Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Farnsworth and McKenzie Hurst.
Hi Liz and McKenzie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Liz and I met at the first salon I worked at out of Cosmetology school. We became fast friends. Liz was the first to leave the commission-based salon and go off on her own. After about a year of her asking me to leave my current situation and come work with her in a little salon suite, I signed a lease with her. A year into us working in our two-chair salon suite together, we decided it was time for more space. Liz had already been looking into the idea of starting up a booth rental salon. She had lots of ideas and ambition.
It wasn’t hard to convince her to have me as her partner in this endeavor. Once I came on as her partner, it was clear we needed help understanding the finances of it all and how it would realistically work. Kenzie created a spreadsheet and worked out what kind of space we could afford, and how many stylists we would need to be financially stable. Once figuring all of that out, it was easier to execute Liz’s vision.
We ran into financial struggles along the way and found our haven with Utah Micro Loan Funds. We had gained a lot of friends and connections during our years of being hair stylists but we were still shocked when we opened the salon to have all 9 of our chairs filled. We couldn’t ask for a better partner and we love that we are women-owned and an all-women workplace.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We had initially had an angel investor that we had been working with for months. After signing the lease for our space, he completely ghosted us with no explanation. Leaving us with a 5-year lease and no way to fund it. Which then sent us into a frenzy to find funds.
Utah Micro Loan Funds was so great and easy to work with. Luckily we had a detailed spreadsheet of everything we needed for funds so we were able to expedite the loan process and get approval. We also had to do a complete renovation of the salon. With that always comes little hiccups that we were able to fix as they came.
We’ve been impressed with Salon Pèttine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a booth rental salon specializing in hair, nails, and esthetics. We are women-owned and all-women stylists. We are not only a safe space for clients but for stylists as well. We strive for a non-toxic work environment and want to work hard for the needs of our staff.
Having come from a more toxic work environment, it’s safe to say it’s been a breath of fresh air for most if not all of our stylists. Although Salon Pèttine is a business, our stylists have their businesses and clientele that they bring. We have personally vetted and picked each stylist knowing what they can do and what they have to offer. Everyone is unique and beautiful in their way.
Our stylists range from specializing in extensions, fashion color, blonding, short hair, curly hair, facials, waxing, and nails.
What were you like growing up?
I was that little girl cutting her Barbie’s hair. When I got into high school, that’s when I started experimenting with my hair. I tried all new kinds of hairstyles, and colors, and even cut my hair quite a bit. I had friends trusting me to do their hair and experiment in all kinds of ways. I’m lucky I never fried my hair off with how often I put bleach on my hair.
The first time I dyed my hair a fun color was the summer I graduated high school and I dyed a chunk of my side bangs hot pink. I thought my mom was going to have a heart attack. She hated it at the time. Now, she can’t wait to see what color I dye my hair next. As far as my interests and hobbies go, I was a cheerleader for 7 years and did Theatre for my high school all 4 years I was there. You could say I was a pretty social girl when it came to keeping myself busy hanging with friends.
Liz: I ALWAYS loved doing hair when I was a kid. My best friend’s mom was a hairstylist and I just loved going into the salon and seeing her work. It just looked so fun. I loved styling all my American girl’s hair, friends’ hair, sisters’ hair, and even my mom’s hair. I always knew I wanted to be a hairstylist – and it’s been fun turning what some people consider a hobby into my DREAM job.
Pricing:
- The salon varies in haircuts from $60-$100
- The salon varies in color from $200-$400
- The salon varies in extensions from $175-$400
- The salon varies in facials from $200 to $350
- The salon varies in nails from $55-$100
Contact Info:
- Website: salonpettine.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/salonpettine?igsh=MXdvZGpzb2x0a20wNw==
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dh4CVVU2zny3Lk9w9?g_st=ic
Image Credits
@Paigemckenziphotography
