OLIINYK IRYNA is a Business Consultant in the Beauty Industry, specializing in systemic transformation and the growth of service-based businesses.
Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Iryna holds a master’s degree in marketing and has accumulated over eight years of practical experience in salon management, client experience design, and operational development. Her work spans strategic growth planning, service standards, team culture, and brand positioning. Since relocating to the United States, she has continued her consulting practice in California, helping beauty founders build profitable models, define client pathways, and shape cohesive internal systems. Iryna’s signature approach lies in combining analytics with emotional intelligence, bringing together her Ukrainian background and her understanding of the American client.
Q: Iryna, when you moved to the United States, what was your professional background and what expertise did you bring to the market?
A: I definitely did not arrive as a beginner. Before coming to the U.S., I worked hands-on with beauty studios and salons in Kyiv, focusing on operations, service, client journey, and team interaction. The experience I gained in Ukraine translated directly into my consulting here, not as something to start from scratch, but as something to adapt to a new environment.
Q: What were the first differences you noticed when you began consulting American-based businesses?
A: The beauty industry in Ukraine has been moving very quickly – decisions are fast, owners are hands-on, and clients are highly engaged emotionally. Predictability and clarity hold significant value in the U.S. Documentation, agreements, and defined responsibilities – these matter a lot. The American client appreciates structure. The Ukrainian client values flexibility and personal connection. In my work, I help businesses combine both the system and the soul.
Q: Who are your clients today, and what do they typically seek from consulting?
A: Today, my clients range from boutique beauty studios and independent founders to multi-chair salons preparing to scale or restructure. Many are talented specialists who grew into ownership without receiving tools for leadership, operations, or client experience design. They come when growth becomes inconsistent, when the team lacks cohesion, or when revenue doesn’t match workload. Immigrant-owned studios often seek support in translating their value into a market with different communication rules and customer expectations. Most owners don’t need more followers; they need clearer systems—pricing, standards, onboarding, and retention. My role is to make their growth predictable, their service consistent, and their business aligned with the identity they want to project. When that foundation appears, expansion stops feeling like a risk and starts looking like a strategy.
Q: What did you personally need to learn to offer consulting within a new business culture?
A: I had to unpack my experience in a language that the American market understands: structured, clear, and measurable. I needed to document more, articulate more, and explain the “why” behind the “how.” In the U.S., structure creates trust. It’s not better or worse; it’s simply the framework. Now I help my clients navigate that framework while staying authentic.
Q: Is there something from the Ukrainian market that works surprisingly well in the U.S.?
A: Absolutely, the human-centered approach. Seeing the client as a person, not just a booking. Paying attention to the emotional experience, the atmosphere, and the story your space tells. These elements resonate strongly here. I had a client whose average ticket grew not because we changed the price list, but because we improved how the space feels and how the team communicates. When people feel understood, they buy with confidence.
Q: Speaking candidly, what has been the most challenging part of this transition?
A: It wasn’t the market – it was the lack of a map. You arrive with experience but without context. You must learn the unwritten rules: communication style, rhythm, and expectations. But once you understand those rules, your expertise speaks for itself.
Q: Looking ahead, where is your consulting practice going, and what impact do you want to make?
A: Looking ahead, I aim to expand my consulting practice by building structured educational programs for beauty founders and specialists transitioning into leadership. I plan to develop a model that blends service culture, emotional intelligence, and operational clarity tailored to the U.S. market. My goal is to support entrepreneurs who want growth without losing their values or identity. I see service as an ecosystem, not a transaction, and I want to influence how teams communicate, collaborate, and create client trust. Ultimately, I want to contribute to a more sustainable, human-centered beauty industry where systems empower people rather than replace them.
