Even as a child, Laura Dulay knew she wanted to be a salon owner when she grew up. But the path to achieving her dream wasn’t straight and simple—it was full of twists and turns that led her to where she is today—the owner of not just one salon, but three thriving businesses in central Florida. In the beginning, working in a salon held little appeal: Laura’s goal was to be behind the camera, working on set. At school, she honed her makeup skills and learned to style hair. After graduation, she hit the ground running, working for Michael Cairns, a Florida photographer specializing in commercial/lifestyle/entertainment shoots. Her career as a makeup artist and stylist on shoots took off from there, and Laura worked for companies like Home Shopping Network, Miller Brewing Company, Wella and others. Her jobs took her all over the world, traveling a couple weeks out of every month. In the mid 2000s, Laura married and started a family, and decided to pursue her original dream of salon ownership. She took a job at the Ritz Carlton salon in Orlando to learn their high standard of customer service, getting trained in several positions.

During this time, she got her cosmetology license at the Aveda Institute in Winter Park, Florida, and then went on to work at an Aveda salon before opening up her first Salon Dulay location in 2012. And in 2020, during a global pandemic, she opened her second and third locations, which are now thriving. Laura’s career has always been driven by people. In the beginning, she was motivated by the joy her clients experienced after their hair and makeup transformations. Now, it’s her employees who drive her ambition and growth. She loves coaching her team to hit their own professional and personal goals, and prides herself on being a present, engaged leader.

In her personal life, Laura also challenges herself. As a single mom, she carves out quality time with her daughter doing what they love: Scuba diving. Together, they explore the ocean, even going on shark dives to view different species of their favorite fish.

Laura always strives for growth and knowledge, whether it’s in her business or under the sea. She has earned the designation of Culture and Leadership Purefessional and hopes to help other salon leaders to instill a first-class culture in their salons through recognition and caring for their team members and guests.

Click to Follow on Instagram @madam_dulay_aveda