Mangomint Women Leader Series: Stevie Lane of The Lane

On March 3, 2020, The Lane SF opened. Let me repeat that just for effect, because if you’ve been following along this new series - I like a good opening. On March 3, 2020, the Lane SF opened. It’s still open today! And they say miracles don’t happen.  But I don’t think this is a miracle, I think this is due to the joint leadership of Stevie and her husband Frank and their support system. “My husband and I spent years dreaming of opening our salon,” she explained, “All those years we envisioned calling it “The Lane” after our last name. 

She’s not particularly upset about the pandemic impact on her business either. “The way humans interact has been completely reset by the pandemic and now we get to create a new way of servicing our clients. While this pandemic has been incredibly sad, I do think the global pandemic has made people prioritize their personal health, their communities' health, and the health of the planet.”

There is a recipe for success I see emerging as I talk to her. People, people, people. There is proof (somewhere) that having a support system is incredibly valuable and Stevie has an amazing circle. Her biggest inspiration is her husband, Frank. “He has an amazing sense of self-confidence in his own capabilities and holds himself to high standards.  He is highly competitive and creative, which has served him to achieve his dreams. I like that he combs every aspect of his life with a fine-tooth comb and is consistently evolving to be the best version of himself. This ability to strive to be better and do better is energizing to me.”

She also sees the value in mentorship, outside of her day-to-day sidekick. “Having a mentor has been a blessing through the whole process of planning, launching, and running my business.” She also hopes to become a mentor one day, because she thinks “it’s important to give back to your community industry.” 

Stevie wasn’t always behind the chair. Her business acumen comes from eight years of competitive basketball.

“I learned that the team is as strong as the weakest member. You lead by example and never leave anyone behind.”

Her support system has expanded with her new stylists, and she always wants to drive them to succeed as much as she can, “It is my dream to help my employees accomplish their goals.” 

When she’s not running a salon or taking care of her twin toddlers (who apparently leave celery on her side table), she’s dreaming of the future. “I want to create my own hair styling products and color line,” she shares, “I think that professional hair color will keep improving and becoming better for the planet and our bodies. It’s amazing the improvements that have been made in the last 3 years. I’m stoked to see what happens and what I create.” 

This all comes from her previous experience at a large high-volume salon. They used the traditional hair color and products and after years of working in that environment, she developed allergies to all the chemicals. And she was not alone, “I also noticed that the majority of my clients had more severe allergies than I.  At that time there were no other options for people, so clients would simply suffer through the reactions.”

But Stevie, who would rather be an elephant than a hamster (for the tough skin), was living an incredibly healthy lifestyle outside work. She ate well, practiced yoga, used non-toxic skincare & makeup, but she was still coloring hair with toxic chemicals. 

The Lane is the outcome of two years researching chemicals in beauty products and what they do to our endocrine and nervous systems. “I feel like it’s my purpose to educate what I have learned to my community and provide alternative, if not better, options.”