A One-on-One Conversation with Brittany McNaughton, co-owner of Forecast Salon in Homewood.
Brittany McNaughton has been a stylist since 2010. Why did she begin on that career path? “A bad experience lead me to begin styling and cutting my own hair which then led me to begin doing the same for friends and family.”
From those roots, her experience grew as did the satisfaction of “giving someone that ‘feel good’ feeling.”
Family, both in the salon and at home, has always been incredibly important in her life. In fact, her role models were her grandparents. “Nannie is the real Wonder Woman, and my PawPaw has always been there to give me a positive perspective on anything that troubles me,” McNaughton says.
She has a love of vintage fur coats and the movie, Jurassic Park. “I have an obsession with T-Rex. I can’t explain it, but it’s one of those quirky things about me.”
B-Metro: Can you explain the motto of the Forecast slogan Shape a Movement and what it means to you?
McNaughton: To me, “Shape a Movement” is not only impacting our industry, but also impacting the world around us. It’s not about just working with hair, it’s about impacting our clients to better their lives and our community as a whole. It’s also about creating a positive, supportive environment for our stylists. What we do is so hard on our bodies, and we want everyone to be taken care of for the long term.
B-Metro: Tell me what your position as a woman business owner means to you? How has it changed you? How do you think it changes the view others have of you?
McNaughton: I never want to be defined as just being a woman business owner. Being a business owner is hard no matter what gender you are. But I hope I set an example that empowers the women around me to see that they can do that too. It’s less about being a woman and more about having the passion for fashion and hair and the drive to keep learning about it and growing in the industry.
Being a business owner has created a world where I think about the people around me about every day. My business is growing, and what I want and need is less important than what the people around me need to be healthy and happy. We look after our own.
One of the things I wanted to do when we started this salon was to build trust and respect with the community, and I feel that we have succeeded so far.
B-Metro: How does your work as a hair stylist satisfy your need for creativity?
McNaughton: The fashion and hair worlds are constantly changing, so there’s something incredibly satisfying about finding something for a client that they didn’t know they wanted. Forecasting trends can be difficult, especially in this constantly changing world. People want something different, and we give it to them.
B-Metro: How do you create a special environment or community within a salon? Is that a goal?
McNaughton: Yes, Forecast is a family. Everyone who walks in is greeted as though they’re coming home. It’s inviting and welcoming, and I don’t know that I’ve been anywhere like it. Making people feel like they want to be here is always the goal.
B-Metro: How do you create a great workplace?
McNaughton: It’s all about balance. You have to listen to what your employees say they need, but also provide them the basic things you know they need. It’s definitely a learning process, because you have to learn from them and vice-versa. When you start from scratch and you grow, you continue to make changes and grow together. You have to be open to change and adapt constantly. It’s so challenging, but it’s the most rewarding part of starting your own vent
