Born in India, Henal Patel embarked on her professional path by earning a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai and obtained a diploma in hair cosmetology from the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy. She began her career working at a Toni & Guy salon in India for two and a half years before coming to the United States in 2003. First operating a hair salon out of her home, today, Ms. Patel is the owner and head stylist at the Zbrio Salon and Spa, where she proffers her expertise in permanent hair straightening and relaxing, haircuts, and hair coloring. She also offers such services as chemical treatments, nails, micro-needling, waxing, chemical peels, and facials, for which she makes her own organic scrubs and creams.
In addition to her work as a stylist, Ms. Patel is also responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, managing appointments, taking stock of and ordering inventory, providing customer service, and supervising her three employees. She notes that she finds the administrative work involved in running a business to be particularly satisfying. While she has accomplished much over the course of her career, Ms. Patel considers her professional highlight to be the work she has done to overcome the challenges that have been presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She is proud that her business has continued to grow and receive excellent client reviews despite the many struggles present for small businesses right now.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Patel hopes to see the continuing success of Zbrio Salon and Spa as well as to begin getting involved in cosmetics education. Currently pursuing a cosmetology instructor license, she has already cleared the practical portion of her exams and is now working on the theory portion. Her goal is to open up her own school for people who are interested in working in the hair and salon business. Striving to share her knowledge and expertise with others, her plans for the school include opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through work at Zbrio, as well as instilling future students with a good work ethic and strong sense of professionalism in the workplace. Additionally, Ms. Patel eventually hopes to open a second salon location as well.
Ms. Patel attributes much of her success to her passion, hard work, and the support and love she has received from her family. She is particularly grateful to her husband, Shyam Patel, and her two children, Aarna and Aarya. Furthermore, she was inspired early on by the mentors she had while she was working and studying in India. Her mentor from this period now owns and operates her own chain of salons. Living by the motto, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” Ms. Patel would advise young and aspiring professionals to be true to their work, love what they do, and make their work environments fun.
Proud to have accrued a highly loyal clientele who continue to seek out her services, as well as employees who share her dedication to quality work and customer service, Ms. Patel has made a name for herself for listening to her customers and providing exactly what they ask for. Her ability to develop a rapport with her clients also means that they listen to her when she suggests something that might fit them better than what they’d initially been considering. Ms. Patel makes each individual client her priority, and she never takes on more than one client at a time to ensure they have the best possible experience.
For her excellence, Ms. Patel has been the recipient of a number of honors and accolades over the course of her career. She was notably presented with the Hair and Makeup Award by the Ravishing Women Show in 2011. Above everything, Ms. Patel considers her greatest professional achievement to date to be having Zbrio Salon and Spa recognized as the Most Professional Hair Salon in the area.
