Getty is a woman who has carved out her own destiny through sheer perseverance and the will to rise above everyday mediocrity. No matter our personal ambitions, we all seek a leader in a field to show us the best road to success: Getty Gizaw has come to epitomise this inspiring force as a leading female entrepreneur who has taken the beauty and grooming industry in South Africa by storm.
Her evolution in the business world has culminated in the creation and rapid growth of her brainchild, the multi-award-winning SOHO Nails | Beauty | Waxing salons in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Getty has established herself as a confident and driving figure with a natural ability to identify a realistic business opportunity and to make it happen, never taking “No” for an answer.
Born in Ethiopia, now the fastest growing economy in Africa, Getty was a ‘kidpreneur’ opening her own lemonade stall at just eight years of age. After extensive travels and schooling in Africa, Europe, the US and Canada she eagerly chose New York for her university studies where she earned no less than three degrees. Overflowing with passionate enthusiasm for life and its many business opportunities, Getty soon founded G2 Media Inc., a US-based marketing, PR and event production company which would soon flourish and lead her to ever greater heights.
GLAMOUR caught up with Getty of SOHO to speak about self-care, doing business during covid-19 and why you should visit SOHO salon.
GLAMOUR: Tell us about SOHO Salon, and what is your ultimate speciality?
Getty: I was hit by a bolt of inspiration, an epiphany which led me to give birth to the conception and creation of the SOHO brand. My vision was fuelled by the desire to prove to the rest of the world that Africans are more than capable of providing world-class beauty and grooming services as well as products. My laser-focused attention to detail and precision and consistency helped in creating this global brand. Today, anyone walking in at SOHO can immediately see the difference: the chic New York aesthetic, the thoughtfulness in the functionality and design; the SOHO brand offers more than one could ever imagine from a beauty salon.
GLAMOUR: For someone who is wondering why a salon is important right now, what would you say to them?
Getty: First of all, we want to limit the time the consumers spend in the salon. In the fight to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, SOHO continues to execute and expand on the brand’s stringent sterilization protocols such as having guests sterilize the soles of their shoes before entering the stores, procuring PPE equipment and installing abundant state-of-the-art glass shields and barriers between stations making SOHO a leader in their field. Life is crazy and hectic that it gets stressful and we tend to never look after ourselves. If there is no you, that means you have nothing to do. You have to look after yourself and take care of yourself. If you are not okay nothing else in your life will be okay if you aren’t taking care of yourself. It's actually not a physical thing but a mental thing as well and also calms yourself. How you look and how you feel will determine how you perform. We have to start within and then we can look at the outside.
GLAMOUR: What are 3 things one shouldn’t do before and after visiting SOHO?
Getty:
Before
• Don’t be hard on yourself and your body.
• Never cut your toenails because we can do it better for you.
• Do not scrub your skin before coming through to the salon.
After
• Do not walk barefoot after your pedicure treatment.
• You should use the SOHO products after your treatment.
• Never go anywhere else for your treatment.
GLAMOUR: The champagne Pedi-treatment is one of a kind. How did you come up with the concept?
Getty: The concept came from my love of champagne. Also, champagne is good for your skin. It’s an anti-oxidant and we figured if we mix the SOHO enchanting crystals with champagne both these properties leave your skin soft and it helps with exfoliation.
GLAMOUR: How has the salon been affected by the pandemic?
Getty: People are hesitant because they scared of the covid-19 and has affected how we do business. People have tried to do the treatments at home which has affected our business but with things easing up we are hoping for a great turn out during the festive season.
Visit https://www.sohonycsalon.com/ for all the latest in offerings.
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