Business Builder

BUSINESS BUILDER STRUT

THE SALON

M’lou is the grooviest, most truly authentic, and most creative person that you will ever meet. She is a third generation hairstylist who started her career sweeping in her grandma’s salon. M’lou has worked with many different mediums during her creative career including calligraphy, sculpting, and making jewelry–all of which led her back home to the beauty industry. M’lou loves being able to create new trends or old trends that have resurfaced as “new trends.” For part of her career, she worked in an opera creating hair from the Viking days, to victory curls and more! If you want a timeless style, she is your gal!

M’lou met her life partner, Josh, when he was a client in her chair and who later discovered his calling to be a hairstylist as well. After he joined the hair industry, they combined their talents and opened Strut The Salon. They always enjoyed creating fashion, so the goal of their salon was to create looks that left clients wanting to “strut” out of the salon like a peacock. Thus Strut was born, and their branding fell together effortlessly after that. The salon is covered in a unique peacock theme with pieces that clients have brought in.

Strut began in 2014 before there was even a building. M’lou was able to curate her space from the ground up, literally. She had a vision of having her chair rental salon each have their own areas. Each station vanity was thrifted and had its own wash area (to the plumber’s shock). She has a casual work environment with diverse stylists and clients. Her stylists appreciate the independence. She believes that if people are working for their own business, instead of someone else’s, then they will work hard and be more creative. She is proud that she has never lost any stylists due to not fitting in.

Strut loves supporting other local businesses, with a prime location sharing the same building as fitness centers, restaurants, and coffee shops–all with a healthy life in mind. Over the years she has hosted many local creatives, from candle makers to photographers to artists, offering them a safe space to showcase and sell their work.

Sheila and ManocoBlue helped her find her salon brand. She loves that evo does exactly what it says it’s going to, is an environment-focused brand, and offers education. She is testing out their new color line and excited to carry it in the salon! Almost all stylists love the brand so much that they took it on as well.

Advice to independent salon owners: Give freedom. The best parties come together with a great space and the right people. Your job as the salon owner is to create that space for your stylists to create.