Gayle Talks Olivia Leaving, Gatsby Dreams & Her Love Life

So much happened on this season of Jerseylicious. What were some of the highlights for you?
Developing my product line. I love that I was able to accomplish something that I was set out to do. The Art Gallery Show was also a highlight for me. That was really exciting for Gatsby. To be the sponsor of that was really great. It was exciting to see Anthony win.

How does the Gallery of Beauty event rank in your list of BIG accomplishments this year?
It was really important to me because it was the first event that I did that was so large and that I sponsored all on my own, so I really wanted it to come out perfect and get a great response—and we did! It was just fabulous to see all the other salons work together and to see their talent and creativity.

What was your favorite exhibit that night?
I really liked Anthony's a lot. I think he did a really great job, but it's so hard to choose because I think everybody did a really great job. It would've been very hard for me if I was a judge—very hard! I think they all deserved a prize.

How did you manage to stay so calm when Cathy got angry at you for talking to Anthony about Filippo?
It was really hard because I feel Cathy is always looking to make something out of nothing. It just seems like that's her personality. She's very guarded and she's always making something out of nothing. To me, she just acts unprofessional—mother or no mother. I'm a mother and I don't act that way. I've owned my business for 34 years now and I've been through a lot. I just feel like you always have to be professional, especially owning a hair salon where you have to work with different people. Being who I am an being how involved I've been in my business for so long that I think it's important to be professional.

Were you happy Anthony and his team won?
I was very happy for them. There's enough things out in our industry that we can all do and be proud of ourselves for. That was a really great accomplishment for him, especially coming from a smaller salon and expanding like that. I'm sure he's very proud—and I'm proud for him.

Olivia told you she's moving on. Do you think she made the right decision?
I think she thinks she's ready because she likes the creativity part of it and that she was able to be on her own and not answer to anybody. But I feel that it's going to be very difficult for her to balance everything out in the end because she's still young. I think she has to learn a lot about how to be professional and business from a financial standpoint. You need money to be successful. Unfortunately, it's not just talent. But I wish her the best. I really do. She's a sweet kid. But I think she's jumping a little too quickly.

Are you happy you won't have to referee fights between Olivia and Tracy anymore?
Of course! Nobody wants to deal with that, but it's an everyday thing. Not everybody loves everyone they have to work with, but you have to learn how to get along just for business.

What do you think the next year holds for Gatsby and your family?
For my daughter, I really don't know. Now that she just had her second baby, I think she's going to be really involved in raising her family. I think that's really important for her. For the Gatsby, I want to go further with my product line. There are other products I want to come out with, so I'm going to be building that. I just started with the volume line. I want to go further into the basics: moisturizers, masques, serums...things that I need to finish a whole product line. For dating, I'm thinking about going with a private matchmaker. I'm thinking maybe that's the route I should go because I'm not having any luck with what I've been doing so far.