Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Powell.
Hi Hannah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Chicago and my husband, Josh Powell, is from England. We met in Chicago and landed in Southern California with a transfer of his job in December of 2020. He is not in the hair world but is a passionate hair-husband that wants to create opportunities for stylists, like me, to succeed. Albeit, he says never in a million years thought he would own a hair salon.
I went to Michigan State and initially studied nursing. I am not a fan of blood or needles, so shockingly, it didn’t work out. However, I feel like I get out of working as a stylist, what I was seeking from nursing; making people feel good.
I graduated with a degree in Journalism and (not so) naturally landed a role at a third-party logistics firm. Cold calling was not my calling and two years later I was enrolled in beauty school.
The 1500 hours were a blur because I spent the days in class and evenings bartending to fund class. This being my second career, and one I was interested in, I wanted to start as soon as possible.
Post school I apprenticed at a salon in Chicago. I firmly believe this is a non-negotiable foundation for a stylist’s success. I was mentored, I assisted, and I was humbled. I washed color bowls, swept floors, and washed hair for minimum wage. I put in the time and learned so much from the senior stylists. Following my apprenticeship, I began working as a stylist and often would come to work with an empty schedule and hope for a walk-in client. 6 years later I had built a steady clientele. I loved my job, my salon, and my peers – which made the decision to move to Southern California a difficult one.
People will often say, “being a hairstylist is amazing, you can work anywhere.” – Which is true, but you have to rebuild your clientele. Moving to San Clemente was scary, I was starting from scratch. I landed a job at a well-marketed salon and was able to build a loyal a clientele quickly.
In 2023 I started Hannah Mackenzie Hair, my own small business. It was a monumental leap to branch off on my own. I can easily say it was one of the best career-decisions I have made. I was able to have better work-life balance, closer relationships with my clients, and bigger successes than I would have imagined.
December 2023, not even a year later and we had put in an offer on what is now “The Common.” A whirlwind six months of inspections, architectural renderings, and contingency periods- we finally closed on the property June of 2024. The construction permit process began and after several revisions we had our permits in-hand October 1st. As of the start of the year, we are on track to open this spring and cannot for all our hard work to come to fruition.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been far from a smooth road, but we have learned a lot.
We took a chance moving to California, myself especially starting my career over, but we took a leap of faith and landed on our feet. Again, branching ot to start my own small business was another risk. The same applies to purchasing this building. Getting the financial backing and purchasing the building was a huge swing for us, but we found people who believed in us and our idea and wanted to help.
Permitting and construction are obvious obstacles.
Getting a building from the 1950’s up to code compliance with 2025 regulations has been comical at times, but we have been creatively collaborating with City Hall for resolutions.
Construction has proven to come with its own challenges. We have gutted the building and are replacing plumbing, adding a HVAC system, replacing the stairs, grading the driveway, you name it. Every day brings something new, but we are learning so much along the way and watching our vision come to life has been so rewarding.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Common?
The Common, plain and simple, is a rental salon. We are the landlords, and each stylist is an independent contractor, running their own business. They rent a chair and have complete control over their business, schedule, pricing, and services. This is not a revolutionary concept. In fact, it’s very common. So, what makes The Common different?
The Common is stylist focused. We believe if we take care of our stylists, they will take care of the clients.
Often, where an independent, rental model exists, there is a lack of a “team” or community present. How do we plan to cultivate the communal environment?
Providing opportunities, education, and the tools the stylists need to succeed in their own business, whilst working in a fun and engaging salon environment.
What matters most to you?
We are creating my dream salon- and not in a cliche way.
We have really thought through what would make this space different -what makes it valuable to a stylist? I have taken all my career experience into consideration, the good and the bad, and we are cultivating a space –
Where people can thrive in their individual business but have a community in their corner.
Where the salon space is functional, and the equipment is ergonomic.
Where we are adding skylights for natural lighting.
Where we will carry top of the line retail and backbar products.
Where we will host continuing education classes and already have an artist lined up to teach in the fall.
Where we host events to connect with other local, small businesses.
Where opportunity for people to bring their creativity and skillset into an entrepreneurial environment that is created for their success.
Where the essence of community, bringing different people together to learn and grow whilst their business prospers.
At the end of the day, we are just an average couple putting hard work and faith into our dream. We are putting everything into this, financially, physically, and mentally because we firmly believe there is a market for the model.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @TheCommonSanClemente, @HannahMackenzieHair
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Image Credits
In-studio action shots: Kristina Lee, Poppi Photography Head shot: Crissty Clark, CS Marketing
