For Olesya Ruffo, an attitude of gratitude is not limited to November. Regardless of the season, this mother of two and salon owner is always finding new ways to show her appreciation towards her staff and community.
Originally born in Kazakhstan, Ruffo moved to Seattle, Washington, at the age of nine. Later, her family settled in Laguna Hills, where she still resides. Her passion for haircare began when she found work as a receptionist at a hair salon. Since then, she has made it her mission to not only become a fantastic hairstylist but also own a salon.
Olesya has been working at Salon Pompei in Mission Viejo for sixteen years, and three years ago, she took over the business entirely. In 2019, fully committed to fulfilling her goals, she even purchased a house close to the salon, as she knew that, in the future, she’d buy the business.
Salon Pompei, her first business, transformed from a slow, little shop to a lively, luxurious salon. She credits her success to the synergy of her twenty-seven stylists and staff members, who all nurture the positive environment that Ruffo originally implemented. To foster this environment and ensure that Ruffo’s goals of treating her stylists with understanding and respect are met, she uses her experience to work alongside, mentor, educate, and uplift her staff. She critically notes that to maintain this harmonious atmosphere alive, the work must first start with the owner. Further, she praises the hospitality and dedication of her team, stating, “the reason why I'm focusing so much and talking about stylists so much is because without stylists, there's no clients. Without clients, there’s no salon.”
For over six months, Olesya prepared to open her second salon, Dûe Pompeii. Though it was not just the success of Salon Pompei that inspired her to open another salon, Ruffo noted her main source of inspiration arose when she realized, “I was getting some incredible hairdressers wanting to work for me, and I had nowhere to put them. That's honestly been so hard and heartbreaking. Because I want them to succeed.”
Dûe Pompeii offers a range of hair care services, including hairstyles, cuts, and facial treatments, and recently celebrated its grand opening on September 11th. The salon borders Mission Viejo Lake, an area that holds a special place in Ruffo’s heart due to the sense of community and local support. In order to express her gratitude towards this community, she often fundraises money for locals in need and actively mentors other local business owners, too. “That's my whole thing. If I can support small businesses, I will. Success is infinite; we can all have success.”
While Olesya Ruffo juggles two salons, a beautiful family, and her personal life, she still makes time to host her annual Friendsgiving. An event exclusive to her staff in which they share food, laughter, and appreciation for each other. All in the hopes of strengthening relationships between clients, stylists, and the owner, as she states, the success of any business “really takes a team.” Once again, portraying an attitude of gratitude that transcends November and resonates year-round.
“It warms my heart hearing the stylists say, I've never been in such a great work atmosphere."
“Every hair service that you can imagine, we have a stylist to do it.”