We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Grace Schafer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Grace, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

In summer of 2021 I was sitting next to my mom on a plane to Florida, when she asked me if I would ever become an independent stylist. I scoffed, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. At the time I was about 2 years into my career working at a salon that I loved. But all of a sudden, my mind was in a frenzy. Before I knew it, I had whipped my out laptop, and starting looking at business cards, and all of the various salon necessities. I created a document that had all of my ideas and thoughts about what I would want for my own salon space. Fast forward almost two years, and I had barely looked at that document, and was still working at the same salon. In spring of 2023, my sudden interest in my salon document had spiked again. At the time, my partner and I were house hunting, and I thought surely starting my own business was off the table, right? Well, with the housing market being in the state that it was (is), we decided it would be best to wait for the market to cool down, and take a break. Through all of this, I was struggling to stay in love with my job. There were nights when I would wonder, “Did I make the right career choice?”. I knew I still loved the industry and working with my clients, but I felt as if I couldn’t have the life balance and give the experience I wanted to my clients unless I was playing by my own rules. So, with the support of my partner and so many others, I began the process of creating The Hair Lab. Due to the document I already had, I had a rough idea of the services, products, and overall vibe I wanted to offer. But, there were two major players missing, name and location. I had toured lots of spaces around Grand Rapids, but I wasn’t convinced any of them were right for me. One day I looked at my instagram notifications to find that Image Studios Grand Rapids had starting following me and had liked many of my posts. Intrigued, I went to their profile, and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Modern, editorial, and set to open around the time I was hoping to make my transition. With the location secured and the suite on hold, there was only was major thing missing, the name. I got my dad on the phone and asked him to help me think of a name that fit the eccentric, unique vibe I was going for. The science behind doing hair has always been my driving force and I wanted something that fit well with it. All of a sudden, my dad said, “Eureka!”. I wasn’t sure where exactly he was going with it, but I loved the direction. After about an hour and a half, and lots of really bad names, I blurted out “The Hair Lab!” We both knew right then, that was it. Over the next few months, I obtained an LLC, all licenses required, and all supplies necessary to open in January 2024. Meanwhile I was juggling work, home, and playing Babette in Beauty and the Beast. I definitely don’t recommend trying to start a business while doing a musical. After many months of planning, and furiously typing in a feather duster costume, I was ready to open. It was so surreal seeing everything I had put into the business, even in 2021, come to life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Grace Schafer and I am the owner and operator of The Hair Lab. Located in Images Studios Grand Rapids, I specialize in red hair, cutting, extensions, and bridal. The science of hair has always fascinated me and I love to share my knowledge with my clients. I originally wanted to pursue a degree in musical theater, but quickly found that was not the path for me. But similar to theater, I love to give an experience that brings joy to others. My top priority is making sure my clients feel comfortable, educated, and more than anything leave my chair feeling their best.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I truly believe that clients value honesty above almost all else. Even if your hair doesn’t turn out as planned, a client is more likely to be less upset or give me an opportunity to fix it if I am honest with them. It is so important to own up to mistakes and not let ego get in the way of your own success. Honesty = Trust. Trust = Respect. Respect = Loyalty. I have found it to be a simple as that.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I found getting involved in local community theatre allowed me to meet so many new people who also loved something that I did. This allowed us to have common ground, and they got to know me outside of the chair and as person first. Based on that they decided to whether or not to trust me with their hair. After I had gained a few new clients from the theatre community, all of a sudden it felt like half of my clients were people I had worked with in the theatre space.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thehairlabco.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: @thehairlab.ges
• Facebook: The Hair Lab

Image Credits

Headshot – Ethan Engeseth @ethanengeseth