Asalon educator, entrepreneurial outlier and advocate for empowerment, Tara Rose is the Founder of Tara Rose Salons and Training Academy.

Tara started her career as a hairdresser in the UK but felt she needed a greater sense of direction and purpose because she never really found her calling. She had a hard time knowing herself and believing in herself. So, the idea behind opening Tara Rose Salon was to create this safe space for herself, her team, and her clients. And those became her main focus as she went on this journey of self-growth and discovery. She established her venture with the vision to not only be the one-of-a-kind brand, known for consistent commitment to making women look and feel amazing but also be committed to delivering education to provide amazing career path opportunities to her staff and to inspire hairstylists in the Middle East.

Over the past seven years, Tara has unwaveringly grown to be known as the most innovative, bringing state-of-the-art team, innovation and creations never before seen in this region. In a recent interaction with Women Entrepreneur, the inspirational leader talks about her journey. Let’s hear it from her.

What are some important features of your expertise as a business leader?

As a business leader, it’s really important to me to surround myself with the right people and project a clear vision of who I am and where I am going. I believe, being an effective communicator to my team is key to being an effective leader; the whole process isn’t a solo effort but a team effort. Also, I think that education is central, not only in terms of career or skill perspective but also education for a mindset perspective, which is what we believe and is the ethos of our whole brand.

What are your primary focus areas as the founder of Tara Rose Salon?

My primary focus right now is to create opportunities for the business to experience new growth and for my team to be able to grow as well. I have built a fabulous team over the years; we're more than just a team of hairdressers, we're a team built of front-of-house specialists, beauty specialists, and our head office staff, as well, who all work seamlessly so that I can purely focus on seeking opportunities, and when they come up, go after them. I believe that to be the best, you need to work with the best.

Throw some light on the most critical business challenges you have had to face over the years. What steps did you take to overcome them?

When I started, I went in as a hairdresser so I knew how to cut, colour, and all those skills; but, when it came to running a business and being a leader, I had no idea. So those were my first big challenges. I had to learn everything about the business side of the salon quickly, and more importantly, I had to become a leader for my team. Previously, as well, I had always hidden behind the brand because I lacked the self-confidence to stand out. Now, my name was the brand. So, I had to push myself to come forward and show the face behind the brand so that everyone would understand who we were and where we were going.

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved so far? What has been your success mantra?

My success mantras are the two quotes: first, ‘If it scares you, then you know it’s something you have to do; see it as your to-do list’. And second, ‘Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable because that’s where your biggest growth will lie’.

"I believe that to be the best, you need to work with the best"

For me, these were the biggest words to challenge my way of thinking and acting because I used to be afraid of everything. Now, I see myself achieving things I never thought possible. My most significant milestones have been going from the beginning to opening multiple salons in Abu Dhabi, to then opening multiple salons in Dubai, and being able to expand into education to help grow others and see them realize their dreams as I was able to fulfill mine.

What would your advice be to young women who aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

My advice would be to never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something— that you’re not smart enough. Every dream is different and everyone brings a different skill set to the table. We are all smart in our own unique individual ways and if you have something that you enjoy doing, create your vision for it and make a plan. Then take small steps every day to achieve it.

Tara Rose Kidd, Founder, Tara Rose Salon

Tara is a dynamic business leader who found her niche in the hairdressing and beauty space; the realization that there is something beautiful in life and she could be creative & anything she wanted to be made her educate herself to the highest of levels within the industry. Today, she is helping others to do the same.