Today we’d like to introduce you to Pon Saradeth.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My family came to the states from Laos in the late ‘70s and settled in Southern California where I was sent to high school despite not speaking a word of English. Knowing that diving in head first was the best way to learn to swim, I was a shy teenager who cowered in the back of the classroom. Eventually, I came to the surface and emerged stronger from the experience.
It was in my teens that I started to snip away at hair, offering free haircuts in my garage for most anyone who would sit for me. I witnessed my uncle cutting hair for as long as I could remember and the concept just seemed to be a natural fit for me. I never once expected it to turn into a career.
After high school, I tried several trade schools and odd jobs, but nothing was the right fit. With English being a second language, school was tough for me, so I decided to try something that seemed to come naturally to me, hair. I enrolled in barber school and it became very obvious, very quickly that this was my calling. From that point on, I applied himself 100 percent by living, breathing, and dreaming everything hair.
In a short amount of time I built a loyal clientele, which gave me the confidence as I ventured into the world of hair competitions. I found myself walking away with the trophy almost every time. Eventually, with over a hundred wins under my belt, I soon found a loyal following of other hair professionals. That’s when I realized that this shy kid in the back of the room was really a highly capable people-person with much to offer others. I started educating, first for a small product line and then eventually out on my own with Pon Academy.
I applied many of the same visual teaching methods that worked so well for me over the years. People in this industry are highly creative, therefore they tend to learn like I did. It’s more about experiencing everything visually and learning by sight, touch and eventually by intuition. Learning to do hair happens best by doing and creating, even making mistakes, not by reading about it.
In the ‘80s, as all of the competitions and education was blossoming, a business partner and I opened a salon in Cypress, California. There was no shortage of happy clients but the business side became overwhelming, so after a decade the salon disbanded and we went our separate ways.
For the next several years, I balanced several stations in a chair rental salon, which allowed me to concentrate on my craft. During this time, I continued to compete and was venturing into the realm of editorial work by doing hair for photo shoots. I soon saw my work in print in publications around the world, which was not only a fun outlet but also created yet more demand as an educator. I was also savvy enough to create work for consumer publications and found that it would bring in several new clients each week – another adaptation that proved to be quite fruitful.
In 1998, my partner Mary Jean (MJ) Galvez and I opened Pon International in upscale Anaheim Hills, California. I handled the hair side and recruited from my fan base while MJ brought a well-rounded and much needed background in business management. This partnering would turn out to be the perfect fit.
Soon we outgrew the first location and moved to a larger facility twice the size in the same complex, which we still own and operate to this very day. In this facility, we expanded our services to include a spa and launched their own private label of hair care and styling products, which as expected, has seen much success.
Starting our own line of products proved to be a good move for us. Some of that was in the timing, but most of its success had to do with our loyal clientele. If they were happy with their hair, they would seek out and purchase the same products and tools that we used in the salon in order to re-create their look at home. The success of one side of our business drove the other. There’s also something to be said for offering products that clients simply can’t find elsewhere. It makes them feel special to be able to take advantage of unique offerings.
Since the early days and during the time I was building my salon business, I had a few other ventures up my sleeve. It was in these other endeavors that I found balance. At first, I was a body building competitor, next I owned a dog training business, and later MJ and I started a spin gym. These days we are both avid cyclists and fitness enthusiasts and in my off time, I train a select group as a fitness coach.
No matter what you do for a living, I always suggest to do what you do best, and let somebody else do the rest. Find a couple of things that you’re really good at and specialize in just that. You just can’t cut corners along the way. Pour everything you’ve got into your craft, be dedicated and disciplined, and you too will realize success. And when you find it, work hard to achieve and appreciate balance in your life…After all, finding the right balance is the true measure of happiness!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, the business side was tough for me, as it was not and still is not my forte. I do hair and do it well, but handling all of the other stuff that a business needs in order to survive was overwhelming. That’s why finding a partner that could take over that side of things was so important. Without MJ, our business would not be where it is today.
Pon International – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Pon International is a full service salon that offers hair and skin care services to an upscale clientele in a friendly environment. I’m very proud of that!
As for me, I’m known for crafting intricate cuts and customized finished looks that are tailored to each person. My team and I have also built quite a reputation as a trendsetting salon with a wide spectrum of talent including haircutting, color, finishing, and photographic session work. Our editorial work has been in demand for both trade and consumer hair publications for many years, and has helped to fill our chairs with happy clients. I truly love when someone walks out of the salon looking and feeling the best they ever have!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When we were able to quickly outgrow one location and doubled in size with the second. It was exciting, scary and humbling all at the same time.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5655 East La Palma Avenue, Suite 140,
Anaheim Hills, California 92807 - Website: http://poninternational.com/
- Phone: 714.693.7662
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pon_international/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PON-International-277047528578/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pon-international-hair-salon-anaheim
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