Woman In Business Spotlight: Heather's Salon 72

The blue walls catch my eye as I enter Heather's Salon 72. There are chairs filled with clients conversing with stylists, clients getting their hair washed, and clients paying as they walk out with a smile on their faces — people are happy here.

Heather Carlson, forty-four-year-old owner of Heather's Salon 72, has been working at the salon since its opening in 1999. While she did not take over the business until 2006, she has always been a significant part of this salon's success.

Source: Heather Carlson

When Carlson took over the business, she decided to change the original name, Salon 72, which represents the location of the salon, and personalize it by adding her name. "[I wanted people to know that] there was a little bit of a change for the better and that it was the same place that they were comfortable going to the whole time," she says.

Taking over the business happened organically, she explains. Since she was there from the beginning, she learned a lot through the years. She started out as a manicurist, worked her way up to assisting, doing inventory, and eventually began taking clients.

"I always talked around about owning the salon one day, and then that day came," she says.

After taking over, ensuring comfort for the clients was her biggest concern. "The salon was always a place where people know they are going to get good service because of all the personalities in here," she says. "They love the coffee, they love everything about the salon — and they're comfortable. I think that's the biggest thing, so we wanted to stick with that and give people a comfortable and elevated experience."

As a salon owner for about eighteen years, her business has evolved in many ways. Staff was constantly changing, whether that was the amount of people working or the type of work they would be doing. "We are all like-minded people," she says, "that's why we work so well," Carlson states.

Loving what she does, Carlson finds her clients' happiness to be the most rewarding part of the job. "Sometimes it's not about their hair," she says, "of course, their hair looks good when they leave, but you could see that you made them feel good and created a good experience for them."

Heather's Salon 72 is not just a salon; it's a community, and that's what the clients love about coming here. "We've known these people for such a long time," Carlson says, "it's like a family, and that is definitely something special."