Voyage Chicago

Meet Maxine Kroll of Maxine Salon in Gold Coast Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maxine Kroll.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Maxine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

I started as an assistant stylist shampooing hair at Vidal Sassoon in 1976 when it was located on the same corner as I am on now (Giordano’s current home to be exact). Crazy to think that I have come full circle. Now, I own my own building, salon and home above the “store”.

Six months after, I started at Vidal Sassoon, the salon moved to Water Tower Place. I quickly moved up to a stylist position and then further up the ranks to Salon Manager. After 10 years, I left as their Senior U.S. Manager to open Maxine Salon in 1986.

My first and second salon locations were on East Walton off Michigan Avenue.

In 1997, I had the opportunity to purchase my own building at 712 North Rush Street. We are still writing our history here and will be for many years to come.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?

Thankfully, nothing in life is smooth. Otherwise, what would we have to discover?

I painfully and immediately learned I needed to develop my own brand identity. Having a reputation under another successful brand didn’t make my new adventure equal in status out the gate. If I have anything to share with other entrepreneurs out there it would be that no matter where you come from, you must carve your initials in your own tree of life. Make where you left non-existent as soon as you walk out the door. Do not link your new identity to your old one or it will be difficult to become you.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Maxine Salon story. Tell us more about the business.

This year Maxine Salon will be 32 years young. We have 13 colorists and 23 stylists, remaining true to our “roots” as a departmentalized or specialized salon since our inception in 1986. (Stylists cut and style, colorists color. Together, the team coordinates their specialties to bring the best results to the client.)

I am most proud of the loyalty shown to Maxine Salon by our clients and our staff. We have clients we have know through family generations and staff that have been with us for as long as our inception.

Having said that, today we meet new clients and new staff members all the time because of their belief in our brand. We take extreme pride in the future our brand represents to so many. Maxine Salon remains forever young, current, vibrant and stable!

Our salon mantra is excellence without arrogance. We are known for the best hair in Chicago including haircuts, styling, bridal, hair color, balayage, hair straightening, hair extensions and important services on the horizon; as we always have a pulse on tomorrow.

L’Oreal Professionnel, Kerastase and Shu Uemura are our products of choice.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?

Luck always plays a role. If you step out of your own way and allow bad luck to morph into good luck you will have the key to your forever success. I thought it was the worst possible thing to happen to me when the building where our salon was last located would not renew our lease as was expected. It turned out that in giving me the opportunity to get out of that lease I was able to buy my own building. Not without a lot of risk, I might add, but it paid off.

Contact Info:

Address: 712 N. Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Website: www.maxinesalon.com
Phone: (312) 751-1511
Instagram: @maxinesalon
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SalonMaxine