NYC Stylist and Salon Owner Avi Benichou: The Courage to Think Bigger

Avi Benichou came to New York City from Israel with no plans to stay.

More than three decades later, he owns Lovella Salon on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

His journey began at 17, when a chance conversation led him to a hairstyling course. Years later, another spontaneous decision brought him to New York, where he struggled to find work before walking into a salon and convincing its owner to give him a chance.

But becoming a talented stylist and building a successful business were two very different challenges.

On this episode of HarmonyTALK, host Lisa Champeau talks with Avi about the risks, relationships and unexpected opportunities that shaped his career.

A chance connection through Israeli folk dancing introduced him to the Ben Applebaum Foundation, an organization created to support aspiring entrepreneurs. Avi became its first mentee and found a mentor in Dr. Skip Vichness, who challenged him to imagine a future far beyond working behind a salon chair.

The foundation never gave Avi money. What he received was something he needed just as much: guidance, confidence and the courage to take a risk.

With infant twins at home and limited resources, Avi bought a small salon, built much of its interior himself and began turning his dream into a business.

He eventually expanded, weathered the challenges of COVID and helped other stylists develop careers of their own.

Along the way, he learned a lesson that many entrepreneurs discover the hard way: being good at your craft doesn't automatically make you good at running a business.

It’s a candid, often funny conversation about starting over in America, the difference a mentor can make and why pursuing a dream sometimes means daring to see something bigger than what is right in front of you.