We’ve had such a good time spreading the word about Finally Lisa’s Hair & Nail Salon, founded by our Salon Secrets contest winner Lisa Bodreau. But we received many compelling entries, from salons large and small, full-service and specialty-focused. In fact, the one constant among the entries was just how different they were. Our two runners up make that clear: April Allen of Spoiled Spa and Salon in Vancouver, Washington, and Cindy Kemper of Heaven and Elle Haute Beauty Bar in Ashburn, Virginia.
Like Finally Lisa’s, Spoiled Spa and Salon has a strong commitment to their community and a culture of giving. In fact, their yearly anniversary is dedicated to a fundraiser for a local non-profit and their retail shop carries handmade products and art from local vendors “to help give a platform to others in our community” as April said in her entry. She adds, “Our commitment to our community has helped us over double our client base and create over 20+ employee positions!” We admired their combination of skilled service and community involvement. Check out the Spoiled Facebook page for photos of stylish cuts, colorful nails and lively events.
With a name like Heaven and Elle Beauty Bar, Cindy’s salon stood out. But we also appreciated her commitment to “empower[ing] the stylists to be independent in their own model, and supporting them with education and products.” In addition to cuts and color, they offer lashes, tanning, facials and hair rehab, as well as a vibrant social scene—thanks to a license to serve beer and wine. As Cindy says, “the experience is more than just a cut and color, it’s always a girls’ day/night out.” Check them out on Facebook, as well.
So, what’s the takeaway from the contest? Serving your community seems to pay off for salons and spas, as does developing staff skills. But we’ll explore take-aways from our entries in more detail in our next post.
