Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Nero.
Hi Joseph, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in the beauty industry started in 2002, and from very early on I was drawn to transformational hair services; especially Japanese Hair Straightening. I loved that it wasn’t just about making hair straight, but about completely changing how someone felt about themselves and making their daily life easier and more manageable.
At the time, Japanese Hair Straightening was still very specialized, and I became passionate about truly mastering it. Over the years, I invested heavily in education, hands-on experience, and understanding the chemistry behind healthy, lasting results. That passion eventually grew into Nero Hair Salon.
Education has also played a major role in my career. I previously spent 16 years as an educator with L’Oréal, and today I’m proud to continue educating as part of the Milbon team. Being able to work both behind the chair and in education has given me a deeper understanding of hair, technique, and client care, while also allowing me to help mentor and inspire other stylists in the industry.
Now, nearly 25 years later, it’s incredibly rewarding to see how the salon has evolved and how many long-term relationships we’ve built with our clients. Some clients have been coming to us for years, refer their friends and family, and even travel from outside Miami, out of state and out of the country for our services.
One thing I’m especially proud of is our experience with the Milbon Liscio Japanese Hair Straightening system, which we’ve worked with for over two decades. That consistency and specialization have helped us build trust and develop a reputation for delivering natural-looking results while maintaining the health and integrity of the hair.
At the heart of everything, I’ve always wanted The Nero Hair Salon to feel welcoming, professional, and genuinely caring; a place where clients feel confident they’re in experienced hands.
Alright, 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?
It hasn’t been a completely smooth road, and like most long-term business journeys, there were definitely seasons of challenge, transition, and growth.
For 10 years, I co-owned a salon with my ex-husband called Tiano’s Secret Color. Even after we separated, we continued running the salon together for about two more years. Over time, I realized I had played a major role in building its success, and eventually I knew it was time for me to move forward on my own. That chapter eventually came to a close, and the salon is no longer open.
After that transition, I went through a very uncertain period where I questioned whether I still wanted to be a business owner or if I could start over again. I worked briefly in another salon for about six weeks and quickly realized it wasn’t the right environment for me. I then moved to another salon for about six months, but struggled with the lack of structure and client care standards. During that time, I also worked from home for several months while rebuilding my clientele and saving everything I could with the goal of opening again.
Eventually, I opened Nero Lopez Hair with a former assistant of mine who I had mentored from assistant to stylist to co-owner. I was still navigating a lot of fear around starting over independently, and in many ways, I think I was also learning how to trust someone else in an ownership role. The truth is, we had very different visions for the business. Some of that dynamic was challenging for both of us, and looking back, I can acknowledge that part of it was also my own difficulty in fully stepping back and sharing ownership in the way it needed to be shared.
After about three years, I bought out his portion of the business. Today, he is successfully running his own salon, and I’m genuinely proud of him. We’re actually on very good terms and remain friends, which I’m grateful for. That experience taught me a lot about leadership, alignment, and the importance of shared vision in a small boutique business.
For the past eight years, I have been running Nero Hair Salon independently, and I learned very quickly that in a boutique environment, there really has to be one clear vision and for me, that vision is rooted in consistency, high standards, and client experience.
Of course, there were other major challenges along the way as well, including COVID, which forced us to close for eight weeks. It was a devastating and uncertain time. During that closure, I focused on remodeling the salon as much as possible, maintaining communication with clients, and developing strategies to reopen as quickly and safely as we were allowed.
Looking back, while those moments were incredibly difficult, they shaped the way I lead today and strengthened my commitment to building a stable, intentional, and client-focused business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Nero Hair Salon, we specialize in advanced, transformative hair services with a strong focus on Japanese Hair Straightening, corrective color, blonding, and healthy hair maintenance. Our work is centered around creating results that are not only beautiful, but also sustainable and tailored to each client’s hair type, lifestyle, and long-term hair health.
We are best known for our expertise in Japanese Hair Straightening, which we have been doing since 2002. With nearly 25 years of experience, we’ve developed a deep understanding of how to customize the service for different textures and conditions while maintaining the integrity of the hair. We have also worked with the Milbon Liscio system for nearly two decades, which has allowed us to refine our technique and consistently deliver natural, smooth, and long-lasting results.
Beyond straightening, a large part of our work involves corrective and transformational color; especially for clients who have had previous damage, over-processing, or uneven results elsewhere. We take a very methodical, detail-driven approach to restoring and elevating the hair so it feels healthy and looks refined again.
What I’m most proud of is the level of trust we’ve built with our clients over the years. That trust is rooted in consistency, honesty, and a very high standard of care.
What truly sets us apart is our specialization and depth of experience. We are not a general salon; we are highly focused on a few advanced services that require technical expertise, education, and precision. Combined with my background as an educator for Milbon and previously 16 years with L’Oréal, we bring an added layer of technical knowledge and industry insight into every service we perform.
Another important part of what makes Nero Hair Salon what it is today is our team culture. We are a small, highly trained, and closely mentored team where education and standards are consistent across the board. I am very hands-on in training and development, and I’ve always believed that when a team is aligned in technique, communication, and client care philosophy, the results speak for themselves. Each stylist is developed with intention, and we prioritize both technical excellence and professionalism in every client interaction.
At the core of everything, our goal is simple: to create beautiful, healthy hair while giving clients a professional, elevated, and comfortable experience where they feel confident they are in experienced hands.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest advice for anyone starting out is to be patient with your growth and extremely intentional about what you choose to learn and who you choose to learn from. Early in my career, I thought success was about doing more; more services, more clients, more speed. Over time, I learned that real success comes from depth, not just volume.
If I could go back, I would remind myself that mastery takes time. Especially in technical work like Japanese Hair Straightening and advanced color, there are no shortcuts. The more you commit to truly understanding the science behind what you’re doing, the more confident and consistent your results become.
I would also tell my younger self not to rush into ownership or compare my timeline to others. Business ownership is not just about talent; it’s about leadership, decision-making, emotional resilience, and learning how to evolve through different seasons of your career.
Another important lesson I’ve learned is the value of alignment. Whether it’s choosing a salon, a business partner, or building a team, having a shared vision and similar standards matters more than almost anything else. Misalignment can slow your growth and create unnecessary challenges, even when everyone involved is talented.
Lastly, I’m grateful that I understood earlier that setbacks are not failures; they are part of the process. Every difficult season I went through ultimately helped shape the way I lead, train, and operate Nero Hair Salon today. If anything, I’ve learned that consistency, patience, and staying true to your standards will always take you further than chasing quick success.
Pricing:
- Japanese Hair Straightening cost between $300 and $1000. Most of our clients are probably around $600-$800.
- Precision haircut start starts at $125
- Are deeply restorative and reparative Conditioning treatments that are second to none and a integral part of our business start at $75
- Our new growth single process color is $105 and all other color services such as highlighting, balayage, corrective work are priced by Consultation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.thenerohairsalon.com
- Instagram: Thenerohairsalon
- Youtube: @nerohairsalon7456
