My Main Street-The Root of Hair
Terrific Tresses
The couple behind The Root of Hair Studio have been taking risks and building their business from the group up for years. Here’s what they told us about what it takes to pursue a venture in a competitive industry and ultimately flourish.
The Root of Hair Studio
Tiffani Paluzzi never uses the word “trending” when it comes to hairstyles. As the co-owner of The Root of Hair Studio and a seasoned hairstylist, she knows trends are constantly revolving. “Today might be the viral curtain bang, tomorrow might be the blunt cut. Whatever it is, we try our best to execute the look.”
Paluzzi and her husband and business partner, Andrew, opened their first salon 15 years ago when they were both in their mid-20s and thinking about their futures. They’d both been hairstylists since graduating and worked together in a Toronto-based salon, but it didn’t take long for them to pursue a venture of their own. “We wanted to play by our own rules, so we signed a lease and we financed, built and renovated our space from the ground up using money we’d saved since we were kids, since the banks wouldn’t finance us at our ages,” she says. The pair initially chose Vaughan to “bring a bit of city styling to an up-and-coming area.” She has lived here since she was a teen, and the couple moved in after getting married in 2010.
Owners Tiffani and Andrew – The Root of Hair Studio
In May 2022, after 14 years in their original location, and following the pandemic (as well as a significant increase in their rent), the Paluzzis purchased a new spot a short drive south. “Vaughan has seen so much growth, so when choosing our new location, we wanted to be in the heart of the newest development at Highway 7 and Weston Road.” The stress of the move and working to keep their business afloat, despite being shut down for nine months during COVID-19, took its toll on the couple — Paluzzi says the My Main Street program came at the perfect time. (The couple also participated in the city’s Starter Company Plus program.) “It allowed us to upgrade our salon with new chairs, a better point-of-sale system, advertising and improved tools. Plus, our participation also helped us learn many things about our target demographic from representatives from the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre that we would never have known before,” she says. “After investing in our new unit, we were strapped. The funding allowed us to come back better than ever.”
Their takeaways after years in business is following your dreams, taking risks and hard work can help you achieve success. And having now settled into their new salon, they’re focusing on helping their clients look and feel their best. “We love hearing everyone’s stories and styling different types of hair. We love that when we come in every day, we never know what looks our clients are going to want,” she says. “We’ve built a life, a home, a family and our little empire here.”
7777 Weston Road, unit 269, Vaughan
The Root of Hair Studio at 7777 Weston Rd.
