Inspiring Conversations with Jason Fonte of The Compound Salon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Fonte.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
So our salons story started back in 2017 when the salon we were working at closed suddenly. We saw a real opening in the beauty market in Culver City. There wasnt a higher end salon for us to pivot to, so we decided to open one ourselves. From lease signing to door open was about a 12 week journey, an absolute whirl wind. Dina would drive from where we were working on Overland to the new space in between clients and work on any salon projects we could reasonably do.
Our stories started much earlier. Dina started beauty school in 1999 and worked in several Toni and Guy salons before moving to Venice to work on Abbot Kinney. I went to beauty school in 1991 and then opened Mesa Barbers in Santa Barbara. When I sold that and started working on Abbot Kinney thats where Dina and I met. She’s the real heart of the operation at the Compound, I’m just lucky to work here.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Covid hit and that was a huge curve ball, it would have been much easier to quietly close and move on, but as it turned out, everything we lost was a huge weight being lifted. We bounced back better than ever. We are now a dedicated Davines salon in the Arts District of Culver which is going through its own amazing changes. A lot of the success we experienced after Covid was due to Dina, she worked around the clock to keep the salon open. I left to pursue other ventures in 2021. She rebuilt the entire operation and kept everyone working.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Compound Salon ?
We are a salon in the Arts District of Culver City. We are known for a laid back vibe and friendly atmosphere. Being in the Arts District means we love showing off art and we showcase local artists. Right now we are featuring Jillian Suzanne Art, you can find her at Jilliansuzanneart.com, who also happens to be a stylist here. I think we are most proud of the fact that we represent our city and everyone that lives in it. We are a community, our clients run into their friends at appointments. Our stylists come from all walks of life, and we really all do get along and enjoy working together.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I only wish I would have been more discerning about the people I choose to let in my circle, and making a business decision out of fear will always be a bad idea.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecompoundsalon.com
• Instagram: thecompoundsalon