We recently connected with Andi Hanson and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Andi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
One of my main missions as a Cosmetologist offering skin, nail, lash, brow, and body care is to go against the grain of the industry standard. The beauty industry has been filled with toxic messaging and ingredients for such a long time that it has become the norm to adhere to toxic standards. Until recently, certain brands have began to question the ingredient list and the messaging behind what we as professionals are offering to our clients. There is an unfortunate amount of “green washing” happening, which simply put, is saying a product or service is “organic,” “nontoxic,” “vegan,” etc. when in reality said product is still filled with toxic and harmful chemicals. The products I have researched and used within my business are legitimately nontoxic, eco-conscious, and cruelty-free, and do not have any long term harmful effects on the body.
Although it is time consuming, expensive, and difficult at times, to find products and procedures that follow these healthier standards and guidelines, I refuse to be apart of this industry in any other way. Aside from the obvious physical ingredients that can be harmful, the message that is being portrayed to specifically woman identifying individuals, is an unrealistic and highly dehumanizing one. Women are expected to fit into a “one-size-fits-all” beauty standard when it comes to hair, skin, nails, lashes, brows, body, and so on. My goal within this space where I offer services is to be inclusive of all skin types, body types, hair, nail, lash, and personality types. I am constantly working on ways to create a more inclusive and safe space for all women identifying individuals. The services I offer are not one-size-fits-all, in fact I make sure to consult with every client to make sure I understand their specific needs and desires when it comes to the services I offer and the products I use.
One final area where I believe my business, Mindful Practice, is different from the industry standard, is the accessibility and affordability. I work very closely to monitor what is happening in our economy and I am not ignorant to the fact that the services I offer are viewed as a luxury versus a necessity. However, I do believe self care and investing in your personal health and wellness should be a priority that we are all afforded. I work hard to make sure my prices stay affordable by offering sliding scale options, discounts and specials around holidays, discounts for word of mouth referrals, new client discounts, and many other coupon offers throughout the course of each year. I do not believe in the harshness of extreme marketing and pricing, this mindset may not make me a millionaire, but it will allow for my clients to continue to come see me and get some pampering even as the times continue to be tough.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Andi, I am a cosmetologist with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and a certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor (HNC). I also work with people to help their dogs and cats nutrition needs. I have two cats and a dog, they are my world, I am obsessed with them. I love camping, being outdoors, traveling, hiking, reading, deep conversations, and spending time with my friends, partner, and family. I am a foodie, I love to cook and try new restaurants. I got into the industry of cosmetology as a young child. I always loved doing my own hair and make up, as well as helping style my friends hair and makeup for school dances, dates, etc. I decided to go to cosmetology school after two years at a university, because I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, but I knew I wanted to do hair, skin, and nail services. I’ve been providing cosmetology services in various salons since 2014, and in 2016 I started my own business and now am apart of a salon collective in Hermantown, Minnesota. I work along side two other woman owned businesses and we are adding a fourth to our building soon. We each own and operate our own businesses, but together we make up “a collective of women owned, wellness businesses.” During my time as a cosmetologist I decided to finish my degree in Public Health and certify as a HNC. I became deeply aware of the toxins in our food and environment and began a long journey of healing my gut and body with food. Understanding what is going in the body and the impact our food has on our overall mental and physical health has been a deep passion of mine.
I provide eco-conscious, cruelty free, nontoxic beauty services including: facials, gentle manicures, brow laminations, lash lifts, lash and brow tinting, facial and body waxing, as well as Holistic Nutrition Counseling Services. My business partner who co-founded the space we work in, offers cruelty free hair care and lifestyle, maternity, elopement, and pet photography. Our other business partner who joined this past year is a Massage Therapist who offers aroma touch, deep tissue, and many other forms of deeply healing massage. We are currently working to add a Body Work Therapist to our building who specializes in trauma release therapy. Together we have created a holistic space for health, wellness, beauty, and overall healthy living.
I am most proud of the space we have created. It is an oasis on an acre of land, surrounded by trees and wildlife, off of a main highway road in Hermantown, Minnesota. We have put blood, sweat, and tears into the remodel and growth of this space. It is a private, quiet, safe space that feels like a spa when you walk in. It generally smells of essential oils and natural skin and hair care products. We offer safe and affordable services that set us apart from other salon and collective business spaces in our area.
Something important to know about me and my business partners is we are constantly learning and growing in our field. We are always doing some form of continued education, putting in work and investing in our space. Our areas of interest go beyond just our industry, but also focus on social justice issues, accessibility, ways to lower our carbon footprint, and in doing so we hope to stay within the energy of furthering our expertise and impact so we can continue to attract more success. The best interest of our client’s and the Earth are part of our core values here and I believe we desperately need more of that in the business world. We have enough cutthroat and wasteful corporations in the world, we can desperately use more mindful ones.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I met my business partner Alyssa when we were both working as independent contractors at the same salon. We slowly got to know each other over the course of trading services and around that time I went through a difficult breakup. I had mentioned to Alyssa during one of our long hair sessions that I needed to get out of town and go on a solo trip to heal my mind. I wanted to go to Sedona, AZ and check out the vortex hikes. Alyssa had been to Sedona before and immediately offered to come with me and show me all the best spots, as well as to be a support system during a tough time. I remember thinking that it was amazing that someone wanted to travel with me so last minute and was willing to be so spontaneous. We bonded a lot during that trip and started day dreaming about what it would be like to open our own collective space someday.
Three months later Covid hit. The salon we rented at got shut down, like the rest of the salons in the country, and we were out of jobs. Unemployment didn’t kick in for independent contractors and small business owners for another 10 weeks and so we began to talk about what our future was going to look like. We both have entrepreneur minds and we decided to move forward with plans to find a building that we could run our businesses out of that would be more private than the bigger salon we were in at the time. We weren’t sure how long Covid would be around and if people would feel comfortable coming back into big salon spaces, so we began our search. We came across a beautiful house on a commercial road and our minds starting envisioning what we could create. We decided it was the perfect place and we began to do some remodeling to get it up to code, looking fresh and modern, and updating whatever needed some love. It took us many more hours, days, weeks, and months than we ever anticipated, but we did it with the help of our loved ones. We are so proud of the way the space has turned out and we continue to put love into it as time goes on.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A story that represents resilience for me and my business comes in two parts. The first part is when Covid hit and all salons shut down. Somehow my business was able to make it through the four month shut down and thankfully my clients were excited to come back when we were able to open our doors again. The second part happened last winter, we had an infrastructure issue with our building that caused us to have to close for three months while repairs were being made. Both times I was at a place of extreme stress and fear that my business would not make it, both times I struggled financially, both times I stayed determined to open my doors again and continue with my dream. Ultimately, the support from my friends, partner, and family are what got me through. Believing that this is what I am meant to be doing with my life and continuing to the utilize the time I had while the space was shut down to further my education, continue connecting with my clients via texts, social media, and email, and continuing to have faith that I could come back and give the space life once again. Although I went through highs and lows emotionally during those times, I ultimately always kept pushing myself to continue to make it happen. I am so thankful I did, because I have been back open for almost a full year now and happier, busier, and better than ever!
Contact Info:
- Website: mindfulpractice.co
- Instagram: @mindfulpractice_
Image Credits
Alyssa Lovdahl of Lovdahl Photography