Runway Roundtable with Taylor-Reese Salon
Written by Hana Razvi
Scott Kawamoto has been in the professional hair industry for over 20 years. He has specialized his services to Hair Color and Men’s styling. Kawamoto has focused on all the different techniques and styles, but also how to adapt said techniques and styles for each individual client.
Bridget Cokefair is a seasoned professional with 32 years of experience in the industry. She aims to create natural and believable hair color while always creating a peaceful space for her clients to be cared for.
Shawna Peacock is a colorist specializing in natural and trendy techniques—balayage, corrective color, fashion colors. She enhances natural color and beauty.
Mouna Pulliam is a master colorist specializing in natural looks enhancing one’s own beauty. Pulliam is the founder/owner of Taylor Reese and her mission is to provide great service and style to her guests and a friendly professional environment to the staff. I wanted to create an environment that gave people the opportunity to express themselves in a way that encapsulates their personality and the creativity of the client they are working on.
Liska Schwartz has worked the first fifteen years freelance. She has worked with Ford modeling and talent, Margie Korshak PR , and Print commercial modeling. She will continue the next 20 years at Taylor Reese. She is a master stylist!
Michelle Gabriel is a passionate individual with a flair for creativity and a love for problem-solving. Dedicated to continuous learning and growth, she thrives in dynamic environments. Whether it's exploring new ideas or collaborating with others, Gabriel strives to make a positive impact through her work and in the hair industry.
On Tuesday November 14th, 2023, six incredibly experienced hair care professionals from Taylor-Reese Salon sat down with The Vault to discuss lessons, mistakes and the biggest takeaways in the world of business. This roundtable featured Taylor-Reese Salon founder and owner, Mouna Pulliam, and her skilled employees Scott Kawamoto, Shawna Peacock, Michelle Gabriel, Bridget Cokefair & Yelena Kholodovsky who all took turns sharing their professional expertise and personal experiences working with one another.
Right off the bat, the Vault’s enthusiasm and eagerness to learn about their expertise from the speakers was buzzing around the room. The uniqueness of each stylist came from their backgrounds, journeys and talents that make each of them powerful assets to the salon industry. Taylor-Reese Salon is the only hair salon in North Chicago to offer high end quality services with impressive products. They are known for using brands such as Oribe, Moroccan Oil and Kerastase. With locations in Highland Park and Lake Forest, Taylor-Reese Salon is the place to book your next appointment.
Some skills each speaker mentioned that are vital in the beauty industry include: listening and communicating with clients, not setting impossible expectations, and keeping up with the trends and techniques of the times.
Michelle Gabriel relayed to the audience how she knew she wanted to go into the haircare industry even though her parents were not fond of the idea at first, “I came from a family where you were successful if you were a doctor, lawyer or anything else. But I knew I wanted to do hair, I knew I was good at it, and that was what I was going to do.”
Gabriel knew she wanted to only improve her skills. When she joined the salon over a decade ago, she watched the founder and owner, Mouna Pulliam, “like a hawk” because of her immense talent and amazing skills. She specified how fast Mouna could shape, cut and style a client’s hair as well as be able to hold a meaningful conversation throughout the appointment. “Mouna is so fascinating and quick. She was so good at everything, especially with people.” - Michelle Gabriel.
Gabriel loves being a part of such an amazing business and having the opportunity to work with each member because of their unique talents. She acknowledges that although she could never cut a man’s hair as well as Scott Kawamoto, she is an extension expert and they often trade off clients, ensuring every client’s experience is the best it can possibly be.
Mouna Pulliam’s tip to anyone wanting to start their own business in any field is to approach each situation with the utmost optimism and carry a positive attitude.
“Each day is different and comes with its unique challenges, always remember to be positive and think how to solve any problem with positivity.” - Mouna Pulliam
Pulliam emphasized the importance of working as a team to problem solve, especially as a business owner. It is vital to treat the people that work for you with the utmost respect and as they are on the same level. At the end of the day, everyone is working towards the same goal.
“Mouna has never made me feel like she is my boss or that I work for her, she will stop what she’s doing in order to help any of us if we ever asked.” - Bridget Cokefair.
One moment that stood out during this event was when an audience member asked a question about the type of hair styles they offer and if they are able to perform on all hair types. Each speaker on the panel immediately responded yes. Every person, no matter their hair type deserves to have a personalized salon experience and a smile at the end of their appointment when the cape is taken off their shoulders.
All of the speakers agreed that a huge part of running a successful company – especially a company whose main focus is to provide a service – is to always be honest with clients. The customer may not always be right, but they should be informed about mistakes and their choices should be taken into consideration. Kawamoto talked about the importance of interacting with customers, especially when discussing their expectations, “we love photographs of client’s work. It really helps us see what they are envisioning and how we can work together to help them achieve it.” Peacock and Gabriel agree that inspiration photos help them the most in order to make sure what the client wants is something that is achievable. However, all six panel members agreed that “expectations are not always reality.”
Overall, each speaker at the runway roundtable made sure to answer all of the questions asked, as well as thank each audience member for coming out to learn about the beauty industry and other possible career paths.
As the last Vault event speaker for the semester, Taylor-Reese Salon truly left an everlasting impression on all of our members.
Edited by: Nicole Borras, Esti Goldstein, Sophia Buckholtz, Mia Quigley, Lauren Veum, and Helen Song
DEI Reviewed by: Katherine Rubinstein