20th Anniversary Spotlight: Melanie Hasson

Our third 20th-anniversary spotlight is Sola pro, Melanie Hasson from Sola Staten Island – South Shore Commons! She’s a hairstylist with a decade of experience under her belt, specializing in lived-in color, an educator for other independent beauty pros, an ambassador for BaBylissPRO, and last but not least (and the reason we found and connected with her!), she’s a content creator. With an impressive Instagram following of 143k and a feature in BLP's 30 Under 30, Melanie is a shining example of what it means to thrive after going independent. 

Her Sola journey began 5 and a half years ago – and we were immediately inspired by her story of innovation within the beauty industry. “I liked the freedom that I could have with Sola. I liked the idea of being a part of something, being surrounded by people, but having my own space... I do independent education, and I don’t have to ask my bosses if I can have time off. I’m able to work whatever hours I want to work, I can come and go as I please, and I run the business the way I want to and that works for my lifestyle and my schedule.” 

How has she been able to grow and evolve since opening her Sola? “Four months into opening my suite, I was able to close my client list, raise my prices and revamp my whole business, which I wasn’t able to do being a part of a commission salon beforehand. From there, I expanded into a bigger suite with the support of my Sola management. I taught my first class in my suite, and since then, I’ve sold education classes online – so it all started in my Sola!” 

We like to say that at Sola, your creativity can be fully expressed – and that’s not limited to your craft or your four walls within your studio! Check out her stunning website and her Instagram page, @melaniemhasson. “Going independent has given me the space to figure out who I am as a brand because I’m not worrying about aligning with someone else’s dream. I’m in my own space – not only do I get to decorate it the way I want to, but I get to have a brand voice behind everything that I do.” 

Melanie’s social media does just that – reflects the strong brand that she’s built. But how exactly does one “make it big” in the social media world? It’s all about finding your niche. “My niche on social media is more behind-the-scenes of working with real clients. I try to keep it very educational and real of what we do behind the chair, but I try to focus it a lot on being a suite owner because it’s different.”  

Melanie’s Top 3 Tips for Growing a Following on Social Media: 

• Tip #1: "You have to determine what your goal really is. So, if you’re trying to grow on social media as a platform, figure out how to do that. If you're trying to grow your social media to cater to clients, make sure you're niching down in that way.” 
• Tip #2: “Be authentic to who you are. Give the experience that you want everyone to get from you, whether it's your client behind the chair or if you're trying to educate other stylists. Be authentic to yourself and stay consistent within that.” 
• Tip #3: “Don't think too hard about it, do what comes natural. I don't think it's as important to have such an aesthetic feed as it is to just share what feels good to you... If it interests you in your day-to-day, it's probably going to interest someone else on social media.” 

Thank you, Melanie, for sharing your story with us and for showing us that the opportunities are endless when you have the freedom to create and innovate! Make sure to give her a follow on Instagram or TikTok for even more inspo 💥 

In case you missed it, check out our first two 20th Anniversary Spotlights for more inspiring stories from your Sola community – and stay tuned for one final spotlight next week! 🤩 

20th Anniversary Spotlight – Kimi Bennett 

20th Anniversary Spotlight – Rashleigh Béaton