Globe Salon’s dynamic married duo of Staci Linklater and James Reza has been curating coifs around the Las Vegas Valley for decades and has been responsible for styling what little hair remains on my head since my thirties (when my scalp was still a veritable follicular forest). 

As we emerge from the coronavirus shutdown and Globe Salon prepares to celebrate its 21st anniversary (this coming Nevada Day), I spoke with Linklater in an interview that began in her salon on Tuesday, May 12 (my first post-shutdown haircut) and continued via email and text message. Following is an amalgamation of these.

ShulmanSays:  Where did you study the follicular arts and hone your stylistic chops?

Staci Linklater:  I started at a local cosmetology school called Vogue Academy, but when it closed down in the middle of my studies, I finished at the Academy for Career Education, a high-end vocational school that also had dental hygienist and nursing programs. After graduating and earning my license, I went to work for Bob & Joanne Brand as an assistant. That truly set me on the path to success behind the chair, which is one of the reasons I created an assistant program at Globe Salon. All the best hairdressers I know began as assistants, and the program I developed is essentially a work-and-learn apprenticeship.

When and where did you establish Staci Hairstylist to the Hip?

It was in 1992, and I was practicing at Brand New Look (Bob and Joanne Brand’s freestanding salon at Jones & Oakey) as a commissioned stylist.  I decided to build my own brand, aiming at a style-forward clientele. It helped that my partner ran a magazine [James was the founding publisher and editor of Scope Magazine, which evolved into what is now Las Vegas Weekly], as it gave me a ready and affordable outlet for local advertising.

How did Globe Salon come about?

After almost 10 years in the industry and having been featured in the 2001 bestseller Success Without College: Why Your Child May Not Have to Go to College Right Now—and May Not Have to Go at All, by former New York Times editor, Linda Lee, I decided it was time to both grow and to provide opportunity.  We began the process of business planning in 1998, and the whole thing took about 18 months.  I would leave our mentor’s office in tears sometimes.  The realities of operating a business were sometimes hard to accept, but we pushed through and opened the first Globe Salon on Nevada Day in 2000, at 1121 South Decatur, Suite #130, in Westland Fair at Charleston and Decatur.

We picked that spot because we wanted to eventually be Downtown, but it was way too soon then, so we picked a location halfway between Downtown and Summerlin and right next to the very first Starbucks in Las Vegas. It was a deliberate attempt at brand affiliation intended to make our guests comfortable with visiting us.

Why the move to DTLV?  When did this happen?

The vision always was to be part of the Downtown revitalization. We had traveled around for years to various artsy, trendy neighborhoods in revitalizing areas, and we had already experienced the first sign of that in Las Vegas in the ‘90s with Vintage Madness and the Enigma Garden Cafe.  So, we were confident that Las Vegas would have its turn.  The move happened after the expiration of our lease at Westland Fair in early 2008.  Ready or not, the time had come to be Downtown!  It was a whirlwind.  We did the entire move (to 900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 130.  At Soho Lofts, in the Arts District)—from negotiating the lease to the design and build-out to opening in July 2008—in about 4 months.  Then, the salon won a national design award and was named to Elle’s “Top 100 Salons” list (twice!).  It was all very exciting!

What prompted the recent expansion to the Summerlin area?

We had been working on finding a second location for several years. Las Vegas was growing fast and far, and unlike previously—when people would drive anywhere for a cool coffeehouse or a great falafel—they began to stay closer to their relative neighborhoods for most things.  We were confident that the way we had worked so hard to elevate the salon experience would be welcomed by many potential guests who wouldn’t, for whatever reason, venture Downtown.  We knew the general area we wanted to be in and had several “false starts” in getting our location (including at what is now Downtown Summerlin). But when we saw the amazing revitalization that was happening at Rampart Commons (at 1025 South Rampart Boulevard), we knew immediately that it was where we wanted to be.

What is the “difference” between the two salons?

There is a physical difference between the two.  Our Downtown salon is smaller and more classically styled.  It’s very upscale but also relaxed, like an urban boutique hotel lobby, with soothing light blue paint and dark woods everywhere.  Our Uptown location is more high energy, and the salon is white, bright, and exciting.  It feels like a Palm Springs country club salon. That said, we work hard to preserve the same vibe of hospitality at both. You definitely know you are in a Globe Salon at either one.

Our clientele Downtown is a mix of executives, lawyers, physicians, and of course, service industry and creatives. We also serve a lot of guests there who live in the classic neighborhoods of Las Vegas, like Rancho Circle, Rancho Nevada, and Scotch 80s. They are thrilled to get an upscale experience without having to drive to the suburbs.

Uptown, there is some overlap of clientele thanks to our brand, but we do take care of more Summerlin families and retirees there, and lots of people who have just moved to Las Vegas and are looking for a salon.  It’s hard to really draw a line because all of our guests, regardless of age or income or work status, are generally seeking the kind of vibe and hospitality we provide, so there is a similarity.  A few of our guests arrive by accident.

How do you split your time between the two?

I typically spend the early part of my week with the Downtown team and the end of the week Uptown.  It’s very important to me, especially with guests who are new to the salons, that they are receiving an elevated service experience.  We have great people at each location who are wonderful at executing that experience, but it never hurts to have the boss there!

As a partnership, what is the division of responsibility between you and James?

We try to simplify things.  We look at what we do as a hospitality business, with James running the back of the house while I oversee the front of the house.  He mostly deals with the business stuff, while I mostly deal with the people.  There’s definitely a lot of overlap, but then we let the other person execute their duties.  It’s like we're a team of four, and it took us a while to figure out how that works.  Officially, our titles are “Salon Director” (me) and “General Manager” (James).

What makes Globe Salon stand apart among Las Vegas salons?

The guest experience we provide is what really sets us apart from other salons.  We truly put our guests first.  For us, it all goes back to hospitality, which, being Las Vegas natives, is part of who we are.  We think of other businesses we’d like to have—a bar, a restaurant, a boutique hotel—and they all lead back to the same place: No matter what service you offer, it’s the hospitality that makes people happy.

What are some of your favorite products sold at Globe Salon?

I really love the lines we carry: They’ve been carefully selected with each location in mind.  So, we offer Kevin Murphy uptown and Bumble & Bumble downtown, while Kérastase, a luxury treatment line, is available at both.  My faves include Kevin Murphy’s Hair Resort Spray, which gives the hair amazing texture and sass, and Bumble’s Surf Foam, for the same reasons.  Kérastase’s VIP is the most awesome volumizing spray powder on dry hair: It gives texture and movement, and, as a bonus, it smells amazing!

Globe Salon
Uptown (Summerlin) | Downtown (Arts District)
Click HERE for info

Concluded in Part 2...