Van Council

“I was watching the movie Shampoo and decided that I wanted to be a stylist,” says Van Council, co-owner of the upscale and prestigious Van Michael Salons.

A native of Cartersville, Georgia, Van explains: “I know that it sounds kind of cheesy, but it is true. I played sports in high school—wasn’t into the books. When I saw that movie, I was a junior in high school. My parents didn’t have money to send me to college, so I researched the hair dressing career; it was inexpensive.”

“I enjoyed doing hair; I really did. I had this desire that whatever I did, I wanted to be the best that I could be.” And being great is an understatement. Van and his brother Michael (which is where the brand Van Michael comes from) co-own dozens of salons, including 42 in Tokyo, one in Miami and three in the Atlanta area. His older brother Dirk also owns a salon in Milledgeville, Ga.

Not being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Van credits his parents for affording him the discipline of hard work. “My parents gave us work ethics. We had chores out of the yin-yang. We didn’t grow up privileged children, financially. My parents taught us to work, and it was never an option, because there was no inheritance coming.”

With a meager beginning of seven chairs, the business included Van, Michael and his former wife. There were no employees. “I cut 25 to 30 haircuts a day for 20 years. I had to take all the laundry home and wash it at night. On Monday, our days off, we booked clients because we couldn’t afford to hire anyone. I didn’t work from 9 to 5, I worked from 9 until.” Regardless of the hard work, Van’s goal was to give 100 percent to everyone who sat in his chair and to treat his staff the way he wanted to be treated.

A born athlete who has a ski jump in his backyard, Van has sampled every type of sport imaginable, including paddling. But his favorite sport seems to be mountain biking, and he will travel all over the world for a race that physically challenges him.

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