About Us
Prompt: Write a bio for The Growout Founder, Taylor Kane, based on the following information: He is the son of two hairdressers and third generation in the business. He grew up in his parents hair salon first sweeping hair after school and eventually helping out on the books. And, after some time in college playing in bands and studying sculpture, specifically stone sculpture, he decided to go into the family business. He graduated from Aveda Minneapolis in 2007 and headed to Chicago. After bouncing between a few awful apprenticeships he landed at Red 7 where he spent the next 9 years moving from apprentice to stylist, then to educator. Eventually, dodgy financial decisions by the owners began to make things tumultuous for the staff as one of Chicago's most popular salons began to crumble. Taylor knew it was time to go and partnered with his Business Sisters, Natalie Ruzgis Megan Vega. They launched Thrive Hair Collective in December 2017 with the goal to scale up to a full salon in two years. A booming real-estate market made things more competitive than expected but with solid break even analysis in place the group avoided taking on more overhead than they could handle. A few months after their initial goal passed them by a global pandemic hit. From chaos comes opportunity and the partners seized on newly available real estate opportunities in one of the most sought after stretches of real estate, Randolph Street or Chicago's Restaurant Row. Opened in 2022, this approachable luxury boutique salon is quickly becoming one of Chicago's favorites.
Taylor Kane, Founder
A different kind of Business Coach
Meet Taylor Kane, founder of The Growout and a maverick in the hair industry. Born into a family of hairdressers, Taylor's passion for the craft runs deep as a third-generation stylist. His journey began in his parents' salon, where he started sweeping hair after school, gradually immersing himself in all aspects of the business.
After some time pursuing music and studying sculpture, Taylor realized his true calling lay in following in his family's footsteps. He honed his skills at Aveda Institute Minneapolis and in 2007 he set his sights on the vibrant city of Chicago.
Taylor's early days in Chicago weren't without their hurdles. He navigated through toxic apprenticeships until finding his place at an award-winning salon. Over the next nine years, Taylor progressed from apprentice to stylist and eventually an esteemed educator. However, as fallout from the salon owners questionable financial decisions began to show, turmoil ensued. Bounced paychecks, angry emails from leadership, turbulent staff meetings; Taylor it was time to launch.
Seizing the opportunity to build something better, Taylor joined forces with coworkers turned business partners, Natalie Ruzgis and Megan Vega, and together they launched Thrive Hair Collective in December 2017. Their ambitious goal was to evolve into a full-fledged salon within two years. Despite a fiercely competitive real estate market, the trio remained steadfast, meticulously analyzing break-even points to ensure their brand grew successfully.
Just as they were gaining momentum, the world was struck by a global pandemic. In the midst of chaos, Taylor and his partners astutely identified available real estate gems along Randolph Street, known as Chicago's Restaurant Row. In 2022, they proudly unveiled an approachable luxury boutique salon that swiftly captured the hearts of Chicago's clientele.
In their first year, Thrive Hair Collective started racking up awards and nominations including three nominations for BTC One Shot Hair awards and Taylor being named winner of Humorous Video of the Year in the Hairbrained HVA's
Taylor's unwavering determination, combined with his creative vision and strategic acumen, has propelled Thrive to new heights. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for empowering hair stylists, Taylor continues to revolutionize the industry and inspire others to follow their dreams.
The Growout
Why the name?
Open any social platform and you'll see before and after shots of dramatic transformations. But there's another kind of change that's important to our business.
The Growout.
A growout takes time, patience, and a stylist with an eye for detail to make sure a client stays on track to their end goal while loving their hair through the process.
We do that for your business.
