Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Chin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Susan, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Naming a business can be so difficult. You want it to resemble your brand, be catchy and straight forward. When determining a name that fit my brand I sat back and thought of what I want my clients to feel like after being serviced by me. I remember looking at a chandelier in my foyer and thinking ” I want them to be THE CHANDELIER OF THE ROOM”. When you walk in to a home or a business, the first thing you notice is the gorgeous, dazzling chandelier in the middle of the room. Its bright, bold, stunning and the focal point of the room. I want my clients to be in a room, full of people and be the one who stands out. The one who is dazzling and standing out of the crowd. Therfore came the name THE CHANDELIER SUITE HAIR BOUTIQUE.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Susan Chin, the owner of The Chandelier Suite Hair Boutique and luxury mobile salon suite. I have been in the cosmetology industry for 14 years. I got into the industry after working an internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. I toured a beauty school and instantly knew it was were I was meant to be. I felt at home. I knew it was right for me as I was twice over master designer and student council president along with their beauty fair 1st place winner. I started my career at Rocco Altobelli Salon and dayspa as a chemical technician. After 7 years of working as a commission stylist and having my first child, i decided it was time to move onto something new. I went against all advice and started my own salon suite on the other side of town. I had zero clientele and rebuilt myself from ground zero. During the 2020 pandemic shutdown I knew the industry would take a big hit and I needed to pivot. My heart broke for the brides who could no longer have the wedding day morning they have been dreaming of because salons were not allowing more than one person in at a time. I decided it was the perfect time to build a luxury mobile bridal salon suite that brings the salon to you and your wedding party. After touring a few trailer options and having a trailer salesman talk down to me and tell me the concept would not be sucessful, I found myself with more fire and desire to prove him wrong then ever. I found a custom ice house builder, showed him my concept and floorplan and he brought it to life. I finished the build and launched the luxury mobile salon at the Twim Cities Bridal Fair September 2020. Fast forward to 2022 I decided it was time to expand. I needed more than just an 80 square foot room for my clients. I wanted to offer them more. In February 2021 I signed lease on my first store front. My husband and I did 95% of the build out and launched our grand opening in June 2022. With the new space I have added a Med spa and have a full house of independent stylists who have their specialities. The space has a luxury, chic and relaxing vibe to it. Offering a bright, stunning and cozy space for our clients. The salon also offers a boutique of retail from hair products to jewelery and clothing. We are coming up on our 1st anniversary this month and couldn’t be happier with my decision.

I specialize in hair color, balayage, corrrective colors and specialty colors. I also specialize in hair extensions of all kinds and bridal styling. What sets me a part from others is the fact that I am a specialty stylist only and I do not provide any hair cutting services. I find it to be like a specialty just like a doctor. If you have a knee issue your more likely to go to your orthopedic doctor rather than your general practitioner. So why wouldn’t you want to do the same for your hair in which you are wearing every day. With me as your provider, you will get top notch customer service, hair services and a luxury experience from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave. You might even leave with me as your new friend!

When bringing products and lines into my salon, I am very focused on staying local, small business and women owned. As a small business owner I understand first hand the importance of shopping small and the impact it can make on a family. I also like to keep the products i carry clean, organic and healthy. I am currently carrying the Lis’n line which is made on a farm in southwest Minnesota and a women owned business. I am also carrying Leaf & Flower, a CBD infused line which targets the scalp health and issues to create healthy hair. My Lotion line is also local from Eagan MInnesota called Potted Plant.

I am a small one person business who is trying to make a difference in each and everyones lives who comes in my doors. I want to make a difference for my clients. I want to be someone they trust and can rely on and I want to be a top notch landlord for my independent stylists who share my space. I want to provide a beautiful work space physically and mentally. I continue to invest in myself so I can be the leader that others can look up to and come when they need advice and guidance. The sky is the limit and I cant wait to see what my next venture will be.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What I think helped build my reputation, whether it be with clients, other stylists or business owners is 100% word of mouth. A wise educator of mine back in beauty school told me to never burn a bridge because the world is small, everyone knows everyone and it will come back to you one way or another. I took that to heart and have kept that in the back of my mind for 14 years. It is very true. People you dont think you will ever see again tend to show up or know someone you know. Whether it be an employer your trying to get a job with or another stylist who works with you.

What also helps is to just be a decent, kind and caring human. I have a good sense of reading someone and knowing what vibe they are putting out. I make sure I am following those intuitions and maming the best decisions for my renters and guests. I believe taking care of your stylist, issues in the salon promptly, nipping issues in the toosh immediately and keeping the space clean, maintianed and a good culture in the salon shows and people will notice and keep your reputation up for you.

Happy guests and stylists are your best form of advertising.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think a lot of my story illustrates my resilience. I feel like i had many moments and roadblocks which for some people would make them close up and stop doing hair. The first illustation would be the change of having a baby and trying to manage new mom life and full time work. I find this is when most stylists end up leaving the industry, The second illustration would be starting a business with absolutely zero clientele and having a hefty rent to pay weekly. At the time of opening and transitioning into business ownership and rebuilding I found out I was expecting my second child. This made it especially difficult but I worked hard and made it happen. The third illustration and last would be the 2020 pandemic shutdown. The shut down forced many stylist and owners to close up shop and go out of business. At the time I was blessed with amazing owners of my salon suite and they did not make us pay rent during the mandated shut down which saved many of us from having to close down. This also gave me the opportunity to build my mobile salon and launch that extension of my business. I have been resiliant to the changes of the industry, the things that very well could have shut me down but I decided to keep pushing on and pivot to grow when times changed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thechandeliersuite.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thechandeliersuite
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thechandeliersuite
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/thechandeliersuite
• Other: www.google.com/thechandeliersuite