Today we’d like to introduce you to Miki Solot.
Hi Miki, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Before moving to the United States, I worked as a hairstylist in Japan. My family owns a hair salon, so I originally planned to take over the business one day. With that goal in mind, I attended beauty school and trained at a few salons in Japan.
While living in Japan, I met my American husband. After deciding to move to the U.S., I began working at a hair salon in Philadelphia. Over the next nearly 20 years, I gained experience working at several different salons. Eventually, I opened my own private salon, where I continue my work today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like life itself, there have been both good times and challenging periods along the way. English has never been my strongest language, so communicating with clients was especially difficult for me at first.
Fortunately, perhaps because of the solid training I received in Japan, many clients continued to return even when communication wasn’t perfect, simply because they appreciated my technical skills. I feel that their trust and loyalty truly supported me through those early challenges.
Of course, I have encountered techniques that I struggled with many times as well. However, instead of avoiding those challenges, I made a conscious effort to face them head-on and work positively toward improvement.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At some of the salons where I previously worked, I had the opportunity to participate in fashion shows as a hairstylist. Through those experiences, I realized that rather than working in glamorous, high-energy environments, I feel most fulfilled when I can focus on each individual client and provide hair services that are truly tailored to them.
A few years ago, when I decided to open my own salon, I wanted to create a space where I could work one-on-one with each client and approach hair design in a more personal and thoughtful way. That is why I named my salon Atelier M. It means “Miki’s art studio.” I intentionally chose the word Atelier because the very first salon I worked at was called Atelier, and the name serves as a reminder for me to never forget where I started—and to always stay grounded in the passion and mindset I had when I first entered this industry.
In Japan, I received training in all aspects of hairstyling, including cutting, coloring, perming, head spa treatments, and more. Because of that, I am able to offer a wide range of services. If I had to highlight my particular strengths, I would say that I especially enjoy cutting and perming. I also feel great joy when head spa treatments lead to visible improvements in my clients’ hair and scalp health, and I get to see them smile with confidence.
When clients return and tell me things like, “Your haircut lasts so well, and even as it grows out, the shape never becomes awkward,” it truly encourages me. Those words motivate me to continue learning, researching, and refining my skills so that I can keep meeting—and even exceeding—my clients’ expectations.
One principle I always keep in mind is reproducibility. I often hear people say, “It looks great right after the salon, but…” However, I strongly believe that a hairstyle only has real value if the client can easily recreate it at home. My goal is to create styles that not only look beautiful when clients leave the salon, but also remain manageable, wearable, and effortless in everyday life.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
At my salon, I use only products that I have personally tried and truly believe in—products that I have found to be effective through firsthand experience.
For hair coloring, I use organic products, carefully considering the potential damage that chemicals can cause to both the hair and the scalp. For head spa treatments, I import a special lotion from Japan that has been used at my family’s salon for many years. This lotion contains over one hundred different minerals, and many clients have reported noticeable improvements in scalp conditions as well as overall hair quality.
When it comes to perm treatments, I make a conscious effort to avoid using harsh chemicals whenever possible. Additionally, before performing any chemical-based services, I use pre-treatment products when needed to help protect the hair and scalp. My priority is always to minimize damage while still achieving beautiful, lasting results.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atelierm.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miki_atelierm?igsh=cTZvcWd1bmNjNGFk&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DS3Dj88gA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=Atelier+M+private+hair+salon&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=ja-us&client=safari&dlnr=1&sei=GdUPZt-eE-uoptQPvJ246AU
