Our Affiliates play a crucial role in the VirtueⓇ community. As shepherds of the brand, they are our feet on the ground and our voices behind the chair. Each Affiliate Spotlight, we love sharing with you these stewards of style who share our vision that everyone deserves to have truly healthy hair. They remind us that teamwork makes the dreamwork, and we’re so grateful they chose our team.

Leda Fazal Goins of Tone Hair Salon in Raleigh, NC, got her college degree in communications, but it was styling hair that lured her into the job market. Now, 17 years later, she’s still doing what she loves. Here she discusses owning what you’re worth, her newly minted TikTok following, and how her reopened salon is adapting to their new normal.

Q: What insights do you have for the pro community regarding re-openings/navigating the new normal?
We’re doing everything we've always done, but just stepping up the game on our cleaning protocol. We’ve got spray bottles and paper towels everywhere, which makes it easy. I have a lightweight mask that I’ve really enjoyed wearing; it helps with the fumes, and I might even keep wearing it after this all ends.

Q: What’s your favorite memory from your journey? When did it feel like you caught your “big break”?
Opening my own salon. I had been doing hair for 15 years. I did a good job, but I wasn’t charging my worth. After I opened my salon and started building a team and teaching people, I realized that I have a lot to offer. Now I charge my worth and don’t have to feel bad about it.

Q: Is there anyone in the industry or beyond that you admire, or someone who inspired you in your career?
I love Lisa Walker. She always has great pro tips and covers basic things like a proper foil to more complicated processes like toner formulation.

Q: How do you define a “success” after a client leaves your salon?
Seeing a big smile on a client’s face. Them being really excited about their color or cut and wanting to rebook an appointment, sometimes sooner than they need to just to come back and see me.

Q: What’s your favorite way to unwind after work?
A nice, big ole glass of wine.

Q: If you could spend the day with someone who you consider a “style icon,” who would it be? What would you do?
One of my biggest mentors who taught me how to charge my worth and not be apologetic is Britt Seva. She’s a marketing specialist just for hairstylists. I’d love to talk with her about the industry and how it's evolving. A topic that came up recently is whether or not you should book clients in advance. She suggests stylists book about three weeks out. I’d love to chat about what she has in mind to stay ahead.

Q: How do you like to stay up to date on the latest trends, techniques, and styles?
Instagram is probably my best source of information about new techniques.

Q: What’s a trend that you hope never goes out of style?
Balayage.

Q: What was the worst haircut you ever had?
A chemical cut. You basically just fry your hair with bleach and that’s what you’re rockin’. This was just last year!

Q: What was the first hairstyle or technique that you mastered? The hardest?
The first technique I mastered was textured cutting, point cutting, and palming your scissors—this is so cool, and it just came naturally to me. The hardest to master has been pixie cuts.