Michael Hawkins is Proprietor and Artistic Director for Savvy Salon & Spa. Becoming a spa and salon owner is just the latest step in a career driven by talent and filled with accomplishment.

"It's always been a goal of mine to open my own salon and spa," Michael said. "To have our flagship be the only freestanding salon and spa in Ventura County is a dream come true."

Michael's professional journey has taken him quickly from senior stylist to the ultimate position of salon and spa owner. Along the way he's mastered his art through influential assignments as lead academy instructor, platform artist and salon manager. But it was just a few fateful conversations early on that started him on this successful path.

"I was pursuing a career as a professional photographer. Friends in the beauty business said I should consider becoming a stylist myself because they thought I would be a natural at it. I had an innate ability to visualize what I wanted to create," he said.

Only two years out of beauty school, Michael was appointed to the position of platform artist. In this role he travelled for seven years, both nationally and internationally, presenting new trends and demonstrating the latest styling, cutting and coloring techniques to industry professionals. During those years his position as a style setter was enhanced when he was asked to represent the color line of the prestigious Schwarzkopf hair care company.

Michael's desire to stay at the cutting edge of fashion trends takes him around the country to trade shows, seminars and classes. Always approachable, his strength as a leader comes from his ability to connect with an audience whether it's 20 or 2,000. It's this extensive industry, platform and product knowledge that sets him apart from other stylists.

The spirit to remain fashion-forward finds its culmination in Michael's trend-setting, minimal maintenance hair design. Quite simply, Michael knows how to provide the look that the confidant, contemporary woman or man wants.

"My clients need to look great on a daily basis," Michael said. "I won't just throw the latest hairstyle on them. I look at their lifestyle, their personality and where they are in their life. With that knowledge, I'll give them something that enhances their beauty from the inside out."

A salon's success is based on more than one stylist. The key is a core of trained professionals. Drawing on his salon management background, Michael knows how to motivate and inspire his staff. Passionate and generous by nature, he offers training opportunities onsite as well as off.

"We have weekly staff meetings and educational classes," Michael said. "We send people to New York to catch the hip, new styles coming off the runways. We help our stylists develop their clientele with a combination of technical training and excellence in customer service. This balance of in-house education with outside experiences provides a comprehensive learning platform. Our goal is for all our stylists to be top-notch performers."

Whether it's providing hairstyling for Elite model photo shoots, television appearances on the Rikki Lake Show and the evening news or trend statements for the lifestyle pages of newspapers including the Thousand Oaks Star, Michael's style and beauty influence continues to grow.

"I want my clients to feel free to explore and experience all the beauty they feel inside. And in the hands of the Savvy professionals, I know they will."