Meet Geri Good | Salon and Spa Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geri Good and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geri, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have been in business since 1997. I had been a stylist for eight years and loved training people at the salon that I worked at. I enjoyed all aspects of leadership and encouraging people, and I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. I have always been very passionate about our industry. Owning my salon was something I wanted from the time I was in high school. I jumped on it when I had enough experience, and the opportunity presented itself. Since then we have grown into a 3800 square spa/salon with 54 employees.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It has been quite the journey to get where we are today. We are very structured and follow many systems to keep the company running smoothly. We have an excellent training program in place for all new hires. We hire primarily newly licensed stylists and put them in a 16-24-week training program with our top stylists to teach them how to give outstanding guest services from the technical side and the relational and business side of things. We have six levels of service providers which are determined by our performance-based career path. All of our employees earn promotions by hitting clearly defined goals. We have a team of coaches at the salon who mentor our employees, helping them to grow to their full potential. Our goal is to provide a place of employment for our team to thrive. Happy employees create happy clients. We spend a lot of time and resources focusing on skill sets, team culture, and personal growth. We provide the tools for our team to excel in our industry while exceeding our guest’s expectations. We offer luxury services and carry top-of-the-line products. We carry lines that can’t be purchased on Amazon or at the big box beauty supply stores such as Kerastase, Farmhouse Fresh, and Eminence. We also carry other professional lines, such as Pureology and Redken, to give our guests options. I am very proud of our team; we have a fantastic group of humans who are always willing to volunteer their time to give back to the community. We have had fundraisers of many kinds to give to families in need, people experiencing homelessness, and battered women’s groups, among others. We sponsor a homeless ministry that we donate to monthly and have donated our time to spend with members of the homeless community, offering haircuts and showing them some love. Our community has supported us, and applicants need to understand that we look for employees who want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and who are willing to give back. Getting here was many years of blood, sweat, and tears. There were a lot of sacrifices earlier while raising a family and working long hours to pay the bills. It was worth it, and I wouldn’t change a thing. People see us now and might not realize that this started in a tiny, off-the-beaten-path location with a tiny crew of stylists. So much risk was involved, and I am grateful we could make it. Many people were skeptical when we moved to a better location in 2007. But we have continued to grow and do everything it took to make it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting, I would plan a day to go to West Side Market in Cleveland to walk around and pick up some treats, go to Goma for some yummy Japanese food, and hit up a show at Playhouse Square. Or take a Nook and Cranny tour at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens and go to dinner at Papa joes in the valley; it is one of my favorite restaurants!
If it is during the holidays, Castle Noel in Medina is entertaining to go to; the Farmer’s Table close by is perfect.
We could take a day and go to Amish country, go to all the shops, and have lunch.
My favorite thing to do in the summer is to go to Salt Fork State Park. We have a cabin close to the park and enjoy boating on the lake and soaking up some sunshine. The Bear’s Den is our favorite restaurant in that area, and we would go there.
If my friend felt like an adventure, then Cedar Point is always a good time! I still love rollercoasters, and I’m not sure I will grow out of them!
I enjoy shopping, and Polaris Mall is nice to go to, but we would need to go to Graeter’s ice cream shop, which is close because it is the best ice cream, and we might as well hit up Ikea while in the area. But speaking of ice cream, Skoope’s in Barberton is also a must! The specialty sundaes are out of this world!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Summit Salon Business Center has been a massive factor in our success. The founder of the Summit, Michael Cole, has been a great mentor and inspiration in my life, as well as our current consultant, Gavin Salsbery, among many other beautiful influences over the years.

Website: www.bellezzaavanti.com

Instagram: bellezzaavanti

Facebook: Bellezza avanti Spa Salon

Image Credits
The first horizontal pic is of my husband Steve and me. He works full-time at the salon in the office with me. He has been here full-time since 2010 when he gave up his job in construction to help me with the salon because it had grown so much. (no photo credits to mention)