Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Olenski.
Hi Katherine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My career has been a journey to say the least. The first few years of doing hair professionally I was exposed to some of the best education in this industry, both attending events and classes as a pupil and at times behind the scenes working with hair models or helping with curriculum. It gave me a leg up in this industry and I was thankful to have so much inspiration at my finger tips from the get go. Owning my own salon was never a big dream of mine, it wasn’t until I expanded my lifestyle and business to be multi dimensional by educating myself on true wellness that I realized I could do it differently. I felt a craving to create a salon where you left not only with beautiful hair, but feeling better in every sense than when you walked through the front door. It’s the mission of Ignite Salon to inspire our guests by not only making them feel their best physically, but educated on clean product lines, better wellness practices, and ways to slow down and invite presence into their daily lives.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No path to entrepreneurship is a smooth road. Being a small business owner is incredibly hard work, rewarding work- but hard nonetheless. I’d originally planned to work as a stylist and salon manager for the entirety of my career, the safety and consistency of working under someone else’s umbrella felt more appealing than going out and risking failure, but life had other plans for me as it often does and I found myself starting on my own out of necessity. The easy choice would have been to simply find another umbrella to work under, one that fit my ethics and standards for professionalism in an environment, but the bold choice was to just make something better that I hadn’t yet experienced in a salon.
Starting a business without a partner was definitely a risk, I had no one to rely on financially but myself, no one to take care of the admin while I continued working behind the chair, it was all on me to make it work but that alone is a motivator when the stress or overwhelm of starting up felt like too much. It can be exhausting, but when you have drive, faith, and an amazing community of clients, family, and friends behind you, there is always a louder voice in your head that tells you it WILL work out when the other ones tell you it can’t.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ignite Salon is a full service, toxin free hair salon specializing in lived in blonde, low maintenance color, custom haircuts, style education, and daily wellness practices. Our goal is to inspire every guest who enters our space to ignite their own inner spark and walk confidently through life not only in the hours and days that follow their appointment but ever after. We provide more than a calm environment and amazing hair, its an experience we hope stays with you and encourages you to live more intentionally through more than your own beauty practices. When you feel good, you spread good to everyone you interact with. Every interaction is an opportunity to create a ripple of beauty in this world, let it start here.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Community connection and outreach. Throughout my career I have had the honor of hearing so many stories from all people in all walks of life. The most consistent theme in all of the interactions I’ve had is that we all simply crave connection, a tribe to have our back when life is life-ing. To offer a space of safety and connection has been a dream of mine for so long, a place where people can come and be inspired, connect, and feel a sense of community just by being there. A large goal of Ignite is to provide a space for events outside of salon hours where we can come together and connect as a community for one another through craft events, business workshops, wellness events, etc. It’s a responsibility as a business owner to lift up the community around you and that is the core foundation of this business.
Pricing:
- $60-$350+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.embersandblooms.com
- Instagram: Katherinemaehair
- Facebook: katherineolenskistylistpage
