13 Year Salon Anniversary in Canton, MI

Salon Anniversary

This past week marked Ashka Salon Spa’s 13th salon anniversary of being open! To celebrate I thought it would be fun to ask the people who have been here since the beginning how they have felt about the progression Ashka Salon Spa has made throughout the years.

Salon Anniversary

What Does a 13th Salon Anniversary Mean to the Owners?

I started by asking the Owners how they feel about having a business for 13 years now. They talked about the early years and how this business really was “their first child”. They are incredibly pleased with how their hard work has paid off.

Lisa Curry, Owner:

It’s been a wonderful journey being an entrepreneur, everyday is different and we never stop learning. We have been so blessed to have a great team, we started with 4 and now we have almost 30! I want to thank the community for welcoming and supporting us. Ashka has grown even more than what we had dreamt of!

Steve Curry, Owner:

We’ve had a great 13 years’ operating our business in Canton. The culture, economy and technology in our country have been rapidly evolving over the years. Today’s entrepreneur needs to stay flexible, and ready for change. Our company, and our ability to engage with guests has evolved to meet the needs of the community. Learning and being flexible is a core value of Ashka Salon & Spa and we have had an amazing journey being proactive in business growth. As owners we have invested in the Canton community, living and raising our children here. We look forward to many more years of providing exceptional beauty and wellness services to Canton and our neighboring communities.

Celebrating 13 Year Salon Anniversary with the Originals

I think that it would be hard to find a salon of this size anywhere where they have two stylists who have been there since the very beginning. Kristin and Amanda are Lisa and Steve’s first employees. It was so cool to hear about Ashka Salon Spa’s unwavering commitment to it’s values.

 

Kristin Halliday, Senior Stylist:

Thinking back, starting my career as a hair stylist with Ashka Salon & Spa (before the doors were even opened for business), was both scary and exciting. Thirteen years later, I can tell you that it is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. Ashka is a success because,  we are a company that lives up to it’s mission, while having a strict set of core values which each and every team member encompass. Often, guests will comment about how welcomed and comfortable they feel whenever they enter our building and I agree.  I am very blessed to be surrounded by great women and men who care, respect and encourage each other. It doesn’t really feel like work at all. It feels like home. I love this place 😊

Amanda Allen, Senior Stylist:

I can’t believe it has been 13 years since we have opened! The biggest change over the years is that we started off with 6 employees and now we have grown to 30!  Our core values are the same as they were in the beginning. We all respect each other and strive to give the best service to our clients. We are a big family at Ashka and will continue to be today and in the future!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

The Importance of Recycling

recycling

My whole life I have been told how important it is to recycle. For some reason though, I have never thought to ask why. I have a feeling I am not the only one either. I am writing this post to help inform myself as well as others on why recycling is so incredibly important. Why should I take the time to separate it? What can I recycle?

What are We Recycling?

recycling

I found out from the Waste Management website what exactly we can be recycling. I was amazed by some of the statistics they had on there.

Metals: Americans now discard about 2.7 million tons of aluminum per year and only about 50% of it is recycled. We can save an enormous amount of energy by recycling. For instance, recycling aluminum and tins can will save about 74% of the energy used to make them!

Paper/Cardboard: There is about 71 million tons of paper that is used every year here in America; that is 29% of our municipal waste! The good news is that most people are aware of their paper products so approximately 63% get recycled.

Glass: Did you know that most of the jars in America now contain about 27% recycled glass? I think that is wonderful that we are slowly working our way to being more recycling friendly.

Plastics: While plastic is convenient, it takes resources and contributes waste to our environment. It is crucial that your plastics are clean when you recycle them. One contaminated container can completely ruin an entire barrel!

Batteries/Bulbs: You need to be careful when recycling these items. Be sure to figure out the proper way of disposing them in your community. You can also make an effort by switching to rechargeable batteries.

Electronics: Often called “e-waste”, electronics contain a lot of chemical and mineral elements that can be recycled. If they are recycled properly, they can become a valuable source of materials.

What Happens to Our Recycling?

When I really started thinking about how to recycle, my next question was “What actually happens to our recycled materials?”.  Once our recyclables are picked up, they are brought to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Once at MRF everything is then sorted and separated into their different materials. One these items have been collected and sorted they become valuable to people in the worldwide market. I was shocked by how simple of a process this really was.

AVEDA puts on a “CaAVEDA makes a point of using a high percentage of post-consumer recycled materials in their packaging. I think this is just one more way that AVEDA is a stop above the rest. Stop into the salon today to pick up your recyclable products!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

AVEDA’s Mid America Hair Show

Mid America Hair Show

Last week I had the honor of attending AVEDA’s Mid America Hair Show. As you have probably noticed, I take a lot of pride in being able to travel to shows for knowledge and inspiration. This show was both and more for me.

Mid America Hair Show
Mid America Hair Show

The show started with Van Michael Salon. Van Michael Salon is a chain of AVEDA salons near Atlanta. They talked a lot about the importance of consultation. When their stylists consult with their guests about possible styles, there are four main points of consideration.

  1. Hair Texture
  2. Body Silhouette
  3. Face Shape
  4. What the Client Wants

While 3 out of these 4 points I have always considered, body silhouette is new to me. It was just an interesting concept that I am eager to learn more about. I cannot wait to apply it to my own consultations with my guests.

Next up was Ian Michael Black, Global Artistic Director of Hair Color. He talked a lot about AVEDA’s new hair coloring trend, Eclipting. The coolest thing about this new technique is that it is different on every single client. We, as hair artists, use hair color to contour our clients face shape. The thought was, if we can do this with makeup, why can’t we do this with hair color too?

Create a Demand for Change at the Mid America Hair Show

Aveda has recently partnered with the Audubon Society. The Audubon Society is a mission driven wildlife conservation society.

Mid America Hair Show
The National Audubon Society’s mission shared at the Mid America Hair Show

Audubon has been studying how climate change affects the birds in our country for the past 7 years. It has been found that within 50 years 188 bird species will have lost 50% of their safe climate habitats. Even crazier, 126 bird species will be completely extinct, forever. AVEDA has partnered up with them by donating a certain amount of money for every Love Composition Oil that is purchased to help plant native plants in order to help balance the climate change.

The biggest thing I took from this presentation was that we NEED to talk about the importance of climate change on our world. Only about 3 out of 10 people will talk to their friends about this. If we get more people talking about the danger our world is in, we can hopefully take more steps in the right direction. We are what hope looks like to a bird. We can help. Love drives both Audubon and AVEDA.

There is so much more to tell you guys about! Stay tuned for my next blog post to discover more about AVEDA’s amazing Mid America Hair Show!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Specialty Coloring Services in Canton, MI

Specialty Coloring

Balayage, Ombre, and Babylights. Highlights, Complete Color, and Toning. The list of coloring techniques seem to never end! With technology, the way we see hair color and trends is completely different than we ever had before. I feel as though I hear about a new specialty coloring service every other day! Guests are bound to get lost trying to keep up with it all, leaving them wondering what to ask for. I am going to explain what each of our coloring services  on our menu means. I am hoping to clear up any confusion and making booking your appointment at Ashka Salon Spa as smooth as possible!

Specialty Coloring – Color

Specialty Coloring
Complete Color by Emma

Complete Color – This is when the same color is applied from roots to ends. This one is pretty straight up. If you want to be one solid color, this is the option for you.

Color Retouch –  When a color is applied only to your roots that have grown since your last appointment. Once you see your natural color, or maybe even a little bit of sparkle from grays, it may be time to book this appointment!

Men’s Color – This service will apply color to all of your hair. It can be used to cover or blend greys. Sometimes guys want a change too and we offer it at Ashka Salon Spa.

Specialty Coloring – Highlights

Specialty Coloring
Balayage by Josie

Full Highlight – Highlights will be put all over your head. Scheduling an appointment for this service is best for when you are trying to go all over lighter. You will discuss with your stylist about what your overall goal is but this can be used to any color dimension. Highlights do not always mean blonde!

Partial Highlight – There is only foils placed from your ear and up on your head. This is great for extra dimension! One thing to keep in mind is that when you wear your hair up, the bottom half of your hair will look darker. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing it just depends on personal preferences!

Balayage or Specialty Highlight – Balayage means “to sweep”. It is a way of hand painting dimension into the hair. This service is reserved for any “on trend” highlighting techniques. These usually require more skill to accomplish. Babylights, balayage, and ecaille would all fall under this category.

Men’s Highlight – Dimension can really make a haircut pop sometimes. Depending on the length of your hair, these will be foiled or hand painted on.

Specialty Coloring – Miscellaneous

Ombre/Multi-Process Color – Ombre is a look when you have a darker root and your ends are solidly lighter. There are so many types of ombres so I definitely recommend bringing in a picture of what you are thinking! Your stylist will be able to customize your look so that it is perfect for you.

Corrective Color – We do require a complimentary consultation for this service. If you have color currently on your head and you want a dramatic change, quickly or if you maybe made an “at-home” oops, this is what you should book!

Hopefully this is help you to decode the hair coloring world and make it easier for you to set up the perfect appointment with your favorite stylist at Ashka Salon Spa.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

 

Cruelty Free Hair Color in Canton, MI

If you were to ask anyone in my life to describe me, I almost guarantee that “animal lover” would be in their list. I have a 6 month old puppy, my Facebook feed is a modge podge of hair and funny animal videos, and I recently became a vegetarian. Granted, I have also recently started eating meat again, but that is another story. (One word: Bacon. Yum!) Something that is very dear to my heart is the importance of working with a cruelty free product line. I am so lucky to work with AVEDA. They do not only have cruelty free hair color, but do not test any of their products on animals.

Cruelty Free Hair Color

What does it mean to have cruelty free hair color? When you Google the term “cruelty free” the definition that comes up is: manufactured or developed by methods that do not involve experimentation on animals. Animal testing can be extremely torturous to our fluffy little friends. It also does not give us true results because obviously the products will be used on humans, not animals in the long run.

How Does AVEDA Test Their Cruelty Free Hair Color?

Cruelty Free Hair Color
Cruelty Free Hair Color

Another unique aspect of AVEDA is that it tests all of their products on humans throughout the entire development process. In their corporate offices in Blaine, Minnesota, AVEDA has their research salon. I was able to see this part of the factory last weekend while I was there for my Color Culture class. The people who work in the research salon are all licensed cosmetologists. They are trained on how to evaluate the different color products on a number scale. This is so that results from tests can easily be taken down. They have people come in and will sometimes put two different formulas on each side of their head so that they can see the differences and similarities between products. If you are interested in being one of their models, you can fill out the application on their recruiting page.

One of the benefits of testing like this is the location. It is in the same building as the hair color lab and factory. When experiments are done, they are able to page the hair color chemists and the Global Artistic Director.

The fact the AVEDA has cruelty free hair color is just one of the many reasons I can not get enough of this company. Stop into the salon soon so I can tell you more about the amazing company I get to work with.

Until next time,

Josie 🙂

My Experience at Color Culture

Color Culture

I honestly do not even know where to begin when I go to talk about how amazing of an experience Ian Michael Black’s Color Culture class was. 6 months ago, when my manager sent me a screenshot of a facebook post explaining the class. I knew I needed to go. We talked about how we were going to afford it, and what we would need to plan out in advance. I was signed up for the class within a couple of weeks.

Color Culture
Ready for Class!

Even after registering, it did not occur to me how big of a deal this class was. Truly, it did not really register until the minute I walked through the door on the first day of class. I walked in and was immediately greeted by Ian, who is AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director of Hair Color, with a smile and a hug. There was only 7 people in the class. I knew then I was about to have the most incredible experience of my career so far.

Two Workshop Days in Color Culture with Ian Michael Black

Color Culture
Ian teaching the Color Culture Class

Day 1 and 3 of Color Culture were workshop days. We worked at the AVEDA Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We talked about the challenges we had with hair color, and what we wanted to learn from this class. One thing that Ian really emphasized throughout the class was that every person is different. Every artist is going to prefer to do things a certain way, and that is perfectly okay. He said it is important to continue to take classes as we work through our career so that we can find an educator who thinks similarly to us.

Another big thing that Ian talked about was making sure we are looking at what our guest’s hair needs to make it the best version of their hair every time they come in. It is our job as the stylist to recommend our professional opinion. Sometimes it will be just a touch up, other times we may think our guests hair could use a few foils to add some dimension. The beautiful thing about hair color is that it can constantly be evolving.

Tour of AVEDA’s Corporate Offices and Factory

Color Culture
AVEDA’s Mission on the wall when you first walk into their headquarters.

On day 2 of Color Culture, we took a field trip to Blaine, Minnesota to see AVEDA’s corporate office and factory. We started with a chakra meditation for wellness to help bring us into balance. We then talked to Shiv Nath Tandon, AVEDA’s tribal elder. He was so incredibly wise and it was amazing to speak with him.

We then took a tour of the grounds, which are actually a wildlife preserve. AVEDA recently put up stickers on a lot of their windows to protect birds from flying into them. They also have a community garden where employees can rent plots. One of the coolest thing about the grounds is that AVEDA has 3 bee colonies on their property. They are kept up by University of Minnesota’s research team. It is made to help inform people about the danger that bees are in and how we can help. By simply planting flowers in your front yard, you are helping with the bee epidemic.

For lunch, we ate at AVEDA’s Organica Cafe. What I thought was interesting was that corporate workers and factory workers ate lunch together. That is something you really don’t see that often. The sense of equality and community was wonderful.

Our class then met with the lead chemist behind creating AVEDA hair color. She told us about the process of making hair color and how long it takes to develop so that it is ready to be launched. It takes 3 years. That blew my mind. There is only 3 chemists in the hair color lab at AVEDA which is really cool too. You can tell that AVEDA works for quality versus quantity is everything that they do.

Ideation with R & D and Ian Michael Black

After our factory tour, we went with AVEDA’s Research and Development team and had an ideation session about new products we would like to see. It was amazing to be in the same room that so many amazing people sat, thinking of all of AVEDA’s hair color.

At the end of the day, Ian surprised us with a custom hair color tube. There was only 20 made and we each got 2 tubes. After seeing the whole process, it was amazing to me that they stop production simply to give us a souvenir.

Color Culture
Custom Color Tube by Ian.

Dinner with The Curry Diva

Color Culture
The Curry Diva

We then went to dinner with The Curry Diva. Heather, the owner of The Curry Diva, cooks with Ayurveda in mind. She mentioned flavors that are good for different elements and taught us a lot about how to cook food that is truly healthy for our bodies. Did you know that olive oil can actually become carcinogenic after you cook with it? I couldn’t believe it!

Color Culture
Our Color Culture Class.

All in all, I cannot begin to thank the people at AVEDA, Ian Michael Black, or Ashka Salon Spa enough for allowing me the opportunity for this amazing experience. This is by far the most incredible 3 days of my career so far. I have grown so much as a colorist and as an AVEDA enthusiast. I cannot wait to work for AVEDA for the rest of my life. Stop into the salon soon so that I can show you all I learned from AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director of hair color.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Prepping for a Business Trip in Canton

Business Trip

Prepping for a business trip can be incredibly stressful. I will be attending Ian Michael Black’s Color Culture class in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the middle of August. Ian Michael Black is AVEDA’s Global Artistic Director for Hair Color. This will be the second time I will be flying for education. There are a lot of things that you can’t control when you are flying, so the best thing to do is to be sure of everything that you can.

My Business Trip – What is This Class About?

Business Trip
Ian Michael Black

This Color Culture class is a once in a lifetime experience. I will be able to be in a small classroom environment learning from Ian Michael Black himself. On top of that, I will also have the opportunity to get a behind the scenes tour of the AVEDA factory as well as their corporate office. I cannot even begin to express how excited I am! I’ll be sure to blog all about my experience.

How Am I Prepping for My Business Trip?

I have always been someone who needs to make a list to pack. I like to have everything written out and prepared. It will stress me out if I am unsure if I forgot something. I recently purchased a new notebook specifically for this trip. I will use the first few pages to make my packing list. I also want to write down some classes that I want to ask Ian Michael Black if I am given the chance. On top of all of that, my manager was saying we should be sure to have all phone numbers and addresses on a printed out itinerary.

I still cannot believe that I have the ability to attend this amazing class. I am going to take full advantage of every minute while I am there. Be sure to stay tuned into our blog so you can hear all about it!

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

AVEDA Products in Canton, Michigan

AVEDA products

Recently I have become aware of how much of an impact I personally have on the environment. I switched to a plant-based diet, put a recycling bin in my room (and actually use it), and switched to using almost all AVEDA products. I don’t think that many people realize how much AVEDA does for the world and our environment. AVEDA as a company is extremely concerned about their carbon footprint. Ashka Salon Spa recently hosted a “Why AVEDA?” class for some of the girls at the salon. It was wonderful to hear all about how AVEDA gives back to society and the earth!

How Does AVEDA Help The Environment As A Company?

AVEDA is the only beauty company that manufactures its products with 100% certified wind power. When I heard this fun fact, I was blown away (no pun intended). I think that is incredible. More than half of the electric energy in the United States is made from burning coal. Through the use of coal it affects our ground, water, air and the workers as well as local residents. While wind power still has some effect on Mother Earth, it is definitely overall less negative.

AVEDA products are all manufactured by 100% wind power.
AVEDA products are all manufactured by 100% wind power.

Another thing that I thought was really cool is how dedicated AVEDA is to giving people clean drinking water around the world. Every April is Earth Month and AVEDA raises money and awareness for the importance of access to clean water. Since 2007, AVEDA has raised more than $38 million for projects that support clean water at home and around the world!

And of course, AVEDA never tests on animals! They actually have a “testing salon” where people book appointments, knowing that they are being the test dummy for a new product. I was so happy to hear that this was an option!

AVEDA products
All AVEDA products are cruelty free! Look for the little bunny symbol on the back of their packaging.

How Does Purchasing AVEDA Products Help Our World?

An easy way to see how purchasing AVEDA products helps give back to the world is that it is furthering a company who does genuinely care about the environment. By purchasing from another company, you may unconsciously be supporting animal testing or consistent pollution.

AVEDA products are all packaged so that they can be recycled. Today 90% of AVEDA’s bottles are 80% post-consumer recycled plastic. This helps to keep tons of junk out of landfills daily! They say it saves AVEDA 600 tons of new plastic every year.

Like I said, I am slowly becoming more aware of my personal carbon footprint. I am incredibly blessed to work with a product line who believes in taking care of the Earth as much as I do.

Stop into Ashka Salon Spa for your AVEDA products to join AVEDA and I as we continue to take steps to better the world we live in.

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Balancing Work & Play at Ashka Salon Spa

Balancing Work

If you were to talk to my manager, she would tell you that I constantly struggle with balancing work and play. I have been caught multiple times asking if having down time is even worth it. Some people may even consider me a “workaholic”. Coming from someone who just adores her job and wants nothing but to be able to be the best she can be, squeezing in me time can be very difficult. I have found though, those off chances that I do pamper myself, are more than deserved.

Balancing Work
Balancing Work and Play can be harder than it seems.

Balancing Work with Play

How many times have you worked yourself so hard that you dread when your alarm clock goes off in the morning? While I am not saying we can make you love that (annoying) sound every morning, I can promise that we can help make it a little more bearable. I challenge you to end a long work week with a Manicure with Kym, or a Massage with Sarah. Maybe you even just need a trim so you can enjoy your complimentary scalp massage. At Ashka Salon Spa, we are working to give you some “me” time. We want you to put down your phone that can drive you batty during the work hours and just enjoy the peace and quiet with us. Book an appointment with Beth for a facial after a big presentation. Again, I promise you will love it.

 

“The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.” This was written by Tim Krieder for the New York Times. It is a wonderful quote. It shows how important downtime truly is. You need downtime in order to accomplish anything.

As I said before, I challenge you to set aside time for yourself. Away from your work. Away from your family. Away from any responsibilities. Enjoy your time in the serenity offered at Ashka Salon Spa

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂

Welcome Our New Team Member, Rachel!

Team Member

There are many different careers within the Beauty Industry. There are many different paths just within Ashka Salon Spa. If you are thinking that you may want a salon job, there is so many ways to go about it. One route would be to start working the front desk first. While this is a tasking job, it gives you a complete taste of what working in the salon would be like!

Many of you might have noticed a lot of new changes around the salon, including some new faces! We recently welcomed Rachel as a Front Desk Coordinator to our team. She is a wonderful addition as a new team member. Not only do we love her, I know our clients will too! Rachel is super friendly, and an amazing multitasker. I have full confidence that she will thrive at the front desk.

Who is Our New Team Member?

Rachel is so happy with her salon job!
Rachel is so happy with her salon job!

Rachel is a recent graduate from University of Michigan Dearborn with a degree in Psychology. She applied to Eastern Michigan University for graduate school. At EMU she hopes to study Social Work for Families and Children. She currently works two jobs including the front desk at Ashka Salon Spa as well as a group leader at Westland’s Youth Assistance Program. On top of that she also does a weekly paper route! When Rachel isn’t working or studying, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She can often be found at the baseball fields in Westland rooting on her dad, boyfriend, and many friends in their softball leagues.

Question and Answer with Our New Team Member on Her Salon Job

salon job
Enjoying Our Salon Job

What do you like most about working at Ashka Salon Spa?

Rachel: I like that everyone is so passionate about what they do. Everyone is happy without effort and it makes a huge difference!

What is the biggest change from your last job?

Rachel: The biggest change from my old job is that I have a lot more responsibility. I play a much bigger role in ensuring the company runs smoothly for service providers and clients.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome so far at Ashka Salon Spa?

Rachel: The biggest challenge has been adapting to a job that I really did not have an experience with. My multitasking skills have greatly improved since starting at Ashka Salon Spa.

Would you recommend a salon job to someone? Why or why not?

Rachel: I would recommend a salon job to someone because it is an excellent example of what true customer service is. Working at a salon provides the opportunity to master customer service and communication skills among the staff. It is a job that provides you with skills that can be used to enhance future career opportunities.

 

A salon job can be hectic, but it is easily the most rewarding job I have ever worked. Ashka Salon Spa has definitely shaped me into the woman I am today. I believe that it is a great way to learn many life skills, even if your end goal isn’t to work in a salon for the rest of your life. Other salon job are manager, owner, service provider, and front desk assistant.

Like I said, I know that the entire Ashka Salon Spa family, including our clients are going to adore Rachel as much as I do! Be sure to welcome her to our team during your next appointment. Call today so she can help you book it! 734-414-9980

Until Next Time,

Josie 🙂