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

Patricia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you find your key vendor or vendors? Maybe you can share the backstory and share some context and the relevant details to help us understand why you chose them, why they chose you, etc.

“Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to how we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty but around the world. ” Aveda Mission Statement

I believe alignment with a brand is of the utmost importance. Reputation in any industry is also super detrimental, especially the beauty industry. When I decided to purchase a salon I knew I wanted to be an Aveda salon. I met with a distribution partner of Aveda Florida and shared with them my career history and future desires.

The process of becoming approved was extensive. I appreciate how exclusive they are, and understood that they are a luxury brand. They go above and beyond the standards of sustainability and expectations of their salon partners. I supplied them with all the information required and met with several members of their team. I believe that besides my business plan, they also knew where my heart was. They listened to what my goals were and I was thrilled to have been selected to be a proud part of the Aveda network.

Aveda’s reputation: Aveda is a well-respected brand in the beauty industry with a reputation for producing high-quality, natural and eco-friendly products. Partnering with Aveda can help to enhance the reputation of your salon and attract customers who are interested in sustainable and eco-friendly beauty products.

Training and education: Aveda offers training and education to salon owners and their staff, helping them to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques in the beauty industry. This can help to improve the skills of your staff and provide a better overall experience for your customers.

Community involvement: Aveda is committed to supporting environmental sustainability and social responsibility. You will read how aligned my culture is to this brand here at Venue.

Patricia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a proud small business owner. “I believe that leadership is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and in processes and has the courage to develop that potential. I find inspiration daily from my team. I love being able to foster an environment of growth and support for our newest professionals. Together we are able to accomplish just about anything we set our efforts too. ”

I named our location Venue Salon. I chose the name Venue for many reasons. A venue is where excitement and energy are expected, people can’t resist the invitation, and events of purpose, intrigue, and value occur. Ultimately, a venue of value builds trust, reputation, and purpose. These ideals bring me joy each day, they drive my decisions, and how I attract and retain my Aveda Artists and guests.

We share the culture of Aveda through eco-friendly products, cutting-edge techniques, volunteer activities, and sustainability standards. Our Aveda Artists work with only Aveda products, some of the industry’s purest and most refined professional products. We provide results-driven skincare and haircare.

Venue Salon engages only stylists who share my burning desire to be set apart. They do this by pursuing advanced education while consistently delivering new and exciting options to our guests. It is all about our guests, all about how they want to feel and what they want.

Venue Salon is an appointment of pleasure, attention, healthy choices, and inspiration. When our guests step back into their lives, they leave with our best wishes, exceptional hair and skin results using best-in-class products and services. We sincerely appreciate that our guests choose Venue Salon, and we look forward to their return!

Recognition I am most recently proud of is winning The Lakeland Chamber of Commerce “Rising Business of the Year”. This award has a special meaning after the Covid pandemic and the disturbance it had on so many levels in all of our lives. Small business is already a challenge, seeing many businesses of all sizes not able to pull through the pandemic makes this accolade special to my heart.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

I learned of a salon and spa space that was available for purchase once I moved to Lakeland Florida in 2016. I was intrigued. If this was our forever home, how could I partner with the community and give back? Thinking along these lines made the decision to purchase final.
We have literally transformed the location into a 5-star, world-class experience for all involved. Our guests enjoy an array of exquisite services, products, and customer appreciation. Our Aveda Artists enjoy possibilities and opportunities they never even dared to dream about.

A core belief at Venue is giving back to society. We have raised over $30,000 since 2018 for Charity Water during Earth Month and for Breast Cancer Research Foundation in October. Funds were raised by our team through raffles, selling handmade goods made by our team and our team’s talented kids, participation in Earth Month walks, and bake sales. We performed lake clean-ups at Lake Parker and Lake Hollingsworth with Owls Nest Sanctuary. Our focus in Earth Month is the conservation of clean water for all wildlife, humans, and the world!

In October, we hold our Breast Cancer Research Foundation Gala , pictures included.

We believe in diversity and equality. We have donated our physical space for non-profits for fundraisers here at no cost.

We believe in giving back within our industry. Our stylists and aestheticians regularly teach classes at several Cosmetology schools across Florida. We participate in career fairs and open houses. We offer technically driven classes and classes on professionalism, social media, and reputation management for new talent in our industry.

We work with upcoming local artists by offering them a place to feature their art in our brick and mortar space. We implemented this when we first opened Venue Salon. We host events showcasing their work and widen their exposure. When fairs and shows stopped during the pandemic, we found creative ways to showcase local talent. We held sip and shops and fundraisers that included locally crafted art and young musicians sourced from Harrison School of Arts and Art Crawl showcasing local artists.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For more than ten years, I worked with one of the most exclusive skincare lines in the world in Los Angeles, California. Many of our clients were in the entertainment industry and appreciated consistent, 5-star customer attention and services. All my mentors and trainers were leaders in this industry. Gratefully, I gained experience, training, and branding knowledge that far exceeded all my state licensing. I was in an extraordinary bubble delivering cutting-edge products to clients who expected the highest caliber of product and results.
Early on, I was promoted to trainer, mentor, and management, traveling throughout California delivering our brand-exclusive processes and procedures to hundreds of skin and hair care artists.

And then came a day in 2016 the company I was with dedicated too changed their executive management structure. I was presented with the choice of stepping into another role in the company, or providing a resignation. I had not been in this situation before. I was facing a huge change regardless of the decision I provided my employer. So much of who I thought I was, who I aligned myself with, was this career. I experienced all the emotions including sadness, fear, and loss. Grief was what I was feeling, mostly of the future trajectory of my career as I thought it would be.

My husband and I looked at our 3-year-old son, Sid, and realized that despite a successful and exciting lifestyle, we wanted Sid to grow up around his cousins and extended family. We made the difficult but heart-centered decision to leave everything behind and relocate to Lakeland, Florida, where our family lives. Once here, even my mom relocated from Hawaii, where I was raised, to join our family.

I decided to drive from Los Angeles California to Lakeland, Florida. I drove alone, with my GSD and use this long road trip to think about what would be the ideal new future I would manifest. I look back at this time in may life with affection and gratitude. I loved being on the open road with time to think, see new places, and gain appreciation of how big and diverse our beautiful country is.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.venuesalon.com
• Instagram: venuelakeland
• Facebook: Venue Salon

Image Credits
Credit to included: Hair Styled By @bekindhair Rebecca Long Hair Color Created by @styles.n.shades.sierra and @alexataveda Sierra Defoe and Alex Bush MUA @jackie_venuesalon Jackie Edwards Styled By Maria Berry-Swann of Stylishly You @sylishlyyou Art work in the salon created by Stephanie Mason of @thekyloandco Photos from BCRF Gala and Holiday Brunch @j.bricker_photography Photos of Salon @madisen.e.photography I own the rights to all of my content