An Experience to Remember - 931 Beauty Co.
By Kathy Fox
Q: Why did you start 931 Beauty Co.?
I wanted women in this area to have a high-end salon experience without having to drive to Nashville. From the greeting to the consultation, lounging in a robe with a glass of champagne or wine, to the aesthetic of the building and the energy, I created an upscale relaxing atmosphere for the clients to enjoy – both women and men.
While you are getting an awesome hair experience, you are also getting all the little details that make you feel beautiful and elegant, it is really about an aesthetic. Being from Los Angeles and getting more of an experience in the California market of hair dressing, I wanted to bring a certain style of hair, fresh and trendy, to Columbia. We offer weekly memberships, have a huge hair extension clientele, as well as the newest techniques that you would typically have to drive up to Nashville to get. As our business has grown, we have had nothing but support from the Columbia community. We turn the salon visit into an experience.
Q: What sets your business apart from other salons in the area?
When I decided to open 931 Beauty Co., I wanted to create more of a brand of salon along with a team where we all helped each other. This has now turned into a complete training program for our hair stylists. We have a salon coach that comes in and works with every single one of us to set goals, both personally for myself and the staff, and for their professional paths creating more of a career than a job in the hair dressing industry.
We base most of our work on education where everyone here has mandatory education requirements. They all start in the associate program and work their way up to different levels based on their monthly ratings. The monthly ratings lead to promotions, which help advance the stylists in their careers and achieve their personal goals.
Q: How did you get started in this profession?
I actually went to beauty school to avoid college (laugh, laugh). I did not know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to have fun with whatever I did with my life. I started off in the industry and immediately assisted a Vidal Sassoon artist for two years. I basically did all the washing and blow drying for two years and learned. From there I went to corporate salons and then when I had my daughter, I decided to start a mobile service in Beverly Hills doing in-home services. I really wanted to be a stay-at-home parent and we moved to Tennessee from California where again I started doing hair out of my home. As my clientele grew, I quickly realized I needed a space outside of my home so I started 931 Beauty Co. in May 2018 with one employee and now we have 12.
Q: How do you balance work and being a mother?
That is a great question! Some days I have my kids both here with me tearing up the salon, but I do what I have to do for my kids and family. It can be a struggle and I think every mother wrestles trying to balance work life and motherhood. It is always a balancing act, like having to answer the phone with a baby on my hip screaming or having to leave work early because of a sick child, we have all been there at some point. It is a work in progress, but each day is getting easier. As the salon grows, I can delegate more responsibilities letting me work behind the chair instead of behind the scenes.
Q: Why do you love your job?
I absolutely live for the days where women cry happy tears in my chair. I see clients who have suffered tremendously, whether they lost their hair from chemotherapy or their hair is falling out because they lost their three-year-old child to cancer, they come in to be pampered and feel beautiful again. We all cry together when they see themselves after we have added hair extensions and for the first time in many months, they feel beautiful again after enduring so much personal stress or heartache.
Through this whole pandemic I have realized that when we do not feel good on the inside, the one thing we do have control over is the outside appearance. What that does for our psyche is imperative to our wellbeing. I always say we are ‘hairapist’ because we listen to people. We listen because sometimes we are the only friends they have at that specific time and moment. People choose a stylist because they like them, there is a synergy and they communicate well together, it is like a happy marriage. If you can make a client feel absolutely stunning, you see it all over their face and that is a fantastic feeling to have!
Q: What do you love about Columbia?
Columbia’s artistic community and culture are incredible. I think downtown is so charming! There are also all these little pockets of Columbia like Hatcher Lane (wink, wink) where new and exciting things are happening. It’s just fun exploring.
For me, what really sets Columbia apart from other places I have lived are the people. There is a warmth and a sense of togetherness like I’ve never experienced before. Recently my mother unexpectedly passed away and it was a very hard time for me and I must say the outpouring of love and support my family received was mind blowing. Neighbors were bringing home cooked meals to our door. Our sweet clients from the salon made hospital visits to check in on me. This was the kind of stuff I only thought happened on TV. The love my family and I received during this time will not soon be forgotten.
I knew when we arrived to this town four years ago there was something special about it, but to actually experience how this community supports others is something I will always be grateful for. I am so proud and humbled to be a part of the growth of Columbia and it is my passion to ensure 931 Beauty Company gives back to the community as much as it has given to me and my family.