• We've been a "TOP 200 SALON" since 2005...and there is a reason.
• Our clients come first. ALWAYS.
• We strive to be "Daymakers". To be truly successful, you must commit yourself to excellence. We don't "perform services" - we create and deliver "extraordinary experiences" to every guest, every time. No finer tribute can one give to another than their "uncompromising excellence". These selfless acts return to us in immeasurable personal fulfillment.
• We are a TEAM. Our culture is strong, positive, open, fun, education-oriented and honorable. Teamwork is our core - the concept that the whole team working together can accomplish much more than individuals working alone.
• We ALL like each other! (There's no "IN-crowd" or "OUT-crowd", and we don't dig "drama".)
• We are BUSY! We are blessed to attract and serve 400-500 NEW (yes, NEW) clients each month. We have a client base of over 60,000, with a requested "Email Club" of over 15,000 client-members. And we appreciate and value their business.
• We are a commission/salary salon. Guaranteed quarterly salaries are based on performance, and HIGH performance is bonused. Salaries are evaluated each quarter to determine raises. Our designers and technicians TAKE HOME more yearly earnings than any service providers in the state. PERIOD. This compensation structure allows our team to constantly grow and prosper throughout their professional careers.
• We have developed internal systems that WORK. We have healthy structure.
• We are a salon focused on continued education. Our education programs are now duplicated throughout the country.
• Cottonwood is not for everyone, nor do we want to be. Our standards are higher - and so are the rewards. We hire for attitude and train for skill.
• Cottonwood has 2 primary goals:
  1. To be clearly recognized as a leader in the beauty industry - both locally & nationally.
  2. To create a work environment that offers stability, excitement, cohesiveness, superior education, provide opportunities for growth, recognition, and rewards for your contributions.
• Together we have the responsibility to overcome the negative perceptions of our industry that have been created by others. This can only be achieved by executing authentic professionalism, legendary customer service and ethical behavior....EXCEEDING our guests expectations with every visit.

The salon industry is a tough business, only 1 in 100 technicians make it 5 years in the beauty business, and 92% of salons fail within their first two years.

Choosing a salon is important stuff - it can launch a career or destroy one. Your salon is a relationship. It should be a healthy win-win partnership - positive, passionate, fun and honorable...benefiting both partners.

It's as important for Cottonwood that "it's a good match" as it should be for you. That's why we love it when potential employees want to visit and hang out. We encourage students to "shadow" for a few hours or stay all day to see what we are all about. It's an important decision!

If you'd like to shadow any of our departments, simply call 340-1700 and we'll make it happen! Or just drop by and we'll give you a tour and introduce you to our Team...stay as long as you like!

RUMOR: You have to look like a model to get hired at Cottonwood.

BUSTED! We hire people for their ATTITUDES. We hire people that are beautiful INSIDE. We're in the beauty business... so on the outside we all try to make the most of what God gave us!
(Check us out on the "Meet Our Staff" tab above.)

RUMOR: You have to assist for two years.

BUSTED! We have training programs that are now duplicated throughout the U.S. designed to create professionals who earn more money than any other techs in the state. Our Massage, Skincare & Nail technical-training lasts just a few weeks. Our Hair department training lasts as long as it takes you to deliver exceptional CUTS, COLOR and CUSTOMER SERVICE. That can be 2 months to 1 year...it all depends on your own personal drive and willingness to become a real professional. Cottonwood provides ongoing education throughout your career - cultivating and insuring SUCCESS, PROSPERITY and RESPECT in our demanding and ever-changing industry. (We don't allow ourselves to stay stuck in another decade!)

RUMOR: You have to sign a "work contract".

BUSTED! Absolutely not! We do not have work contracts. We do require a few signatures for training materials, manuals, and other typical industry documents, and documents required by law.

RUMOR: Cottonwood pays low commissions.

BUSTED! Actually, Cottonwood pays guaranteed quarterly salaries based on performance, allowing our staff to continually grow and prosper...never hitting a pay-ceiling. Goals are evaluated each quarter to determine salary raises. Our team earns the highest wages in the industry, and that's why we have a much lower turnover-rate than most salons. We believe in fair wages, a positive culture, and win-win relationships.

RUMOR: Cottonwood takes your tips.

BUSTED! Our employees keep 100% of their daily tips.... and Cottonwood also absorbs the cost of all credit-card fees and banking fees on your tips.

RUMOR: You'll make more money at a booth-rent salon.

BUSTED! This is the worst rumor of all... and completely FALSE. Booth rent is a dead-end career. Our employees earn wages much higher than salon industry averages. Speak to any of our techs who have left for booth-rent, then happily returned. Ask THEM which is is most profitable! (Check out the eye-opening INDUSTRY FACTS below, titled "Why Commission?".)

RUMOR: Cottonwood is co-owned by one of the local beauty schools.

BUSTED! Cottonwood has been 100% owned and operated by Linda Tolley Parker from day one. Linda has stuck to the principals of her original Cottonwood vision:

• Be "DAYMAKERS" for our guests by providing legendary service.
• Create and maintain a positive culture and a joyful work environment.
• Be honorable in business dealings with our guests, our staff and our vendors.
• Raise the standards of our salon industry by providing stellar education, executing professionalism...and always doing the right thing.

The following industry statistics were obtained from "Salon Today Magazine", the Beauty Industry "Green Book", "Modern Salon Magazine" & "Behind-the-Chair".

• 92% of new salons fail within 2 years.
• 85% of all new businesses fail within 2 years.
• There were 265,000 salons in 1992. Today there are only 146,000….yet the beauty industry has grown 4 times in the same period of time.
• Only 1 out of 10 beauty school grads will survive in the salon industry for 2 years.
• Only 1 out of 100 beauty school grads will survive in the salon industry for 5 years.
• Every beauty industry technician loses at least 25% of their established business each year, through no fault of their own. (Natural attrition.) (This number does not include additional client loss from unhappy clients.)
• Best-of-the-Best technicians (Top 20%) will gain an average of only 6%-7% in new clients each year by client referrals. (Factored in with "Natural Attrition" this totals an overall 19% YEARLY LOSS in client base without aggressive advertising.)
• Effective advertising is financially impossible for small salons and booth-renters.
• For every 10 new clients that "sit in your chair", only 3 will be retained. (National average for Client Retention is 30%.)
• The average cost of attracting 1 new client is $265. (With a 30% chance of retention.)
• The average salon attracts only 51 new clients per year. (Less than 5 per month.)
• After expenses and taxes, 93% of commission-based technicians actually TAKE HOME 40%-50% more yearly income than successful booth-renters.
• Commission/Salary-pay-based technicians are 65-70 TIMES more likely to succeed than booth-renters.
• Approximately 75% of clients are "mentally shopping" for another stylist, and will change technicians if another one offers better service or is suggested to them.
• Only 15% of the reason a client returns to a stylist is for their technical/artistic abilities.
• The average HAIR client visits 4 times/year.
• The average NAIL client visits 4 times/year.
• The average WAXING client visits 4 times/year.
• The average FACIAL client visits 1 time/year.
• The average MASSAGE client visits 1 time/year.
• Computerized business systems are necessary in today's beauty industry to succeed.
• Clients prefer commission salons to independent booth-renters by 35 to 1, due to effective management systems that offer higher quality (and more comfortable) resolutions to their problems, needs and concerns.
• 25% of booth-renters get audited by the IRS within 5 years.
• Only 1% of commission/salary technicians are audited within 10 years.
• 75% of booth-renters get audited by the IRS within 2 years after leaving a commission salon.
• Within 3 years, almost 70% of booth-renters will be "working-out" back-taxes and penalties to the IRS for not properly reporting their income.
• In the next 10 years the IRS is targeting the beauty industry for a 400%-600% increase in audits.

We are honored to have been recognized with the following awards; and delighted to have been a part of the fun, the passion and the inspiration of each one. We thank our valued clients for your loyal support...you inspire us!

• "TOP 200 SALONS IN AMERICA" -Salon Today Magazine

  2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011

• "READER'S CHOICE AWARD" -The Oklahoman

  2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011

• "BEST OF OKC" -The Oklahoma Gazette

  2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011

• ABC's "EXTREME MAKEOVER" - 5 Events

  2004-2005-2006-2007-2008

• DR PHIL'S ULTIMATE WEIGHT CHALLENGE

  2005 in Oklahoma

• TLC's "A MAKEOVER STORY"

  2005-2006

• DESIGN TEAM for KOCO Eyewitness News 5

  Since 2001

• TOP 25 BUMBLE & BUMBLE SALONS in the U.S.

  Chosen by Estee' Lauder International

• BEST COLOR SALON IN OKLAHOMA

  Chosen by Estee' Lauder International