Launch Salon's What Would We Do Challenge: So Much More Than a New Hairdo
About two weeks ago, I threw my name in to be selected for the "What Would We Do" Challenge at Launch Salon. My girlfriend Amanda has been going here for some time, and I'd always been wanting to try them out but just haven't gotten around to it. I've been totally Facebook and Instagram stalking them for a while now and absolutely love what I've seen. As luck would have it, they picked me for this awesome segment! The premise of the challenge is that you go in there, and without having discussed with each other ahead of time what they would do, four stylists give you their suggestions or ideas of what they want to do with your hair and you HAVE to select one of the options. No picking and choosing or putting together a look from the options. For some people it might be nerve-wracking, because literally ANYTHING can be suggested, but I LOVED the idea of doing this. In exchange for them having their way with my mane, I got 50% off my visit - even better!
Ironically enough, the 4 stylists (there are 5 total that work there) that gave their suggestions were overall very much on the same page with what they wanted to do with my hair, with some slight variations on color or cut. They really do a fabulous job of looking through social media so they can understand and get an idea of my life and style and come up with something that fits in with that. Nicole, the owner, said a lot of people think that the What Would We Do challenge is all about going for something bold like all over blue or shaving part of your hair. If that's your style, then yes, they might go with that. But it's more about finding something that works for their client. If you want to see the full list of ideas they came up with for me, head on over to their Facebook Page and watch the live videos, because they can explain what they came up with SO much better than I ever could.
I ended up choosing a style that was darker than what I started with that has some copper undertones (Nicole, if you're reading this, I know I'm butchering the description - so sorry!) and a cut that pretty much cleaned up what I had and gave me a little bit of texture. I. LOVE. IT. My hair feels so healthy and shiny, and the ends feel so much better too. I love that I have a bit of a darker look for fall, and they did a great job of customizing a color that matches my skin tone and eyes. Here's a quick four photo journey of my hair transformation (Click on the photos to zoom in):
There's something about getting a hair refresh that just makes you feel like you got a life refresh. Even if it's only temporary. A new haircut and color, especially if it's a noticeable change, always gives me a boost of confidence. It's almost like even though I know life will carry on as usual (and it did - Annabelle woke up crying this morning because she somehow managed to get one arm out of her zipped and snapped pajamas), I have a breath of fresh air, so to speak, and feel like I can handle my crazy life with a renewed energy.
My original plan to feature this What Would We Do Challenge on the blog was to talk mostly about my hair and what they did with it, but from the minute I stepped into Launch, I knew it was going to be so much more than that. First off, how cute is it from the outside?
They are located on Michigan Street, aka Grand Rapids' Medical Mile. For those of you that are from Grand Rapids, you know this area has exploded over the last 10-ish years. When I asked Nicole what made her decide on this location (they opened just over a year ago), she said just that - that she's seen how the Michigan Street corridor has grown over the past few years and that she felt it was a good place both now and looking to the future, because the area will only continue to grow.
The interior of the salon is awesome as well. It's cozy, but not cramped. I love the color scheme they chose - it's inviting and calming, but not so much to the point that it's going to put you to sleep. I feel like the teal gives it that pop of color that really goes well with their personalities. If you want to see what the space looked like before it became Launch, head over to their Facebook page where you can see the transformation. It's truly amazing!
When I walked in, all 4 of the stylists that were there greeted me and were all so sweet, but not in a sweet-because-we-are-in-the-service-industry way. They were GENUINE. They each took a look at my hair, felt the weight and density and then we got moving to the main event and went live on Facebook so people could tune in to see what they came up with! After I picked which option (they were all fabulous and it was SO hard to decide!!!), we got started. Even though I picked Nicole's option, Stephanie was the one that actually did my hair. That's one thing that I feel is unique about Launch, and I'll elaborate a bit more on it below, but they really jump in and do whatever is best for the salon. When Stephanie was done working her magic, we went live again for the reveal - I felt like a movie star!
If you're in the Grand Rapids area and looking for a salon to call your hair home, this should be the one. I immediately felt like I was part of the Launch family, and I mean it when I say family, because everyone is so close. I asked if they all knew each other before opening the salon, as the vibe I got was that they'd been friends for years. WRONG. Launch Salon opened a little over a year ago and brought them all together, but you would have never known that because they seem like they've known each other their whole lives. I know I'm going to get the story of how they all came together wrong, so I'm not even going to attempt to re-tell it. Let's just say it was very serendipitous! In fact, Nicole actually had a completely different staff lined up, but due to a delay in the build out of the salon before they opened, she had to start over hiring with very little time left before the Grand Opening. Hearing this and how it ended up working out better than what she could have imagined literally gave me the chills.
The discussion of how they all came together lead to a great conversation of how everyone at Launch wants to do what's best for the salon as a whole. They want their clients to be loyal to Launch, not to any particular stylist, because if one of them isn't available, they still want to be able to make sure their guest can get in. I never once felt like there was any sort of sense of competition between stylists, and heck, I was there for what was kind of a competition! They all have their own unique style and strengths, but are able to give their guests a great experience no matter who is doing the hair. Both Stephanie and Nicole were there the whole time during my appointment (I had a later one, so some of the gals had left for the evening), and it FLEW by because they were so engaged with me and with the other guest that was there. To have the ability to converse and really engage after what I'm sure had already been a long day, is really a gift. Did I mention that Nicole is less than a month away from welcoming her 3rd baby as well? I felt like I was going to die after sitting for 8 hours at that point my my pregnancies, I can't imagine how she does it after standing all day. Also, these ladies do everything at the salon themselves. They answer the phone and make reservations. They check you out when you're finished. No front desk person - they are there with you from the beginning of your experience to the end. And seriously, how fun are they?
Each of the Launch stylists are very strong in their faith as well, and they aren't afraid to share it. But not in a preachy way. It's in the genuine, raw, this-is-who-I-am way. I've seen a few of their videos on Facebook about how they came up with their "Adapt & Overcome" campaign, and it is really moving. You'll have to check it out, because I don't think I can do it justice by writing about it. They don't push their beliefs on other people, but they aren't afraid to share about their spirituality if the situation lends itself to it. I love this too, because it just makes everything seem so much more heartfelt. They aren't trying to stifle who they are outside of being a stylist - because they do have lives outside of this - so I feel like I have a peek into their personalities in that sense as well. On their Instagram account, every now and then they'll post something motivational, and I swear it always comes at just the right time!
And oh, did I mention how they give back to the community? They sold their Adapt & Overcome tanks and tees to help a local family battling cancer. They donated an ultimate wedding package at the Bissell Pets fundraising event. Like they don't have enough to do running a salon already!
Nicole and her team really know what it means to hustle. It's not like they said, "Hey, let's open a salon and everything will fall into place." No. They work hard. Every. Single. Day. They are passionate about their clients and their craft - and it really is a craft - and you feel that from the moment you walk in. If you read the reviews on Google and on Facebook, you'll find that other people feel the same way. My experience was not an isolated one - they treat everyone like this. Launch Salon is about so much more than a new haircut.
This photo is posted on their Facebook page, and I feel like it really sums up what I felt when I went there last night. I truly feel that they love what they do, and that makes a huge difference to me as a client, as well as inspires me to live my best life:
Well done ladies, thank you for making this mama feel revamped! I couldn't be happier about being selected for the What Would We Do challenge and my new cut and color! I'll definitely be coming back to you for all my hair needs for as long as Launch Salon is around, which I hope is a long, long time.