Days later, after all of the judges scores had been tallied, Goldwell announced the finalists—and in addition to being beautiful images of impressive artistry they all had something in common; so many were from The Upper Hand salons in Texas. Because I needed to know what was “in the water” at Upper Hand, I organized an interview with co-owner Rachel Gower. ANNE MORATTO: Rachel, after seeing the results, and seeing "Upper Hand" listed next to so many names I asked myself, "What is happening inside this salon?" Interestingly, we started as a nail salon—that’s why it’s called The Upper Hand! How a Competition Culture BeganANNE: Tell me about this incredible culture around photo shoots, competition, and creativity.