Sisters keep salon business rolling after nearly four decades
Jon Andreassi/The AlmanacSisters Jackie Romano and Lea Ann Rattigan have operated Your Personal Image in Bethel Park for 36 years.
Through relocations, economic downturns and a pandemic, sisters Lea Ann Rattigan and Jackie Romano have kept their Bethel Park salon running for 36 years.
Your Personal Image, at 2790 South Park Road, offers all manner of services for hair, nails and skin. The sisters explained that their mother owned a salon when they were growing up, and they developed a love for the business while working with her.
Rattigan and Romano first opened Your Personal Image on Park Avenue, and have been at the current location since 2001.
“We didn’t have hairstyling in the beginning when we had our first location. When we moved here in 2001 we incorporated hairstyling and more waxing. We’re always evolving and growing as a business,” Rattigan said.
Siblings, of course, do not always see eye to eye, but Rattigan and Romano have not had issues operating as both sisters and business partners.
“It has been easy,” Romano said.
Rattigan added that it boils down to mutual respect between them.
“We figured out a way to get through it … We’ve just always had an underlying respect for each other,” Rattigan said.
Rattigan lives in Munhall and Romano in Finleyville, but they share a connection to Bethel Park after running their salon for nearly four decades.
“It’s a great community. People are friendly and kind,” Romano said.
They credit the customers for helping them to survive through difficult times, including the 2008 financial crisis and the pandemic.
agerIn either case, Rattigan says, “We made it work.” She recalled that clients were eager to get back to the salon while businesses were shut down.
“In general, people were clamoring to get back to beauty services. Beauty professionals fulfill not just a beauty need, but an internal need,” Rattigan said.
As they move forward, the sisters hope to continue expanding and finding ways to bring new services to their clients.
“The next best thing is coming soon,” Rattigan said.