Charles Bonanno, known to most as simply Charlie, formerly was the part-owner of a chain salon here in Chicago.
"I was noticing that my staff and I were working in an environment that was unhappy and unproductive, and the salon had so much negativity," Bonanno said. "No matter what steps I took to change it as part owner, I was met with resistance. I knew it was time for me to break out on my own and create a salon that was high energy, professional and an amazing place to work."
And so he opened XO Studio at 3428 N. Broadway, which has been open for more than a year now.
"It's been an amazing journey," he said. "There comes a time in your life when you have to take a chance and believe in yourself. It's also important that others believe in you as well."
And clearly, XO has been doing things right. The salon was recently voted the Readers Choice for Best Salon award in Chicago Magazine.
"All of us are still in shock and overwhelmed by the support our clients, families and friends have shown," he said. "The amount of people that voted for us was mind-blowing. It validated what we did, and are doing: the right thing—quality services and our commitment to your profession and clients."
XO Studio will be featured in late August or early September on a national TV show called America's Best on the ION channel, which also will be streamlined on Ruku. Each episode highlights a city's "best."
"The producers contacted me about our salon and noticed our five-star reviews [on] many sites," Bonanno said. "They also sent someone in secretly to the salon for service and apparently the rumors were true."
XO has 14 employees and Bonanno said the best part of his job is simply "working with an amazing, talented staff and having clients tell us how much they enjoy coming into our salon."
The worst part of his job is simple, he said: sales calls.
"I am mostly a homebody," away from the salon, he said. "I like relaxing and watching TV with my dog, Cuba, and roommate, Wil. I love riding my bike along the lake and working out is a must. When I am out with friends, I love enjoying their company and simply having a great time with amazing food and wine.
"Through the years, I have overcome many transitions in life. The key is to make a decision and just go for it. If you doubt yourself or your choices, then the odds are already against you. I worked at Fidelity Investments for 10 years and knew it wasn't for me. Taking the chance to leave such a well-paying job with all the bells and whistles and pursue my dream job was scary, but exciting. Opening XO Studio with no partners and knowing if anything went wrong or failed, it was all on me was a huge [risk], but I don't regret [it for] one moment."
THE STATS
Age: 49
Neighborhood: Andersonville
His journey: Originally from Des Moines, Iowa; moved to Boston in 1990; moved to Chicago in 2004
Relationship status: Single
Job title: Owner/stylist of XO Studio
Hobbies: "Bike riding, running and working out with my trainer, Adam Usicki at Cheetah Gym"
Favorite TV show: Judge Judy
Favorite movie: Until September
Favorite pro athlete: David Beckham
Preferred drink at a bar: Martini
The current/coolest hair trend: Ombre
First hair coloring: "I did [it years ago] on my best friend Rob Merk, [who] came over to my house to help me practice. The foils kept slipping out and, I turned his hair orange. What was worse [was], he had a huge meeting in the morning. Luckily, the salon I worked at opened first thing and our master colorist was able to save the day."
Four people ( living or dead ) who you'd like to invite to dinner: Harvey Milk, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy Jr.
