The craft and art of hairstyling
Studio RK teaches its stylists more than technique
BY EVAN WILLIAMS ewilliams@florida-weekly.com

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTO Stylist Maria Rosen at Studio RK's newly expanded salon.

Inside the bright, busy halls of Studio RK, a full-service styling salon in south Fort Myers, co-owner Karen Steuber applied foil to a client's hair, a technique used to add highlights. As Steuber applied the foil, she said, "I'm going to make her look 20 years younger."

"The funny thing is," the client said, "I've know Karen that long."

Both Steuber and co-owner Renee Walker have owned Studio RK for more than seven years; they've worked in Fort Myers as stylists for over 13 and have cut hair since high school. Since opening their doors, Studio RK, with a staff of 24 full-time stylists, has trimmed thousands of heads of hair, including celebrities such as Joan Rivers; and become the salon of choice for the entire Fox 4 news team. And in spite of a weak economy, Steuber and Walker added onto the already spacious salon by leasing a 1, 700-square-foot adjacent storefront last December.

The 10 new styling stations it accommodates (bringing the total to 29, plus three nail stations) are needed to serve the salon's growing clientele, they said. About 1,650 people come to get their hair beautified or finger nails coiffed every month, up by about 200 from this time last year.

Owner Karen Steuber adds highlights with a foil tequnique.

"Our growth is a direct result of our successful Associates Program," Walker said. "We provide extensive training and personal mentoring to all of our stylists, which results in more repeat customers and many word-ofmouth referrals."

Every year through their Associates Program, Walker and Steuber bring aboard beginners, fresh from beauty school or still in it. What they've learned over the years is passed on directly to their young associates, they said.

"We know that if we wanna take them to certain heights, whether it's personal or business, we have to have been there ourselves," Steuber said.

"We teach them the Studio RK way, which is very practiced and disciplined," Walker said. "But we're also a very trusting and compassionate company. We're not typically a company that says, 'leave all your problems at the door.'"

Owner Renee Walker styles a client's hair. Walker and Steuber have owned the Fort Myers salon for more than seven years.

There are seven new associates this year, such as 22-year-old Erin Casey, who is still enrolled at Sunstate Beauty School in Fort Myers. What's she learning at Studio RK?

"A bunch of everything," Casey said. "Foil techniques, customer service, mixing color…"

After she graduates, Casey will be assigned to a full-time stylist and apprentice for 8 to 12 months. If she stays with Studio RK, she might even have the chance to become a shareholder in the company. Walker and Steuber already have four shareholders, employees who have reached a desired level, they said, as stylists, good leaders and most importantly, in "personal growth."

That's something that is stressed at Studio RK. Walker and Steuber hold one-on-one monthly counseling sessions with all their employees to keep them briefed on professional growth - but not only that. They also cover things like personal budgeting, comparing insurance rates, credit card usage and maintaining good credit and applications for car and home loans. And emotional growth.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTOS EVAN WILLIAMS The front desk at Studio RK.

"We all find our fears and we all adjust to them," Walker said.

It can be a daunting thing, cutting hair. How easy would it be to look the other way and shave a bald patch off the side of someone's head? What if someone's highlights turned out blue by mistake? Walker said in all her styling years, she never had a hair disaster. It's due to preventative measures, she said.

"We wanna have clarity before we start," Walker explained. "And I think a huge part of our success is everybody in here has really learned to listen, so we can follow through."

Hairstyling, Steuber said, is both a craft and an art, but there are other things besides just hair.

"How well you do hair is not the biggest part of why someone comes to get their hair done," she said. "It's cleanliness, friendliness…They can come in here for 30 minutes to an hour and a half and just pamper themselves."

For those who haven't been to Studio RK, here's a quick sample of what you can expect: A warm greeting and beverages offered (coffee, tea, beer, wine, cappuccino), and a consultation about your hair. You might look at some pictures of hairstyles.

"Especially with men, sometimes they don't know how to describe what they want," Walker said.

Then comes the shampooing, cutting, styling and blow drying if necessary. There might be a discussion about what products you use on your hair, how you care for your hair at home, what's working and what's not.

And you'll be in the hands of people who take their profession personally.

"We feel that we're destined to do this," Walker said. "So it's very comfortable. It just feels right."