ColorWorks Leader Says Commitment to Education Will Be the Key to Salon’s Success

November, 2001 - When Allyson Hurley was an 18-year-old stylist at a Hair Cuttery salon in Fairfax, Virginia, she already had plans to take herself from behind the chair and into the driver’s seat. “I knew at a very young age that I wanted to be the CEO of my own company,” she said.

Twelve years later, Hurley has moved through the ranks of the salon’s parent corporation, Ratner Companies, to become the leader of the organization’s newest addition to its family of salons, ColorWorks. As the mid-Atlantic’s first haircolor specialty salon, ColorWorks promises to be a guiding force in the industry’s hottest trend: color.

“I’ve always loved color,” said Hurley, who previously developed and trained a regional team of color educators when Ratner Companies forged a highly successful partnership with Redken three years ago. “With the color market of the business growing so much, it was clear that someone needed to specialize in color.”

If anyone has a knack for business, it’s Hurley. At 19, with a year as a stylist under her belt, Hurley entered the Human Resources Management program at George Mason University where she graduated with a degree in 1993. All the while, Hurley was following a career path at Ratner Companies as a business leader and stylist. By the time she was 21, Hurley had become a district leader in charge of a group of salons in the Washington, D.C. area, her most notable achievement being the complete turnaround of an under-performing salon in Springfield, Virginia.

Even during those early years with the company, Hurley always took advantage of the company’s education programs, giving her the chance to learn more about the industry, which in turn helped her to move quickly through the ranks. “Everything I wanted to do, Ratner Companies gave me the opportunity to grow,” she said. Hurley quickly became one of the company’s rising stars, and was named Area Leader of the Year in 1995 shortly before being promoted to regional development leader. In that role, she supervised technical training educators in 63 salons in eastern Virginia.

Born to a family of educators, Hurley craves higher learning for herself and has a reputation for encouraging others to do the same. “If you don’t have a passion for education or you don’t want to learn, I don’t have of chair for you at ColorWorks,” she said. In keeping with that philosophy and with her eye always on higher goals, Hurley went back to school and earned a graduate degree in business administration from Strayer University in 1999. Thanks to the company’s commitment to education, Hurley’s undergraduate and graduate work was paid for through Ratner’s tuition reimbursement program.

Dennis Ratner, founder and CEO of Ratner Companies, was well aware of Hurley’s drive and ambition, and so approached her during the company’s first national training conference to talk about his new idea for a haircolor specialty salon. “Allyson is a great example for what this company encourages all of its stylists to become,” Ratner said. “If you are someone who is always prepared for a challenge, then you can become a leader – whether it’s in your salon, in your region or on our national team.”

Hurley put together a cross-functional steering committee to strategize on the color niche concept, and in January of 2000, she put together a business plan for the first ColorWorks salon. With the first salon up and running, Hurley will open three additional locations in the Washington, D.C.-area in the coming year. The promise is simple, Hurley said. “Our color experts will define your individualized style through superior color service every time, so you will always look your best. We’ll do it right the first time, and you will tell a friend about ColorWorks.”