October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and we’re checking in with a local powerhouse duo celebrating two years of entrepreneurship this month. Emily Hart and Alana Wilkinson bought Salon Adrian in Fort Myers in October 2021, going from longtime employees at the salon to its owners. “We had been talking about it for years,” Wilkinson says. “And then it was like, ‘Oh crap. This is really happening.’”

The pair had worked in the salon industry for most of their adult lives and at Salon Adrian since the early aughts. But making the transition from employees to owners still felt dramatic, even when—from the outside—most things looked the same. “It was a slow build-up, until one day we were on our own,” Hart says.

The pair’s approach to becoming small business owners is one that many entrepreneurs could emulate. For starters, they stuck to an industry that they knew well, one where they had years of experience and expertise. It was also a business they felt passionate about. “If you’re not emotionally invested in your business, it’s not going to go anywhere,” Hart says.

Another advantage: Both women felt confident in their partnership. “We’re very lucky,” Wilkinson says. “I would not be able to do this without her.”

“I trust her 100%,” Hart says. “And she does the same. We’ve been best friends forever, and we’re a good team.”

In fact, their attorney had a hard time drawing up their contract: “Who’s going to be the controlling partner, and who’s going to get 49%?” he asked. Both women shook their heads. “We’re 50-50,” they told him. “And if there’s a dispute?” he wanted to know. “We’ll figure it out,” they said.

At the salon, the pair surround themselves with like-minded employees and meet regularly to talk about the business. They hold a monthly management meeting, a monthly salon staff meeting and monthly one-on-one meetings with every staff member. In these one-on-one meetings, they don’t shy away from talking numbers. “It makes things easier when someone knows where they are and where they need to go,” Hart says.

They’ve also created a staff culture that emphasizes goal setting. “We talk about goals all the time,” Wilkinson says. “When they’re successful, we’re successful. When they’re doing well, the salon is doing well.”

But the emphasis isn’t entirely on numbers and goals. “We try with all of our employees to have a very safe and open workplace,” Hart says. “When issues come up, we encourage communication.”

And although they didn’t set out to have a women-only staff, it’s been a dynamic that has worked well for the pair—and for their salon. “I love surrounding myself with creative, supportive women,” Hart says. “We all think the same way, and that’s what ultimately makes us successful.”