-coaching clients, operating both in his Sola studio. 

He’s now officially been at Sola for 5 years and has upgraded studios three times. With two business ventures, he’s able to be more selective about his hair clients and services. “I reinvented myself as a hairstylist and made a very strong intention to only work with people that I wanted to work with, doing the things that I wanted to do, and doing them in the way that I wanted.” 

Why was choosing a suite important? “The nature of the conversations I have with my clients – for me being in a Sola suite allows me to have a full expression of a conversation. I love the freedom that I have. I can come in any day of the week. I love the flexibility. I love the facility... and I don’t have to worry about people borrowing my stuff." We’ve all been there!  

We couldn’t have a conversation with a business coach without getting some nuggets of wisdom for you... Here are Christopher’s top 3 coaching tips for beauty professionals:  

• Tip #1: Know who you are 
• Tip #2: Know what you want to offer 
• Tip #3: Know what your value is 

...It really is that simple! If you’re considering salon independence, here’s Christopher’s advice: "Just do it. Be clear about the life experience you want in your job. Take time and think about – how do you want to work? If you are motivated and clear with what you want, there might be a learning curve, but when you are clear that this is the path for you, then it doesn’t make sense for you to pay someone else to do it." 

The possibilities are limitless when you have career freedom. Christopher, we appreciate you sharing your journey with us – and for exemplifying that it’s never too late to start a new venture. 

That’s a wrap on our 20th Anniversary Spotlights! In case you missed it, check out our previous pros who we featured... 

20th Anniversary Spotlight – Kimi Bennett 

20th Anniversary Spotlight – Rashleigh Béaton 

20th Anniversary Spotlight – Melanie Hasson 

With over 20,000 beauty pros in the Sola Family, there are endless empowering stories to share – and each is a testament to the strong community we’ve built over the past 20 years. Here’s to the next 20 years! 🥳