KATY COTTEN: Building a Beauty Brand and a National Franchise Movement

In just eight months, Dakota London has awarded 39 territories. With Salt Lake City scheduled to open in September and Denver, Las Vegas and Cleveland right behind, Co-Founder and COO Katy Cotten is leading the company through one of its most exciting periods of expansion yet.

FROM ONE SALON TO A NATIONAL VISION

For Katy Cotten, entrepreneurship has never been simply about opening doors.

It has been about creating opportunities, building people and developing a business strong enough to grow without losing the culture and standards that made it successful in the first place.

As Co-Founder and COO of Dakota London Hair Extensions, Cotten has spent the past 13 years helping build the company from a single salon into a growing luxury hair-extension brand with a national franchise vision.

Today, that vision is accelerating.

Dakota London has awarded 39 territories in just the last eight months, marking a significant new chapter for the company and the entrepreneurs who have chosen to build with the brand.

The first wave of that expansion is now becoming reality.

Salt Lake City is scheduled to open in September, with Denver, Las Vegas and Cleveland right behind.

Dakota London also has three established corporate stores in Arizona, giving the company a strong corporate foundation and a real-world model for the customer experience, operations and standards it expects throughout its growing franchise network.

But for Cotten, the numbers are only part of the story.

Behind every territory is an entrepreneur. Behind every storefront is a team. And behind every new location is the responsibility to provide the training, systems, leadership and support necessary to help that business succeed.

“We really are building this together.”

— Katy Cotten, Co-Founder & COO, Dakota London

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE EXPANSION

Dakota London’s growth has not been a one-person achievement.

Cotten has built a leadership structure around the company that allows different executives and team members to bring their own expertise to the expansion.

That team includes her husband and longtime business partner, Scott Cotten, Jenni Johnson, VP of Franchise Operations, and Brianna Morgan, General Manager of the company’s three corporate stores.

Together, they represent an important philosophy behind Dakota London’s growth: build great people, trust great people and give them the tools to lead.

SCOTT COTTEN

Co-Founder & Business Partner

Scott Cotten has been Katy’s partner throughout Dakota London’s entire journey.

His expertise plays a major role in the company’s marketing, supply chain, construction support and franchise expansion, helping create the infrastructure necessary for Dakota London to enter new markets.

While Katy is deeply involved in operations, leadership, training and franchise support, Scott brings complementary strengths that help turn the company’s larger vision into reality.

Their partnership is an important part of the Dakota London story.

“Scott and I have very different strengths, and I think that has been one of our greatest strengths as business partners. We dream together, challenge each other and bring different perspectives to the table.”

JENNI JOHNSON

VP of Franchise Operations

As Dakota London began accelerating its franchise expansion, Cotten recognized that growing the company nationally would require additional operational leadership.

Jenni Johnson, VP of Franchise Operations, has become a key part of that national growth.

Johnson helps support the franchise infrastructure and the owners who are joining the Dakota London network, helping the company build the systems and operational support necessary for continued expansion.

For Cotten, building a strong leadership team is essential. The goal is not for one person to manage every detail.

The goal is to create a team capable of carrying the vision forward.

BRIANNA MORGAN

General Manager, Dakota London Corporate Stores

Another important member of the Dakota London leadership team is Brianna Morgan, General Manager of the company’s three corporate stores.

Morgan focuses heavily on client communication and maintaining the corporate stores as the Dakota London gold standard.

That responsibility is particularly important as the company expands.

The corporate stores provide a living example of the customer experience, communication, operational standards and culture Dakota London wants its franchise locations to embody.

For Cotten, Morgan has become an especially important part of the journey.

“Brianna has been my right arm through this process.”

As Dakota London continues to enter new markets, Morgan’s work helps ensure that the company never loses sight of the client experience that sits at the heart of the brand.

39 TERRITORIES IN EIGHT MONTHS

For Katy Cotten, growth is measured by people—not just locations.

Awarding 39 territories in eight months is a significant achievement.

But Cotten does not see the number as the ultimate measurement of success.

Every territory represents someone who has made the decision to invest in Dakota London and build a business around the brand.

That creates responsibility.

“Behind every one of those territories are people who have chosen to build with us, and I take that responsibility very seriously.”

Her priority now is making sure Dakota London’s training, systems, leadership and franchise support continue to grow alongside the company’s footprint.

“I don’t want to simply look back and say we awarded a certain number of territories. I want to look at the businesses we helped build, the owners who are thriving, the teams they’ve created and the communities they’re impacting.”

For Cotten, that is what successful expansion really looks like.

BUILDING THE DAKOTA LONDON TRAINING EXPERIENCE

One of the most important investments Dakota London is making as it grows is its new training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The facility gives the company a dedicated home for intensive education, owner training and stylist development.

Cotten recently began hosting owner-stylist training, including training with the Salt Lake City team, which is preparing for its upcoming opening.

For Cotten, the facility represents much more than a classroom.

“For me, this facility is the place where the Dakota London heart gets to expand.”

The five-day intensive training experience combines education with something Cotten considers equally important: connection.

Owners and artists have an opportunity to learn together, ask questions, exchange ideas and understand the culture behind the brand.

“They leave Scottsdale not just knowing more, but feeling more connected to what we’re building together.”

That connection could prove critical as Dakota London grows from a regional business into a national brand.

WHAT DOES A COO ACTUALLY DO?

For many people, the title Chief Operating Officer can sound like a position that exists entirely behind a desk.

Cotten describes it differently.

“I really see myself as the connecting piece.”

Her role touches nearly every area of the growing company—from operations and franchise development to training, new-store openings, leadership, systems, owner support and strategy.

But the job is not simply about checking boxes.

It is about connecting the people, ideas and details required to turn a vision into reality.

“I love being able to see the big picture and then get close enough to understand what it’s going to take to actually bring it to life.”

For Cotten, being COO also means being a steward of the people who are carrying the company forward.

“Personally, being COO means being a steward of both the vision and the people carrying it forward.”

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF KATY COTTEN

There is no such thing as a typical day—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Some mornings begin with Cotten’s Fireside Chat with franchise owners.

These conversations focus on the realities of running a profitable business, including Dakota London’s Insta-Quote process, converting new clients, understanding the numbers and identifying the key drivers of a successful location.

From there, her day might involve a new-store opening, training, franchise operations, leadership meetings or strategy sessions with Scott.

And then there are the unexpected issues that come with running a rapidly growing company.

“My role isn’t to be in every single detail anymore. It’s to stay close enough to understand what’s happening, connect the pieces and make sure our people have what they need to keep moving forward.”

That evolution has required Cotten to build and trust an exceptional leadership team.

“As we’ve grown, one of the biggest evolutions for me has been building an incredible leadership team around us.”

Her day can change quickly, but the objective remains the same: keep the company moving forward while making sure the people within it have the support they need.

THE COTTEN PARTNERSHIP

Katy and Scott Cotten have been partners throughout Dakota London’s entire journey. Their roles within the company are different, but highly complementary.

Scott is deeply involved in marketing, supply chain, construction support and franchise expansion, while Katy focuses heavily on operations, leadership, training and franchise support.

Their different strengths have helped create a partnership that can address both the big-picture vision and the operational realities of a rapidly growing company.

“Scott and I have very different strengths, and I think that has been one of our greatest strengths as business partners.”

They continue to dream together, challenge one another and bring different perspectives to the business.

And as Dakota London has grown, they have intentionally surrounded themselves with additional leaders—including Jenni Johnson and Brianna Morgan—to help carry the company into its next chapter.

THE CORPORATE STORES: DAKOTA LONDON’S GOLD STANDARD

Dakota London’s three corporate stores in Arizona serve as more than successful locations. They provide an important benchmark for the brand.

With Brianna Morgan overseeing the corporate stores, client communication, service and operational standards remain a major focus.

The corporate locations give Dakota London an opportunity to continually evaluate and refine the customer experience while providing a model for franchise owners entering the system.

For a rapidly expanding brand, maintaining that standard is critical. Growth cannot come at the expense of quality.

SCALING WITHOUT LOSING THE SOUL

Every growing franchise company eventually faces the same question:

How do you scale without losing what made the company special?

For Cotten, the answer begins with defining the standards that cannot be compromised.

“For me, consistency starts with being incredibly clear about what is non-negotiable and then putting the right people around our franchisees to help them live those standards every day.”

Dakota London has developed layers of support around its owners and teams, including franchise operations leadership, Stylist Coaches, stylist standards and integration, Fireside Chats and the Scottsdale training facility.

But consistency does not mean forcing everyone to be identical.

“Our franchisees bring their own strengths, personalities and leadership styles, and our artists bring their own talent. We want that.”

The things that must remain consistent are the elements that define Dakota London:

Quality. Client care.

Communication. Training.

Culture. Standards.

“As we grow, I think our job is to make those expectations incredibly clear, give people the tools and support to meet them, and then trust the leaders we’ve put in place to carry them forward.”

THE NEXT WAVE

Dakota London’s national expansion is no longer a future plan. It is happening now.

SEPTEMBER

SALT LAKE CITY

RIGHT BEHIND

DENVER • LAS VEGAS • CLEVELAND

With 39 territories awarded in the last eight months, Dakota London is entering one of the most significant periods of growth in the company’s history.

The three established corporate stores in Arizona provide a strong foundation, while the upcoming franchise locations will bring the Dakota London concept into new markets.

But for Cotten, the excitement is not simply watching the number of locations increase. It is watching the people behind those locations succeed.

ENTREPRENEUR WEEKLY EXCLUSIVE

6 QUESTIONS WITH KATY COTTEN

1. Dakota London has now reached 39 territories, with new storefronts expected to open by the end of the year. What does this incredible growth look like from your perspective, and what are the biggest priorities as you prepare to take the company into this next stage?

KATY COTTEN

Reaching 39 territories is incredibly exciting, but from my perspective, the number is only part of the story. Behind every one of those territories are people who have chosen to build with us, and

I take that responsibility very seriously. My biggest priority right now is supporting our franchisees and making sure we continue building the infrastructure around them as we grow. We really are building this together.

For me, this next stage is about making sure our training, systems, leadership and support continue to grow alongside our footprint. I don’t want to simply look back and say we awarded a certain number of territories. I want to look at the businesses we helped build, the owners who are thriving, the teams they’ve created and the communities they’re impacting. That’s what successful growth looks like to me.

2. You’re opening a new training facility in Scottsdale and preparing for your first five-day intensive training program. What will that training involve, and why was creating a dedicated training facility so important to Dakota London’s expansion?

KATY COTTEN

For me, this facility is the place where the Dakota London heart gets to expand. We’ve spent years building something that has a very distinct feeling to it, and as we grow, I want our franchisees and their teams to experience that firsthand.

There’s something powerful about being in the room together, learning from each other, asking questions, laughing, having those conversations you can’t necessarily plan for and really understanding who we are as a brand.

Of course, there is a tremendous amount of education happening during those five days, but what excites me most is what happens beyond the curriculum. Relationships are being built. Confidence is growing. Our owners and artists are beginning to see how they fit into the bigger picture.

They leave Scottsdale not just knowing more, but feeling more connected to what we’re building together. That’s why having a home for this was so important to me.

03.| You are the Co-Founder and COO of Dakota London. For someone who may not understand what a COO actually does, how would you describe your role, and what does being COO mean to you personally?

KATY COTTEN

I really see myself as the connecting piece. There are so many moving parts in a growing company, and my role is often about seeing how all of those pieces affect one another and bringing them together around where we’re going.

I love being able to see the big picture and then get close enough to understand what it’s going to take to actually bring it to life. That might mean connecting people, solving a problem, building a system or recognizing something we’re going to need before we need it.

Personally, being COO means being a steward of both the vision and the people carrying it forward. Scott and I can dream incredibly big, but someone has to connect that vision to the day-to-day reality of the business. I think that’s where I naturally live. I’m constantly connecting the people, the ideas and the details so we can keep moving forward together.

4.  What does a typical day look like for you as COO? Take us behind the scenes. What are you responsible for on a daily basis, and how do you balance operations, training, franchise development, new-store openings, employees, strategy and working with your husband and business partner, Scott?

KATY COTTEN

I’m not sure there is such a thing as a typical day for me anymore, and I actually love that.

Some mornings start with my Fireside Chat with our franchise owners, which is one of my favorite parts of what I do. Those conversations are very real and very practical. We’re coaching around how the business actually makes money, from our Insta-Quote process and converting new clients to getting our owners comfortable talking about the numbers and understanding the drivers of their business.

From there, I might move into a new-store opening, spend time with our training team, work through something with our VP of Franchise Operations, Jenni, and then sit down with Scott to talk about where we’re going next.

As we’ve grown, one of the biggest evolutions for me has been building an incredible leadership team around us. My role isn’t to be in every single detail anymore. It’s to stay close enough to understand what’s happening, connect the pieces and make sure our people have what they need to keep moving forward.

Scott and I have very different strengths, and I think that has been one of our greatest strengths as business partners. We dream together, challenge each other and bring different perspectives to the table. And then there are usually about ten things that happen that I never could have planned for that morning. That’s probably the most accurate description of a typical day.

5. As Dakota London expands into more territories and storefronts, how do you make sure the brand’s quality, culture, customer experience and standards remain consistent across every location? What systems have you had to put in place to make that possible?

KATY COTTEN

For me, consistency starts with being incredibly clear about what is non-negotiable and then putting the right people around our franchisees to help them live those standards every day.

We’ve been very deliberate about building layers of support around our owners and their teams. We have leadership focused on franchise operations, our Stylist Coaches working closely with our artists, and a role specifically dedicated to stylist standards and integration. I stay connected to our owners through things like our Fireside Chats, and our training facility gives us another opportunity to bring everyone back together around the brand.

But I also don’t believe consistency means making everyone the same. Our franchisees bring their own strengths, personalities and leadership styles, and our artists bring their own talent. We want that. What remains consistent are the things that make Dakota London Dakota London: the quality of our work, how we care for our clients, how we show up for one another and the standards we’re willing to protect.

As we grow, I think our job is to make those expectations incredibly clear, give people the tools and support to meet them, and then trust the leaders we’ve put in place to carry them forward.

6. Looking ahead, what is your ultimate vision for Dakota London? With 39 territories already awarded and new storefronts coming this year, where do you see the company and yourself as a leader five years from now?

KATY COTTEN

Five years from now, of course I want Dakota London to have an incredible national footprint, but the number of locations isn’t what excites me most. I think about the impact behind those locations.

I want to see successful franchise owners who have built incredible teams, artists who have created careers they’re proud of, and leaders who have grown into versions of themselves they may not have even known were possible when they started.

To me, that’s the most incredible part of scale. When you build strong teams and give people the opportunity and tools to succeed, the impact starts multiplying far beyond what you could ever create on your own. That’s where entrepreneurship becomes so much bigger than building a company.

And for myself as a leader, I hope I continue doing exactly what this season is teaching me to do: build great people, trust them, create opportunities for them to lead and keep making room for the next level of growth.

If five years from now we can look around and see not only a national brand, but hundreds of people building successful businesses and careers within it, that will mean far more to me than any number ever could.

BUILDING MORE THAN A BEAUTY BRAND

The story of Dakota London is no longer simply about a salon.

It is about transforming a successful beauty concept into a scalable business while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, stylists and teams across the country.

For Katy Cotten, the next milestone is not simply another location. It is another owner opening their doors.

Another team finding its rhythm. Another stylist building a career.

Another entrepreneur discovering what they are capable of.

With 39 territories awarded in just eight months, Salt Lake City scheduled to open in September, and Denver, Las Vegas and Cleveland right behind, Dakota London is entering a defining period of national expansion.

And with three corporate stores already operating in Arizona, the company has a strong foundation from which to support its growing franchise network.

But Cotten’s vision extends beyond storefronts.

She is building leaders. She is building systems. She is building opportunity.

And she is creating a company designed to grow not just in size, but in impact.

“If five years from now we can look around and see not only a national brand, but hundreds of people building successful businesses and careers within it, that will mean far more to me than any number ever could.”

For an entrepreneur building at scale, that may be the most meaningful definition of success of all.

DAKOTA LONDON LEADERSHIP

KATY COTTEN

Co-Founder & COO

Leads operations, leadership, training, franchise support and the systems supporting Dakota London’s national expansion.

SCOTT COTTEN

Co-Founder & Business Partner

Leads key areas including marketing, supply chain, construction support and franchise expansion.

JENNI JOHNSON

VP of Franchise Operations

A key member of Dakota London’s national franchise growth and operational infrastructure.

BRIANNA MORGAN

General Manager, Corporate Stores

Leads Dakota London’s three corporate stores, with a focus on client communication and maintaining the corporate locations as the brand’s gold standard.

CONNECT WITH KATY COTTEN

• Katy Cotten on Instagram — @katy.cotten.dakota.london

DISCOVER DAKOTA LONDON

•  Official Website – Dakotalondon.com

Katy Cotten | Co-Founder & COO, Dakota London Hair Extensions

Beauty • Entrepreneurship • Franchising • Leadership • National Expansion