10 Questions w/ Mikki Auld

Paloma Roan founder, Mikki Auld, has been in the hairdressing industry for over 15 years. She’s worked and lived abroad in the likes of London & is on a mission to make PR the best luxury sustainable salon in Australia.

While the brand was created ‘almost’ by accident, our growth & expansion has been every bit intentional. The PR journey began several years ago, when Mikki found herself back in Brisbane after a year away in the UK - “We quite literally started from the bottom and worked our way up”. She says, adding - “Little did I know what would start off a small rent-a-chair gig would transform into what we are today.”

It wasn’t long until the brand would take off & Mikki would have to think quick, expand her vision & her team to keep up with the high demand. Fast forward 7 years, Paloma Roan is a lofty & luxurious space, with a talented team of stylists working within the brand.

Can you share with us the journey that led you to establish Paloma Roan? What inspired you to venture into salon ownership?

I honestly started it by accident, which sounds a little crazy I know! I think I always knew I had it in me to be a business owner - growing up I was always creative & I like to think myself a fairly resilient & innovative kind of person. Truth be told, it all began during one of the most challenging times in my life. I’d come back from a stint in London due to health complications, specifically mental health, which is something I’m passionate speaking openly about. At 27 I was back living with family & started freelancing as a way to make a little money as I nursed myself through my convalescence. It was a difficult & scary time for me & while looking back 27 seems so young, I was watching my friends around me kick goals in both their personal & professional lives. Incredibly, the growth of my business aligned with my healing. I didn’t ever expect to start a business when I did but once I saw it taking off, I knew I had something worth investing my time & energy in. While in no means an easy ride, it was all a very natural progression.

What are some key lessons you've learned throughout your entrepreneurial journey?

There are so many - but I think ultimately, it’s that it makes you a completely new person. It’s been impossibly hard at times, often it’s lonely - I had to go from being someone who always challenged authority to becoming the ‘boss.’ It was a title that would take me years to get comfortable with. It means leading by example at all times, constantly levelling up, understanding that you won’t always feel understood or seen, it means massive risk, getting systemised, seeing the importance in policy, perfecting your time management skills, getting a grip on your finances, following budgets, implementing strategy, planning ahead… the list is endless. It sounds exhausting & I’d be fibbing if I said it came natural to me, it definitely has not. However, if you can withstand the challenges & if you can continue to expand instead of giving up, it will absolutely pay off & be the best investment you’ve ever made in yourself. I’ve made so many mistakes but I do know that with each hard lesson I learn to be better & that’s invaluable.

Paloma Roan has attracted attention for its unique brand identity. Could you tell us more about the ethos behind the brand & how you built it?

It’s always been a representation of me & the space I wanted to create for a like-minded, target audience. When I started building PR it was 2018 (ish) & there really wasn’t anything too different happening in Brisbane. Living in London inspired me so much & I was keen to bring something like what I had experienced, to Brisbane. The brand has definitely shifted & grown over the years - I often say that we are a little brand that’s grown up. However, I will always want to keep it’s bohemian, 70’s roots but as I’ve grown, it’s become more luxury. I think that’s just a natural transition for us to make after 7 years in business. Especially because we have caught the attention of publications like Russh Mag etc, I wanted to make it more chic & put us on the map with other salons in Sydney & Melbourne. It’s my intention to build my team to be the best that they can be, give them excellent career opportunity/earning potential & for them to feel like they don’t have to move to a bigger city to achieve that.

What is your vision for the Paloma Roan brand in the long term, and how do you plan to achieve it?

My focus is really about bolstering our West End space but as a typical start up, I’m open to anything. If my team wanted to expand to another city or even country, I’d consider doing that with them. I would love to scale but it comes with a new set of challenges & it really does need to be the right time for that. For now, my leadership team & I are working like mad behind the scenes to systemise PR - I’m building out a team training portal & we’ve been investing heavily in business & leadership education for our humans. Like I said before, it’s really about creating exceptional careers for our stylists, that’s where my head is at right this moment. Sometimes you can get way too caught up in trying to do all of the things - social media really doesn’t help with that. It’s easy to look at other stylists or salons and think, wow, they’re doing all of these big things, I need to do that! Often, it’s the opposite. I just shadowed the amazing Circles Hair in Perth and the owner has always made her salon THE only focus - it’s paid off. She’s probably 1000x more successful than the swanky Sydney or international brands you see online and it’s because she’s not diluted her focus by trying to do it all. Go deeper with what you already have, always. A lesson i’ve learned the hard way but now I try to live by it.

Reflecting on your business journey, what would you consider to be your most significant achievements with Paloma Roan so far?

It might not seem like much to others but being (unexpectedly) featured in Russh Mag & The Fashion Journal was so unreal - I could not believe that their team stumbled upon our little brand. I’m also a Redken advocate for Australia which is such a massive achievement - being on the same playing field as your industry hero’s is a pretty big deal! It absolutely shows that our hard work is paying off & we’re on the right track. The biggest however, is our growth. We’ve really levelled up in the several years since we first opened.

Running a salon undoubtedly comes with its challenges. What have been some of the toughest obstacles you've faced in your business, and how have you overcome them?

I suppose they tie in with what I mentioned above but ultimately, they’re all just growing pains. No one gives you a handbook on ‘how to run a successful hair salon’ & so, like so many others, I went in completely blind & without a clue. It can come with heartbreaking consequences but every time something goes wrong, I just need to remind myself that it’s what I’ve signed up for & to make a commitment to growth. Things go wrong a lot less these days but those first 5 years were tough - throw a global pandemic in the mix, it was hellish. Having a community of other salon owners around you is paramount, coaching & mentors are an absolute non-negotiable - every single business coach & salon owner i’ve had the pleasure of meeting or working with have navigated the same kind of challenges. It makes you feel not so alone & having someone to bounce ideas off is a must-have.

You’re a sustainable-luxury salon, what does that mean to you?

I wanted to redefine what it meant to be a ‘sustainable salon’ & while the two words (luxury & sustainable) haven’t always fallen into the same category - I do think that there’s a strong emphasis on sustainability in today’s landscape, especially for higher end brands. I associate ‘sustainability’ with the likes of bespoke, tailored, slow, conscious & of course, being of impeccable quality. Paloma Roan is warm & inviting but at the same time, chic & fun. Plus, we’re partnered with Sustainable Salons which is an amazing organisation that repurposes up to 98% of our salon waste - above that, they give back to local communities that are less fortunate & work with various disability & domestic violence services. Being luxury should never be at the expense of someone or something else, I will always keep that ethos at the absolute center of our brand.

Can you share with us a standout moment or "big win" in your journey with Paloma Roan that you're particularly proud of?

Honestly, just the profound growth that we’ve experienced. I don’t mean team wise or financially, but in the way that we run our brand. I’ve learned so much & we’ve expanded so much in business. I can honestly say that I’ve never worked in a salon environment that functions like Paloma does now - we’ve grown in leaps & bounds & while we’re still not perfect, we are always transforming for the better. There are so many things that I’d go back & do differently, but the growing pains have always been worth it. As a brand we’re stronger, more efficient, far more systemised & a lot clearer on our vision - more than we’ve ever been. I’m excited for what’s ahead - it’s a really exciting time for us.

Competition is high in hairdressing, how do you ensure that Paloma Roan stays relevant and continues to thrive?

It can definitely be tough & it’s the bit I’m not sure many understand until you go into business for yourself but it all comes back to your mission. If you can continue to strengthen your brand, team education, the customer journey & every single touch point of the guest experience you will stay ahead. People say that the hardest bit is just starting, (as in, starting your business) but I’ve never thought that to be true. The hardest stuff comes later & trying to stay relevant is more difficult when you’re coming towards that 10 year mark. I’ve seen so many crash & burn - it’s not a space you want to be in. Salon owners have to level up, invest in mentoring, get better at business & learn leadership skills in order to survive. All of that is essential.

Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the future of Paloma Roan, and what are your plans for further expansion or innovation?

We’ve had a lot of change in the last couple of years which has been tricky to navigate but has also made room for fresh energy & has brought a new era of Paloma. I’m so grateful to every human who’s worked within our salon & feel proud of what we’ve all achieved together over the years. Everything feels really exciting right now, we’ve never been more structured or clear on our goals - I’m excited to be offering business & leadership education to others on my team to build them & therefore, give back more. Passing on the reins a bit so I can look at what might come next for our brand. It’s a really nice period that we’re in right now, I feel confident in my knowledge as a business owner - I feel more comfortable in my role than I’ve ever been. We’ve got some renovations on the horizon & some great ideas/extras that will really enhance the client experience. I feel like we’ve slowly been climbing an enormous mountain & that’s over now, we’re ready to reach new heights. It’s an exciting time - I’ll be sharing more big news soon, so watch this space.