The White Hot Spotlight: Sogno Salon

Megan Siegenthaler correctly identified Hope General Store in our “How Well Do You Know Midcoast Maine?” photo contest. Megan gets The White Hot Spotlight this month and she chose to profile Sogno Salon, The Color Authority, where she works with her mother, and the salon’s owner, Nancy Mason-Allen. Sogno Salon has only been open on Main Street in Rockland since April, but Nancy has had more than 35 years of experience in hair styling, has owned a few salons in the Midcoast and elevates a simple hair cut into an art form.

Q: Your mother is an artist, went back to college later in life for her art degree and views hair as an artistic vehicle. Explain for us how a haircut is not just a haircut, but is so much more.

A: For Nancy, a haircut is an experience, not a just a cut. It’s a vision that caters to meet each person’s desire. It's about precision and design. This is not just a job to Nancy; it's a passion.

Q: The salon's tagline is "Experience The Dream." Is this a dream business Nancy has always wanted to open? If so, what did she do in the mean time to make that happen?

A: This is Nancy’s dream, which is how she came up with the name. Sogno means dream in Italian. She has prepared for this vision through education, research, and 35 years of experience.

Q: Megan, what are your creative outlets both on and off the job?

A: I am never really off the job because I’m always looking for creative outlets to bring back to the salon. Everything I do on or off the job, whether it’s volunteering or coming up with catchy designs for an advertisement. I always have my mind open to new ideas and feel that is the only way to grow creatively.

Q: Your business is all about the art of pampering and making people look and feel good. What are the psychological benefits to that?

A: If you look good, you feel good. It is amazing to watch people leave Sogno with a new attitude and outlook because they feel better about themselves. Recently, we teamed up with Rheal Day Spa for an Ambush Makeover. A woman got to nominate a person in her life whom she felt deserved a makeover. Her friend received a day of beauty and was able to remember the self-confidence she forgot she had.