 ¼ Business Owner, ¼ Educator, ¼ Artistic Director, ¼ Hair Stylist, and 100% Entrepreneur. Eli Mancha is the owner of Bang! Salon, but you probably wouldn’t guess that he was anything more than a hair stylist after walking through the doors at 1425 N. Ashland. He blends in with the rest of the employees as if he was their friend instead of their boss. Whether you’re a client or a co-worker, everyone seems to be friends at Bang! Salon, and Eli wouldn’t have it any other way.
Eli’s first passion growing up was art, and it was evident that he had a need to express himself creatively. It didn’t take long for him however, to trade in his pencil and paintbrush for a pair of scissors. For the past eleven years, hair has been Eli’s canvas to create and indulge in artistic expression.
In addition to being a hair stylist, Eli has also been an educator for nine years. While most professionals would shy away from being a mentor and sharing secrets with other stylists, Eli thrives on it. He has traveled to other salons and trade shows to teach the necessities of being a good hair stylist like building good people skills, recognizing personality types, product knowledge, and understanding new cutting or coloring techniques.
Even as an educator, Eli sometimes felt limited creatively with the curriculum he was given. When the opportunity for complete creative control came his way, he jumped at the chance to become Artistic Director for Esuchen, a growing manufacturer of hair care products. As Artistic Director, Eli is now the head of education for Esuchen and trains the educators who are in the shoes that he once filled.
Q&A-
IMAGE:As a Business Owner, Hair Stylist, Educator, and Artistic Director, is there one job that you enjoy more than the others?
Eli: Absolutely not. I like the balance. I don’t think I’ll ever stop working behind the chair regardless of how successful my business gets. I enjoy the one on one attention with my clients, and helping people on a daily basis feel better about themselves. Sometimes clients come in and are having a bad day, but getting their hair done and getting a new style can definitely cheer them up. But being behind the chair all the time and not ever leaving town, I’d get bored with that. Traveling is great but being on the road all the time would be too overwhelming and I’d miss home. I like the diversity and the balance.
IMAGE: Would you say that being a hair stylist is the most rewarding of the four?
Eli: Yes.
IMAGE: How often do clients let you design your own style for them?
Eli: Most of my new clients say do whatever you want. That’s what makes a good hair stylist. Being confident, and being able to take a new client and talk to them for three minutes, and sum up what type of personality they have, what style they have based on what their wearing. Also take into consideration not only their personal life but also their business life. So you have to give them a style that’s modern, up to date, that will look good on them and still be functional in their every day life.
IMAGE: Why is it so important to you that all of your employees get along?
Eli: Any tension in the salon, clients can feel it so you want your client to feel comfortable. The highest standard that I have for being the owner of this salon is a good comfort level for the clients, and that should preside over anything else. I try to prevent any controversy and make sure that everyone gets along. Anyone new coming on board, everybody has to agree with.
IMAGE: What kind of events and activities does Bang! get involved with outside of the salon.
Eli: We do wedding parties, photo shoots, fashion shows, runway shows, and nightclub events too. We’ve had clubs hire us to do styling or live cutting. Also we’ve been hired to present shows where we’ll put on our own runway show with fashion, hair, makeup, and choreography, which we are experienced in because of the hair wars that we’ve competed in and other fashion shows we’ve done. It’s good exposure for the salon. It’s also good experience for the staff because of different working conditions, different types of clientele, and it’s more challenging. It’s also fun because you have more creative freedom.
IMAGE: How would you describe your IMAGE?
Eli: Always evolving.
Eli is planning a debut party at the end of the summer for Bang! Salon. It will feature local DJs and a hair show complete with everything you’d expect from a driven entrepreneur like Eli Mancha.
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