Salon Spotlight: Pilorum Salon and Spa
Meet Pilorum Salon and Spa. Located in Niles, IL (just north of Chicago), Pilorum was founded by Maggie Bujak and Neil Karshna. Maggie enrolled in cosmetology school at 17 and spent the beginning of her career working in various salons that never really felt like home…so she opened her own space in 2017 and never looked back! We sat down with Maggie to learn more about how her vision came to life, what makes Pilorum unique and the creation of iCUT, an online support community she founded during Covid-19.
Maggie and Neil opened Pilorum Salon and Spa in 2017. They keep it stocked with Marlo Beauty Supply basics!
Marlo Beauty: Tell us a little bit about Pilorum.
Maggie: In 2017 along with my business (and life) partner, Neil, we saw the vision of Pilorum Salon and Spa come to life. At Pilorum Salon and Spa we really just love to have a great time. Coming to work every day is exciting and does not feel like a job. We encourage our guests to meet each other while they are together, and enjoy the experience of being here. We love treating them to snacks, various beverages including lattes and cappuccinos etc.
Maggie says Pilorum feels like a community. She loves treating guests to coffee and snacks and encouraging them to mingle while in the salon.
My dream was always to have a salon that brought a community together and where people could feel like they were guests in my home. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing members of the community just pop in just for a coffee and a conversation when they are in the area. I love that my team works so well together to achieve the goal of giving our clients an overall enjoyable and relaxing experience, as well as making sure they look and feel their best on their way out.
In this industry, we commit a lot of our energy and love to those around us. Spending our days in an upbeat, positive atmosphere is a must in our opinion! Also…sometimes we randomly dance!
Marlo Beauty: What makes you the most proud of Pilorum?
Maggie: Pilorum is more than just a salon - we are an open community that makes a conscious effort to give back and support causes close to our hearts. Every year we host a drive to support a local no kill animal shelter and with the support of our clients and local community, we have been able to provide the animals with months’ worth of supplies. We also love to support the local schools, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as well as being a Wigs for Kids and Children with hair loss affiliate salon. We have proudly donated over 5,000 inches of hair since we have opened our doors in 2017.
In 2020 the salon was celebrated by our community and won the Niles “Small Business of the Year” award, which is an extraordinary privilege for such a young business.
Pilorum won the Niles Small Business of the Year award in 2020, just three years after opening its doors.
Marlo Beauty: Tell us about iCUT - how did the idea come about?
Maggie: In 2020, I started a group called ICUT (Illinois Cosmetologists Unite Together) in an effort to unite the industry during the uncertain times that the world faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At a time where there were so many questions and so much hardship, I felt it was extremely important for the beauty industry to find a support system in each other. I spent all of my free time communicating with state officials, watching press conferences and reading news articles all around the country in an effort to keep our industry up to date and informed about what was to be expected for our re-opening.
An industry which is far too often divided and competitive came together to help each other, give advice to each other and even promoted each other. To date, this is one of my most significant accomplishments. Seeing the support within the iCUT group day after day solidifies the strength and community shown by these beauty professionals.
Marlo Beauty: How did you hear about Marlo Beauty?
Maggie: I was fortunate to find out about Marlo Beauty through a Facebook forum. The post was talking about great distributors, and so many people mentioned Marlo. I am so glad I found you guys!
Marlo Beauty: What are your favorite products to shop at Marlo Beauty? Why do you love them?
Maggie: We love that Marlo carries Aquage! It is a brand we really love. We also love ordering our gloves from Marlo. In addition to having the best prices, Marlo has great quality supplies.
Marlo Beauty: What are some of the reasons you keep coming back?
Maggie: The efficiency of Marlo Beauty is next level. The customer service is phenomenal. Anyone I have ever spoken with on the phone has been so helpful. Our orders are always complete, the web experience is great and always updated with current in stock items. Our orders arrive in a very timely manner and are always nicely packaged. I really could go on - I have nothing but great things to say about Marlo Beauty.
Marlo Beauty: What’s your favorite part about being in the beauty industry?
Maggie: I love this industry because it has given me so much joy and happiness. It’s so gratifying to see the look on my clients’ faces when we are finished with their hair and I see their smile. I truly feel like I haven’t worked a day in my life since I started doing hair. I get to put my art on peoples heads! What more can you ask for?
Maggie and Neil stock their salon with basics like gloves from Marlo Beauty Supply and love that they always arrive in a timely manner.
Marlo Beauty: What's the number one piece of advice you'd give to someone starting out in the beauty industry?
Maggie: While graduating beauty school is a huge accomplishment, never stop learning. This industry is ever evolving, and that is what makes it so fun. Educating yourself in new trends and techniques is what will set you apart from the competition. Always remember to value, respect and appreciate your clients. Without them we are just people with scissors and a chair!
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