We were lucky to catch up with Boss Lady Stacey Grondahl recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Boss Lady Stacey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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
“Being a business owner is like looking into the abyss, while eating glass.” – Elon Musk

That statement alone, is exactly how I would describe it. I had no idea, and no plans to ever create a business, or own a spa… It just sort of happened. I think that’s how it goes, for the most part. The universe says, “Here! Walk into this brick wall, and then figure out how to scale it.” I used to be a representative for Rhonda Allison (aka, Red Method) Skincare. While I was in the midst of all that, it was all the men I worked on, worked with, met, interacted with, and so on and so forth, who said, “Where do you work… I want to hire you… What should I get…” etc. This factor alone, created a spark. A realization of “Hey… These guys have no freaking idea, and no one to help them with basic skincare.” I get it. The rest was a sh!tshow, to put it lightly. The universe provides… I looked for a room to rent, ended up creating a spa, and everything and everyone I needed just sort of “showed up.” This isn’t to say it was easy. I was broke for a longggggg time. I did full blown grassroots marketing, on foot. Meeting as many people as I could, building as many relationships as I could, and getting out there, and everywhere I could, as well. I was the networking queen. I will say, collaboration is key. Word of mouth is gold. Reputation is everything. Whether good or bad, I see it all as good. People will find you, but don’t just sit back and wait. Go out there and happen to the world. Don’t be lazy. The world is evolving fast, and you have to move right along with it. Try, fail, grow. Just go with the flow.

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
Everyone calls me BOSS LADY, and I mean everyone. Most people don’t even know my real name. I’m THE MANHANDLER, aka Stacey Grondahl, the boss of men’s grooming. I’m the gal who takes zero sh!t from everyone. I’m all about realism. Authenticity. Creating a business that encompasses my ridiculousness, and raw, no holds barred banter. I like to get one-on-one with my customers, help them in any way that I can, all whilst making people laugh (and laugh at themselves) in the process. Daily EGO checks! Mine too. Very important. Life is hard, and we all need each other to survive. I teach that skincare is anything but superficial, and mind-body-spirit is everything. Live your life, to your standards. You do not need anyone’s permission to be yourself, and feel your feelings, and express who you are. I encourage everyone to do this… and I teach on the subject as well, at local schools in the beauty and wellness industry; including expos and local men’s groups. The world needs more realism*.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Real sh!t. I had a private investor. A mother of a mother, (also known as my adopted family now) loaned me the money to start my business. As much as I have grown, it’s important to not go… “Well, I wish I would have done things differently.” Here’s the thing… You learned! I learned – what not to do, what TO do, and what to evolve into. I’m a cult classic. That’s how I see my spa. It’s a delayed thing, which becomes legendary. My approach is everything, and if I didn’t have all the little fails along the way, my spa wouldn’t be as cool as it is today – with my amazeballs (and badassery served straight up) reputation. You’re welcome world. You do NOT have to follow the same rules as everyone else. Create your own! Same thing in business strategy. Screw the “layout,” of you must have this “statement,” and this “theme,” and that “way it must be done.” Everything has been created over time, and it can just as easily be un-created, undone, re-done, re-vamped, forced to change, etc. There IS NO STATUS QUO. You do you. Do business UNUSUAL. Create your own revolution, style, way of biz savvy. What I will say is this… Work with what you have, master your craft, and stay consistent in your culture. Grow from there. Build on that.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’m currently pivoting, and it’s not un-scary. I’m in the process of moving the entire spa into a new location. Bigger, better, and highly evolved. Not to mention, the female spinoff of WE DO MEN. No, it will not be called WE DO WOMEN. That would be to easy; and to be quite frank, that domain has been taken for years! Trust me, I checked (haha). It will be epic though. This world we live in today is 1,000x different that when I started 10 years ago. It’s a frustrating time, but I plan to use it to grow. Taking a risk is what it’s all about. I’m excited for the new chapter. It was, and is time. Know when it’s yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.WeDoMen.com
• Instagram: @wedomen
• Facebook: @wedomen
• Linkedin: staceygrondahl
• Twitter: @wedomen
• Youtube: wedomen channel
• Yelp: wedomen
• Other: tiktok @wedomen

Image Credits
@JordanKnowMoore