From Big Macs to Salon Suites: How This Franchisee Journeyed from McDonald’s to Sola Salons

Greg Sieck’s career began at McDonald’s in Santa Barbara, California, before he transitioned into advertising, where he managed co-ops for McDonald’s and later worked with Burger King at J. Walter Thompson and Taco Bell at Foote, Cone and Belding. His familiarity with franchisees and extensive background in marketing set the stage for his eventual foray into franchise ownership with Sola Salons.

Sieck recently sat down with 1851 Franchise Founder and Publisher Nick Powills to discuss his franchising journey with Sola Salons and his plans for steady growth.

Sieck was introduced to Sola Salons around ten years before he ultimately decided to join. At the time, he was running his own marketing firm. The shift from advertising to franchising was driven by his desire for a new chapter that didn’t involve the intense pressure of driving consumer traffic as he did in the fast-food industry. He appreciated Sola Salon’s model because it allowed him to focus on supporting and mentoring entrepreneurs without the burden of managing high-volume, low-margin transactions. 

“I have been running my own advertising consultancy for close to 20 years, and advertising is a young man’s business. I’m still young, but I’m not as young as I once was,” said Sieck. “I was looking for the next chapter. And so, opportunistically, this franchise opportunity came along.”

Sieck initially purchased two Sola Salons locations and took several years to learn the business inside and out. He then expanded to four, and is currently developing his fifth location. His approach is cautious and calculated, aiming to grow sustainably rather than rapidly scaling up to large numbers.

The personal and people-centric nature of Sola Salons aligns well with Sieck’s philosophy. 

“You need to really care about supporting and mentoring entrepreneurs,” said Sieck. “The beauty, health and wellness professionals that we have in our places are amazing, hard working, skilled, trained, [and they have] spent a lot of money to get to where they are. And we need to care about their success, because if they’re not successful, then our business isn’t successful.”

Looking ahead, Sieck is focused on improving the value of the salon suites business and capitalizing on big opportunities within the next five years. He aims to become more comfortable with daily operations while contributing to the strategic growth and enhancement of Sola Salons.

A transcript of Sieck’s conversation with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity and style.

Nick Powills: How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise story?

Greg Sieck: Far from accidental, Nick. I’ve been involved with franchise organizations and brands for nearly 50 years. I started my work life making Big Macs at McDonald’s in Santa Barbara. I transitioned to the advertising business, ran the Northern California co-ops for McDonald’s, moved to Burger King, ended up running that business at J. Walter Thompson and my last real job in advertising was with Taco Bell. So, I spent a lot of time with franchisees and got to know them well. At some point, I was introduced to Sola. I thought about it for about 10 years and when the opportunity to join that organization was finally presented to me, I took it.

Powills: What kept you on the sideline, and what eventually pushed you over?

Sieck: I was running my own advertising consultancy for close to 20 years. Advertising is a young man’s business. I’m still young but not as young as I once was. I was looking for the next chapter. Opportunistically, this franchise opportunity came along. One of the things I like about Sola — compared to McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell and Supercuts — is that I’m not directly responsible for driving consumer traffic. The challenge of managing thousands of small transactions daily is more than I wanted to take on. I’m not in the retail marketing business anymore; it’s a different business model.

I’ve had countless conversations with big franchise organizations about spending more money for market share. With Sola, it’s different. We focus on supporting and mentoring entrepreneurs. Beauty professionals — and now beauty, health and wellness professionals — are hard working, skilled, trained, and spend a lot to get where they are. We need to care about their success because if they’re not successful, our business isn’t successful. My expertise is marketing, so I mentor people on marketing to help them succeed.

Powills: How important is the people side of marketing that maybe brands sometimes miss out on?

Sieck: The heart and soul of Sola is supporting and mentoring entrepreneurs. The beauty, health and wellness professionals we have are amazing. We need to care about their success for our business to thrive. Different franchisees have different skill sets, and mine is marketing. So, I mentor people on marketing to help them succeed. On the brand side, our promise at Sola includes providing a well-equipped, clean studio with reliable services. But it goes beyond that. We promise a good experience for both the beauty professional and their customers, aiming for a slightly different and more valuable experience than competitors. Brands are important, but people are crucial, especially in a hands-on people business like hairstyling.

Powills: You said it took 10 years for you to go from impression to purchase. Do you look back and think you should have done it sooner, or was that journey necessary for preparation?

Sieck: I should have been on the Sola train from the start. A good friend who I worked with at J. Walter Thompson left, opened 40 Supercuts, sold them and got into Sola. He’s now retired and on the beach, while I’m still building my empire. I was successful in my advertising career back then, so I didn’t jump on the Sola opportunity earlier. If I had been less in love with advertising, I probably would have joined Sola sooner.

Powills: Franchising often involves long-term thinking and unemotional scale. How did you approach the business, considering your friend’s success and your experience?

Sieck: I started with two locations to learn the business, then bought a third, built a fourth and am now building my fifth. I’m thinking about how to get to ten locations before I lose all my hair. It’s about figuring out financing, organizational needs and the culture I want to create. I’ve always been an employee or consultant, and now I’m an operator. It’s a different way of thinking, and I learn something new every day. I might not reach 40 or 50 locations, but if I get to seven or eight profitable and full locations with happy customers, I’ll feel good about that.

Powills: As you transitioned from employee to business operator, how did your previous experiences shape how you manage your team now?

Sieck: I have a small team, but it’s important they understand the Sola promise and what they need to do daily to keep that promise. I haven’t formalized a culture yet; it’s more about how we talk about things and our daily interactions. Eventually, when the team grows, there might be a more formal culture. Franchisees can focus on different things, like saving money, growth or taking care of people. I’m still figuring that out for myself.

Powills: Given your experience, do you critically evaluate the branding and marketing of Sola, or do you follow the system?

Sieck: This system, like most, values innovation from franchisees. A McDonald’s franchisee I worked for in Santa Barbara invented the Egg McMuffin, which spawned the breakfast business and incremental sales. Sola values franchisee innovation too. There’s a lot of creativity and knowledge across different aspects of the business, from construction to marketing to management.

Powills: How do you see the future of your business with Sola? Where does the dream go from here?

Sieck: I want to become more comfortable with running this business. There are significant moves that can be made to improve the value of the salon suites business and our brand. The next five years with Sola are going to be exciting with big opportunities. I aim to feel comfortable with daily operations and focus on the big picture of where we’re taking the business.

Powills: As a business owner, how do you balance ambition with appreciating your achievements? Do you get to pause and reflect on your career?

Sieck: Less so than in the past. My wife and I own this business together. We sometimes reflect on our accomplishments, like going from zero to four locations. We take pride in that. The next goal might be to make the business self-sustaining and profitable. We want to create some generational wealth and be able to participate in our grandchildren’s college educations. There will be times to step back and appreciate what we’ve done.

To watch the full interview, click here. 

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons. 

About Sola Salons:

In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 725 locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 20,000+ independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Sola provides beauty professionals with beautiful, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their salon business in no time. For more information about Sola Salons, please visit https://www.solasalonstudios.com.