BEAUTIFUL INNOVATION

Business

Beautiful Innovation

Wolfe & Co. bringing together like minds to single collaborative salon in downtown Austin

By Eric Johnson

Sarah Wolfe, by her own admission, was looking for change. But she also had an idea.

Taken together, change and innovation can often have dynamic results and in this case, those dynamic results have led to Wolfe & Co., a unique collaborative business design that is bringing together like-minded personalities within one salon.

“I honestly just wanted to have a space where individual people could come in and start their own business,” Wolfe said from within the fresh and artistic home of Wolfe & Co., located at 128 Third Avenue NW in Austin. “That’s basically what this is. I’m a landlord lucky enough to be a co-worker at the same time.”

With four exuberant personalities already signed on to the experience and coming from a variety of backgrounds, Wolfe & Co. opened its doors in February of this year, enticing customers with a welcoming feel that makes it clear that all those coming in their doors will get the 100% treatment every time.

“A lot of people just know me and I’m kind of an open book,” Wolfe said. “I feel like I try to make people feel comfortable and I think people know that. Even with the product we choose. Everything is about diversity, LGBTQ ... that’s also what this is about. A place where anybody can feel comfortable.”

And it all started with change. An urge to step out and take on the world.

“I was just ready to move on,” Wolfe said. “I feel like for a long time I tried to do different things.”

After years with the Style Lounge, Wolfe’s first possible move was to take over Uptown Hair just off Main Street, but when that didn’t come to fruition, she began looking at other avenues.

However, those other things didn’t necessarily include something so grand. But the idea grew and after about a year of planning, it was time to move forward in a big and bold way.

“(My husband) was like ‘go big or go home’ and I said, ‘fine, we’re going to do this,’” Wolfe said.

To say this has been a labor of love is probably understating the task that lay before them just a little. For starters, the building is the longest on the block and it required a lot of work.

“This building didn’t come up right away for us only because when we looked at it, it was like ‘holy crap,’” Wolfe said. “We gutted the entire thing. There was nothing but studs in here.”

The duo set to work and after about four months and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, transformed the vacant space into something completely different.

The walls are painted in an eggshell white with accent lighting running along the walls throughout. The original ceiling, far overhead, was exposed and painted in gold to create a shrine to beauty. Beneath it all are four custom stations, designed by Wolfe and built by her dad.

Stretching back into the rest of the building is a line of hair washing stations with two rooms, one taken up by Jordan Parks, an esthetician who will provide personalized facials, luxe body waxing and lash extensions.

The other room will be taken up by a nurse practitioner who will offer Botox services.

Taken as a whole, Wolfe & Co. could be looked at as a canvas for the artists who now work within.

“I don’t care about making money off of other people,” Wolfe said. “That’s not what I’m about, it’s about creating this space for other people to create, express themselves and make money and not have to share it with anybody else was the point of how big this got.”

While each service is listed under the Wolfe & Co moniker, the artists within are their own business owner.

“This is just the house and there’s all these people who live here and they own separate businesses and that’s how I kind of want to display them because it’s just not mine,” Wolfe said.

However, that’s not to say Wolfe didn’t use a discernible nature when choosing people to bring under this umbrella.

She wanted those working within to be a part of something special and unique that created a sense of family. “I honestly just wanted to have a space where individual people could come in and start their own business. That’s basically what this is. I’m a landlord lucky enough to be a co-worker at the same time. ” Sarah Wolfe Wolfe & Co.

“I was slightly picky only because I wanted to make a salon where people had specific niches ,” Wolfe said. “Things that they did were very specialty. Things so if somebody were to say, ‘I really want this one service,’ who can do this best?’ That’s when you call this person.”

“I really tried to create a space where everybody here is very educated and can provide a ‘you get what you asked for’ situation,” she continued. That was important to me that these were truly artists, that they were willing to keep learning.”

What came about was a hybrid of individual business owners working within a collaborative space. A community, if you will, all working toward the same goal.

Meredith Heimer

Meredith is a creator and customizer with an eye toward boosting confidence though looking and feeling great.

Services • Eyelash tinting • Eyelash perming • Eyebrow lamination • Hand-tied and tape-in extensions • Low maintenance blending • Wedding styles An important part of Wolfe & Co. is its welcoming nature, including the LGBTQ community.

Katie Hanson

Katie, a color specialist, is determined to not just give you a hair style you’ll love, but ensure that its a party at the same time.

Services • Global blonds • Power brunettes • Transformational and corrective colors • The OLAPLEX Experience • Facials and waxing.

Vision & Values Integrity: Doing business with honesty and transparency. Excellence: Providing the best experience in all services performed.

Innovation & Education: Crafting ahead-of-trend and on-trend styles with the desire to continue learning.

Diversity & Inclusivity: Embraces and encourages a team environment while also embracing the community and welcomes and includes all.

Jordan Parks

Having made beauty a passion, Jordan is looking to create a memorable experience for her customers.

Services • Personalized facials • Luxe body waxing • Lash extensions

It also created a fun unity with those at Wolfe & Co. All of the stylists working currently at Wolfe & Co were either former students of Wolfe’s when she taught at Riverland Community College or had worked with her.

While they didn’t necessarily know each other, they quickly came together.

Wolfe remembered a bonding moment over food and margaritas at El Mariachi one night. What was expected to be a one or two hour meal, stretched to four. It proved to be a pivotal moment for Wolfe & Co.

“Time goes flying by because everybody was getting along and that made me really happy,” Wolfe said. “That’s the environment I want to set. This job is supposed to be fun. It doesn’t have to be just about money and pushing product on people. It’s supposed to be literally a fun job and that’s the environment I wanted to create for people.”

In a lot of ways, a salon is also an artist’s studio. That was important for Wolfe, who has a background in art. And example of her work can be found in the restroom at Wolfe & Co. in the form of a wall-sized wolf mural.

Hair and beauty are very much an art and Wolfe was keen on reflecting that.

“I wanted to embrace art and what it means to me and how you can show that on someone’s hair,” she said. “Everything you do for your client is customized just like it should be. If you asked me to do a painting for you, you’re going to tell me exactly what you want and that’s what I’m going to do.”

This last year, and especially the last four months, has been a whirlwind for Wolfe and those at Wolfe & Co. and in some ways it’s a reflection of the last 10 years for Wolfe, who entered beauty school somewhat late at 28 years old.

But the dream of being a part of something like Wolfe & Co. has always been with her. Perhaps in that way, Wolfe & Co. has been in the process of coming to life for a lot longer than it really has.

“I always knew I was going to do something big, because sometimes you have a feeling you’re going to do something big,” Wolfe said. “Whether it was going to be hair, artist or educator, which I’ve done those things. I didn’t think I would do this.”

But it’s the end result that truly shines.

“I think my favorite part about the building itself and the people I work with is if you want X-Y-Z, I love that you can get all of those things under one roof,” Wolfe said.

For more on Wolfe & Co., visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wolfeandcompany128. P

Kennady Belich

Kennady brings with her a long time interest in hair whose goals is to ensure you are looking and feeling great.

Services • Blonding and coloring services • Hair extensions.