Photography: Rachelle Beatty Photography
We had a great chat with Nicole Pidherny of Pommeshell. Her energy and enthusiasm were infectious. After 15 years of being in the business as a stylist and now salon owner, Pidherny wanted to create a salon space where stylists can have a healthy work/life balance while making money. An environment to earn and create without compromising mental health was top priority for Pidherny at her BC and Kelowna locations.
Pandemic Opportunity
The pandemic had opened up an opportunity for Pidherny. Realizing she had to shift quickly, she kept close contact with her clients throughout the entire lockdown by communicating through her online Chat Box and offering digital consultations. This encouraged her clients to shop online for their needs through her e-commerce store. She shifted her business model to service online and it proved to be a hit. Now she has created a structured e-consultation service to book with her directly, and her clients love it.
Pidherny saw a gap in the market to teach her customers. “Education for my clients is important. They wanted to learn how to do their own hair,” she said. The BC-based stylist took this opportunity to teach her clients how to style using the products she sells
Knowing that this would be a learning curve after attempting her online space herself, she hired a digital team to create and focus on her new website. “I realized my time and skills were best utilized in dreaming up content and being in front of the camera.”
Pommeshell Brand
“I was looking at brushes and scalp massagers and noticed that Walmart was selling them. I wanted to have a heat resistant brush that helps with detangling. They are so popular because they stimulate the scalp and work with every hair type,” Pidherny explained. She started researching gaps in the market and noticed a huge movement in scalp health and focusing on treating your scalp like skin. She launched the Pommeshell brand in November 2020.
Big Industry Shift
“I’ve never seen our industry change like this in my career. It’s interesting to see how we have had to adapt. It’s not easy, it’s been a challenge. I think that we shifted so fast. Our client expectation is higher than it’s ever been. We need to put a value on our time. We have been spending a lot of free time on our clients to keep them. Don’t be afraid to charge for these extra services. Our clients are much more open, wanting to support our business and are seeing value in that.”
Instagram: @NICOLEPOMMEHAIR
Find POMME Here: POMMESALON.CA/SHOP/BRANDS/POMME