Meet Eric Taylor | Founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was the son of two entrepreneurs: my mom a successful oil painter with her studio in our house, and my dad who ran a small real estate business also out of our house. This is how I was taught to earn a living, to find something to do that somebody else wanted. It never occurred to me, even after graduating from college, to look for a job working for someone else.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets me apart from others? So far, I’ve been able to blend creativity with discipline personally. They’re both vital to build a brand but to get them to play nicely with each other is the trick. What am I most proud of? Providing a place to work that supports the happiness and success of over 2,000 beauty professionals. How did I get here? Building a business that lasts requires consistent and relentless effort towards your goals. A commitment and sense of duty toward your mission. When the inevitable frustration sets in during the process, dig in further and get better. Was it easy? Of course not. It’s not supposed to be. Solve your problems quickly, because more are on the way. You don’t want to get overwhelmed because you sweep problems under the rug. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? I and Salon Republic are committed to supporting the happiness and success of our beauty professionals. It’s been our mission for 20 years.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It would be a family thing. We’d aim to show him the best of Southern CA. We’d hit up Malibu beach, surf if the waves are good, eat at Malibu Farm, coffee at Café Luxxe. Then Santa Monica and Venice, eat at Gjusta, then coffee at Urth Café. We’d make it to Hollywood, maybe see a show at the Bowl (post Covid), eat at L’Antica Da Michele for authentic pizza. And we’d definitely do a day or two in Santa Barbara.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely want to shout out my parents, who gave me the mental foundation to build something on my own. Secondly, I want to thank my earliest mentor, hairdresser Keith Clark, who was the founder of the studio salon concept. His lessons about the beauty industry continue to serve me to this day.

Website: https://www.salonrepublic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveerictaylor/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-taylor-4b76321a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SalonRepublic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salonrepublic/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCroeKASK16sWJnEeGplY-Ng
Other: https://www.instagram.com/salonrepublic.creators/

Image Credits
Salon Republic owns all these photos that were submitted.