In the 7 years I’ve been in this industry I’ve experienced every role in a salon; apprentice, front desk associate, commission stylist, rental stylist and salon owner, non of which were in an eco-conscious, holistic business. I started out as your run of the mill hairstylist, serving up your average haircuts and highlights, thinking that doing hair was the only part of being a hairstylist. So, when the time came for me to dream up my very own salon (with my killer business partner…Ladies and gents get you a good team. It makes all the difference)I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted my salon to be like… LOL! Then I got into creating it, and wow! The possibilities are endless, and I definitely could never have imagined how much goes into every little detail of creating a brick and mortar business. Literally, IT WAS WILD. Actually, it still is wild, cuz business ownership and entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart and it is also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. So, needless to say, it’s been 2 years since we opened Willow and Wolfe Salon; and although I’m still finding better, healthier ways to do things, I’ve got a well-oiled, holistic and Certified Green salon.
We carry Oway Organics hair care, a line of organic and biodynamic haircare that is packaged in infinitely recyclable materials. We are proud participants of Green Circles Salons, a recycling program that allows us to repurpose and recycle 95% of the beauty waste we make in the salon. We use Vagaro for our booking software to send emailed receipts and appointment reminders, eliminating the use of unnecessary paper products. I use Original Mineral hair color and lightener for my color services, the worlds cleanest color line made without Ammonia, PPD or Resorcinol. And, If you looked around our salon you could point out several other little details that are eco-friendly, health conscious and holistically wealthy minded.
If you’re an aspiring holistic business stylist or salon owner I’d say my best advice would be to make sure you’re doing the research on the products and companies you want to work with. The best way to do this is to check their website for any Green or Eco certifications from reputable 3rd party organizations. The next best thing to do is to reach out to people or salons that you trust and admire for their eco/green/holistic beauty practices and see what products and services they use. You can also get some great ideas simply by following hashtags like #organicsalon #holistichairtribe #holistichair #consciousbeauty #nontoxicbeauty on instagram, which can also connect you to people and places that resonate with your business dreams. Reach out to the accounts you follow, I guarantee anyone in the eco-conscious/holistic business world is so down to share their business practices. Seriously, the more the merrier, when it comes to creating a cleaner, greener, more holistically wealthy way of living. Get out there and create your network of support and knowledge so you have a place to turn when you need support, which I promise you, you’ll need… because unfortunately our society is not currently built for sustainability, eco-conscious, holistic living and business. We are a disposable society, but if you look around, you’ll find the people who are as passionate as you are about growing a holistically wealthy life and business.
B Holistically Wealthy 