Daired Ogle’s beauty career spans more than four decades. The Texas native began working as a hairdresser in the 1960s at Stripling & Cox department store. Opening his first salon in 1978, he billed the facility as Daired’s Hair • Face and focused on healthy skin care to showcase the salon’s makeup designs. “From the beginning, I simply wanted to see unblemished, beautiful, healthy skin on my clients,” he recalls.
In 1984, the salon moved to a new location and incorporated a small day spa area comprised of five treatment rooms where facials were administered. During this time, Ogle also owned a seven-store video-rental chain, but sold it to Blockbuster, Inc. in 1996 to concentrate solely on the skin care industry.
In returning his sole focus to the salon, Ogle found a less-than-professional environment. He began by requiring drug testing and implementing an apprenticeship called the New Talent Program for his employees. “It’s very necessary to give someone coming out of school an introduction to our culture and a place to learn,” Ogle says. “The New Talent Program is three to five months of training where employees can begin working on clients and learn from mentors.” Today, Ogle continues to implement his training program.
His latest venture, Daired’s Salon, Spa Pangéa, Conference Centre & Café, opened in November 2000. The 14,500-square-foot facility offers a unique atmosphere and houses a well-trained staff that provides exemplary service and genuine care for its clientele. In each of the 13 treatment rooms, clients enter a different exotic escape inspired by Ogle’s world travels. “I have an interest in ancient cultures, and this has a great influence on the spa, from the treatments to the décor,” he explains.
Client demand for a variety of skin care treatments prompted Ogle to expand his menu. The spa services he offers include Thai massage, custom facials, laser hair removal, injectables and more, in addition to a complete salon services menu. “Now I am interested in technology and the results we see by combining intense pulsed light (IPL) technology and more esthetic-based treatments, such as acid peels and microdermabrasion,” says Ogle. “I believe that, in the future, the advances in available technology will provide incredible results in skin care and become the most sought– after treatments in the spa arena.”
Ogle also branched into a private label line with Spa Pangéa At Home. The line includes a body cream, a foot cream, a contour cream for the treatment of cellulite, a body wash and a body scrub. “I wanted to create something that was unique to our spa, that could be retailed and that we could produce for less cost than the bulk products we had been buying for in-spa use,” he says. Spa Pangéa At Home is rich in vitamins A, C and E, is extraordinarily hydrating, and features a light and fresh passion fruit fragrance.
In the future, Ogle plans to add a medical component to the spa. “In the next couple of years, I am going to develop a full medical wing. Also, I am expanding Daired’s into another location that is as unique as the existing facility.”
After 40 years in the industry, Ogle is enthusiastic about the career that he loves. “It is easy to be passionate about a profession that is challenging, fun and positive,” he reflects. “I think it is exciting to serve upbeat people who are seeking a wonderful experience and leave happier than when they came into the spa.”
