Adventures of a new salon owner

Marney Lian, full-time stylist and owner of new salon Gritt London, talks careers, client comforts and plans in the pipeline. Don’t forget to read our previous issues for more adventures with… Head on over to our digital mag issues, here. What has been your career journey so far? I started my hair career at 14. I always wanted my own salon, so I made it a priority to work for both small boutique salons and big chains. I worked as an employee, self-employed and freelance before taking the plunge to open my salon. What do you think makes Gritt London so unique? We build a bridge for stylists who want to branch out to freelance but still want to be supported by a salon. We help stylists build the clientele they want. We have stylists who specialise in all aspects of hairdressing, and we work accordingly to present them with the clients to match their expertise. I believe such organisation has been fundamental in providing a 5-star service for all our clients. Our salon is designed for client comfort; we have a work from home space in addition to a relaxing atmosphere where you can get pampered whilst enjoying a glass of champagne. What do you love most about being a salon owner? I love being able to adapt to a new way of running salons. Being a full-time stylist on the shop floor has helped my salon grow in 12 months. Being able to work with my team and quickly change things that didn't work has been my favourite part. I feel like I'm giving back to our industry and our stylists. What are the challenges you've faced so far? Opening a salon during lockdown, brought with it a lot of doubt. Reflecting back now on the last 12 months, I would say maintaining our ethos, becoming established in our own right and finding a team that believes in our ethos so early on has assisted the salon in overcoming any challenges during the pandemic. What's next for Gritt London? We have lots planned in the pipeline, all to be revealed. We hope to open our second salon very soon! See the full article in the May issue of HJ. Did you catch our 'Adventures of a Product Alchemist' with Paul Windle? Click here to read. Stay tuned for more 'Adventures of a...'