The modern salon is evolving — not just in artistry, but in infrastructure. Luxury is no longer defined by ambiance alone. It is defined by seamless systems, measurable precision, sustainable practices, and client experiences that begin long before the chair and continue long after checkout.
In 2019, Ted Gibson and Jason Backe opened Starring by Ted Gibson in Los Angeles — the world’s first hair salon designed with cutting-edge smart home technology integrated into its operations. It wasn’t a gimmick; it was a proof of concept. Beauty could be both high-touch and highly intelligent.
Ted Gibson and Jason Backe
Starring by Ted Gibson Los Angeles
Now, they’re extending that philosophy beyond the salon. This May in Palm Springs, their Convergence Summit brings together industry leaders and tech innovators shaping the next era of salon business — from sustainability and smarter systems to elevated client experience.
Among them is Vish, whose Bluetooth-enabled scale is transforming color services through real-time tracking, measurable waste reduction, and data-backed profitability.
VISH Tablet
Together, these conversations signal a shift: the salon industry is no longer guessing. It’s measuring, refining, and evolving – with elevated digital touchpoints.
Ted Gibson: Big Picture, Client Experience, Culture
You’ve built your reputation on high-touch, luxury client experiences. How has salon technology changed or elevated the client experience?
We are in an age in the salon business where technology has to be our friend. We cannot be afraid of it any longer. We can use it for so many things to help us with our well-being. From mindful practices to get your day started off on the right foot to helping you manage your color, finances, etc., for you and your team. It’s all about efficiency, which not only sustains your well-being but also helps with your financial goals. It’s not enough just to be a great stylist; we have to be future alchemists for career longevity.
For Gibson, technology is not about replacing artistry — it is about sustaining it. Efficiency fuels longevity. Systems protect creativity.
Ted Gibson styling Lupita Nyong’o (Photo Credit: Nick Barose)
What are salons getting wrong when they think about client experience, especially behind the chair?
It used to be only the beverage that we offered them. Now it’s way more than that. It’s about how they book their appointment, how they communicate with you on a platform, and how they purchase product. There are so many touchpoints that have to be managed. Having software can help streamline your performance behind the chair to help you run your business more profitably.
Luxury today is defined by frictionless interaction. Booking, communication, checkout, retail — every digital and physical touchpoint contributes to how a guest feels about their service.
Ted Gibson styling Priyanka Chopra
How have you seen smarter color practices shift client trust or loyalty over time?
WE HAVE TO EVOLVE AS AN INDUSTRY, OR WE END UP BEING LEFT BEHIND!!!! Nothing is like it used to be. It’s our responsibility as thought leaders and industry pros to move forward in our craft. We are the generation of so educated beauty pros that we don’t really need another haircutting class. We need to understand how rituals of self-care and wellness help us take care of ourselves FIRST. Start with a ritual in the morning, like ASCENSION Daily Mushroom and Blue Green Algae Superfood. For sharp focus, good skin and hair, and most of all, your well-being.
Evolution, for Gibson, is internal as much as operational. Sustainable success begins with disciplined self-care and a mindset of growth.
Credit: Xavier Scott Marshall
Mckenna Grace styled by Ted Gibson
Jason Backe: Technical, Education, Color Authority
If Gibson focuses on culture and client journey, Backe zeroes in on precision.
From a colorist’s perspective, where does the most waste actually happen during a typical service?
Hands down, the most waste happens in over-mixing product. It happens all the time, grabbing a full scoop of lightener or eyeballing it while squeezing the tube. Then the service is done and money goes right down the drain. Colorists are in a hurry and don’t take the time to record their product usage and generally don’t have a record to look back on.
Small inefficiencies compound into major losses — financially and environmentally.
Jason Backe at Starring by Ted Gibson Salon Los Angeles
How does having precise formulas change the way a stylist approaches consistency?
Color theory, formulation, and precision are the keys to consistency. Consistency is what brings clients back, plain and simple. If you aren’t recording your formulas, including measurements and processing times, you are missing the opportunity to give your guest exactly what they want, every time they come in. You also have the option of changing directions with hindsight – seeing what I have been doing for the last several services or the last several years is so important to exceeding my guests’ expectations when they want a change.
Consistency builds trust. Documentation builds consistency.
You’ve worked across global education platforms. How ready are stylists to adopt more technical systems and is there any resistance?
There is always resistance to change, and old habits die hard, as they say. That said, I always say “change nothing and nothing changes”. It’s time for us to work smarter, waste less, and make more – especially with haircolor around $10 per tube. It seems like I can’t do a color order without spending $400 for just me. It only makes sense to use a tool that can help you save more and earn more.
Precision is no longer optional. It is economic survival.
Vish: Innovation, Data, Business Impact
At the center of the smart color conversation is Vish — a system designed to measure, track, and optimize color services in real time.
What are the founders’ backgrounds in the salon industry?
Timothy Howard has over 25 years of experience in the salon industry. Tim is a former salon owner of two award-winning salons, but sold them in 2016 to join Vish as Chief Innovation Officer. He understands the needs of the industry and seeks to help improve the hair color business for salon owners, staff, and customers. Tim is also a former guest artist for Aveda, having created curriculum, participated in hair shows, photoshoots, and New York Fashion Week. He has also taught workshops, consulted with salons, and helped in product development. His decades of experience and passion in the industry allow Tim to help in innovating Vish technology to suit the needs of industry professionals.
Josh Howard is the founder and CEO of Vish. He has a Masters of Science (M.Sc.) from Memorial University and has spent the majority of his career working in medical research and technology. Through Vish, Josh has been able to apply his expertise in data analysis to the hair color industry, helping salon owners make data-driven decisions to increase revenue and streamline their businesses.
What was the “aha moment” in realizing waste in salons was a measurable and solvable problem?
The idea of tackling the waste at the color bar was born in the salon by stylist and salon owner, Tim Howard. The impact of waste is far-reaching – polluting the planet, eroding the bottom line, and clouding the inventory forecasts. But the solution had to be a seamless transition, making it easy to properly manage color in a high-paced salon environment. In 2017, after partnering with his brother Joshua Howard, Vish was born and the founders realized that this was about so much more than waste.
Today, Vish’s purpose is clear: to eliminate color waste, generate more revenue, and cut costs in the salon.
How does tracking color usage in real time change both the financial and environmental footprint of a salon?
Precise tracking to the tenth of a gram helps reduce color waste by up to 40 percent over time. Environmentally, less product dispensed means less chemical waste going down drains. On the revenue side, successful salons see up to 15 percent revenue growth in the first month, and upwards of 40 percent over time. Regardless of your pricing structure, Vish adapts to your pricing strategies, unlocking new profit potential without requiring you to overhaul how you do business.
What kind of data surprises salon owners the most once they start using Vish?
Most salons operate on razor-thin margins. The average salon is running at just 5 percent profit. The biggest surprise for many owners is just how much they’re undercharging for services performed. Within 90 days, the numbers start shifting in a real way: a 30 percent reduction in backbar costs, combined with accurate pricing and product charges, means salons can lift their profit margin to 20 percent over time. That’s not a small adjustment, but a fundamental shift in how their business performs.
VISH Stylist and Tablet-Measuring New Formulas
How does storing client formulas translate into better retention and long-term relationships?
When a client sits down, their formula history is right there. Mix from history or start a new formula, then refine by subtracting leftovers for a precise record, dropping waste to almost zero. Every client gets consistent, perfect color every time. Client wants exactly what they had on their last visit, or that color from last summer? No problem. Vish remembers it all. That kind of reliability builds trust, and trust builds long-term relationships that keep clients coming back.
The Smart Salon Is No Longer the Future — It’s the Standard
The conversations at Convergence make one thing clear: the industry is shifting from intuition alone to intelligence supported by data.
Luxury without systems is fragile.
Systems without warmth are transactional.
The salons that thrive will master both — high-touch experience and high-precision operations.
In this new era, artistry remains the heart of the business. But technology, wellness, and measurable accountability are the infrastructure that allow it to flourish.
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