Get to Know Debbie Penzone
Debbie’s dedication and passion for beauty and wellness has led her to much entrepreneurial success while empowering others along the way. We recently caught up with Debbie to learn more about her story and how Penzone Salon + Spa and L I T Life + Yoga came to be.
Tell us the story of how Penzone came about.
Our founder, Charles Penzone, started Charles Penzone Grand Salons in 1969 with a $500 loan 5 years after graduating from cosmetology school. Charles opened several small salon concepts throughout Columbus, OH. Debbie Penzone joined the company in 1987 as a hair artist. She quickly worked her way up to Senior Director, our top level of hair artist in the company.
In 1991 the Dublin Grand Salon opened, Charles was featured on the Today Show, Inside Edition, People Magazine, Instyle Magazine, and Redbook. In 1996 the Grand Salon in Gahanna/New Albany opened and in 2002 the Polaris Grand Salon opened. In 2018 we reinvented ourselves from Charles Penzone Grand Salons to the PENZONE Salons + Spas that you know and love today.
Growing up, did you always have such big goals?
I was fortunate growing up to have a love for all things beauty, people + art. I always envisioned bringing this love to light. And sharing the gift of beauty from the inside out with our community and the world.
What makes Penzone so special?
Our people, our passion + our purpose. We have such a strong community that lives our brand mantra because they believe in their craft that does “improve lives from the outside in.”
What are some things that have contributed to your success?
The strong community around me that’s full of people that see me for who I am.
Living in gratitude for the little things in my life.
Building lasting relationships and connections with our community.
What was your passion behind opening L I T?
Community, Collaboration, Abundance and Life+. These are the pillars that created L I T. We value community in all of our brands and creating one a L I T was no different. Collaboration, in such a dynamic industry, we love partnering with talented individuals and constantly growing + evolving our practice. Living abundantly, overflowing with gratitude for the small things in life. And lastly, Life+ meaning the work on your mat transforming the rest of your life through integration + infusion through work, relationships + yourself.
What experiences does L I T offer, and which one is your favorite?
I love the new infrared radiant heat classes that we just introduced! But one of my all-time favorites of course was the introduction of the AIReal™ classes and becoming a certified studio to teach it as well. Another favorite which is unique to L I T is our Sound Off™ headset classes.
What are your future goals and where do you see Penzone/L I T in 5 years?
Continuing to grow and expand our impact to provide experiences that help our community to live their best LIFE+
We’re adding a new brand to our portfolio later this year – BASE ONE. This concept brings everything we value to life. It’s all about helping not only our team, but the greater Columbus community, ground down + level up. It’s a place where people can go to become the best version of themselves by attending trainings, wellness (yes, our second studio for L I T Life + Yoga), curated events, and even having access to a creative studio + coworking. For a long time, we’ve known that our brand is beyond just beauty – this concept will make that idea a reality. Both PENZONE + L I T will continue to innovate within this space and in their respective locations all throughout Columbus.
What is your favorite thing about Columbus?
We have so many creative + artistic curated experiences in all areas of our community from art, food, fashion and of course, beauty that continue to keep Columbus on the forefront of innovation on the national level.
You’ve been in The Scout Guide for several editions, what is the best part about being a member of this community?
The power of this community is so supportive and full of local love that’s always giving us the abundance to continue to give and even more energy to continue creating for the future.
