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# The Salon Is My Stage. This Time, I Had a Microphone.
- URL: https://www.roeinewyork.com/the-salon-is-my-stage-this-time-i-had-a-microphone/
- Published: 2026-10-14T12:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-14T12:29:59.000Z
- Author: Roei Cohen

Last week, I did something for the first time in my almost 20-year career: I was onstage at MangoMeet discussing my experience and the challenges I face as a salon manager.

The retreat, called MangoMeet, is organized by the salon booking software company Mangomint. Its purpose was to gather all the company’s employees to review its past accomplishments and present exciting new features to come. I was invited to be part of the customer panel to discuss my experience running a busy, multi-location salon and how I use Mangomint as my direct business helper to support the business, technicians, and clients.

Giving my feedback to a room of 150 employees, helping shape the future of the program so it can hopefully continue to benefit many other salons across the nation, carries some weight. I was very nervous beforehand, and I wanted to give real insight and make an impact. Luckily, I was in great company with my three fellow panelists from the beauty world: three incredible women who built their businesses from the ground up and inspired me so much. I deemed the panel a success.

A funny moment was when someone in the crowd asked me which of the Housewives was a client of the salon. A more serious question was how we handle a high volume of clients in one day while keeping the team motivated and engaged.

Being on the panel and hearing the other salon owners speak and share the same sentiments reinforced something for me: the salon management world needs a community. Someone to turn to, ask questions, and affirm that you’re doing a good job, or give honest feedback when needed.

I also shared the need to customize the program—for example, how the schedule is displayed—to allow us to see it more clearly and fit in more clients where we can. I also asked for a customer portal to give our clients an easy point of access to see their past services, future appointments, and much more.

It was honestly nice to meet the entire Mangomint family and converse with them, both on and off the panel.

When I’m in the salon, the salon is my stage, and I conduct everything smoothly and with confidence. But now I was behind the microphone, with a spotlight on my face and a room full of people waiting to hear what I had to say. I’m sure you can understand how excited and nervous I was.

The irony is that while I was onstage talking about managing a busy salon, part of my mind was still back at the salon, thinking, “I hope nothing urgent comes up while I’m unavailable.” Even when you trust your team, it’s hard to switch off that part of your brain.

Once again, I had to leave the business without the manager onsite and with spotty availability. And once again, I was fortunate to have an incredible team, starting with my assistant manager, Kristen, who steered the ship marvelously and made sure everything ran as it should and issues were identified before they became problems. My entire dedicated team continued working as if I were there, catering to clients, upholding the business standards, and providing customer service at the highest level possible.

This, in my opinion, is a testament to a team dedicated to the same goal. If you have to micromanage everything, you spend all your time solving problems and have no time to invest in growing your business. But if you can step away and know your team will continue working within the guidelines and policies you established and trained them on, then you have a success story in my book.

Remember, the salon doesn’t stop when the manager is not there. The phone still rings, the clients come in, someone gets sick or calls out, and everyone has to roll with the punches and make it work. Many managers worry the business will “fail” without them, but I take pride in knowing my team carries on the work and upholds our standards while I’m away.

 That gives me the confidence to stand onstage and speak proudly about the business I am part of.