Go Green Salon Goes for NaYo

A Michigan salon owner chooses Kemon’s NaYo color for the health and wellness of herself and her clients.

Go Green Salon in St. Clair Shores, MI isn’t just a full-service salon. Located inside the Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center – a place where kids and teens with hair loss receive holistic care, allied health services, education and more – the salon also acts as a hair donation location for the Wigs 4 Kids program with 50% of the proceeds from those donation appointments supporting the Wigs 4 Kids program. That, along with the supplemental income Go Green Salon provides allows Wigs 4 Kids to have the Wellness Center – a facility large enough to accommodate all the programming the organization offers.

And Go Green Salon is exactly what you would expect of a salon with such an eco-conscious name: they use green technology and were designed and decorated using natural materials. “The welfare of our guests extends beyond the brick-and-mortar establishment and continues throughout our product lines, offering all-natural hair and skin care solutions free from harmful chemicals,” notes Maggie Varney, President and Owner of Go Green Salon and Founder and CEO of Wigs 4 Kids.

So when Varney discovered NaYo – Kemon’s ammonia-, PPD-, fragrance-free permanent hair color – she knew it was a must for Go Green Salon.

You recently converted your professional color line to Kemon’s ammonia-, PPD- and fragrance-free NaYo line. Why?
My doctor informed me that my asthma had gotten worse over the years due to working with chemicals and that I would no longer be able to provide color services for my guests. I was taking daily medications and breathing treatments and knew it was time for a change. I researched different manufacturers’ color lines and attended classes to learn what products were available that perform and deliver what
they proclaim.

Then, our representative, Tina Lijoi from The Industry Source gave me information about NaYo Color and invited me to attend a class and also offered to have an educator come in and train my staff at no cost. This gave me the option of educating myself and our team in the conversion process from the line that we were using to the new NaYo color. It has been so well-received by our guests and is a welcome addition to our product line. Of course, one of my concerns was price point and the increase was passed onto our guests without issue. They respect that it is safer for our guests, team and the environment.

You recently opened a Wellness Center. Tell us about it, along with your salon’s and the center’s “green” initiatives.
Go Green Salon utilizes raw materials with recycled content to the highest quality natural product lines available.

In the construction phase of the Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center, natural materials were used, from bamboo flooring to non-toxic paint on the walls, as part of our commitment to provide a healthy setting for our guests while remaining eco-friendly.

Wigs 4 Kids reaches out to the community to support our program asking them to donate their hair, all of which is recycled into the making of wigs for the children we serve. We even recycle our paper and reuse it for gift basket filler to use at fundraising events. Paper made only from recycled content and soy-based printer cartridges are purchased. In our educational program, we teach our kids to reduce, reuse & recycle, so they too may contribute to a healthier environment.

Owning a salon is a lot more than just offering world-class beauty services – it’s also about getting involved in your community. Tell us how your founding of Wigs 4 Kids came about and what the organization is all about.
I have been in the beauty industry for 40 years and have been a salon owner for over 20 years.

Through my work volunteering in the Look Good Feel Better program, I noticed a need to help young people and families in their struggle with health challenges causing hair loss which led to the founding of Wigs 4 Kids in October 2003. Wigs 4 Kids provides wigs, fitting and cutting, products and an education on how to maintain their new hair prosthetic at no charge.

In 2010, Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center & Salon opened the doors to further assist the children of Michigan. In the new center, Wigs 4 Kids offers emotional, psychological and social support where kids can participate in art and music therapy, nutrition and social groups with other children in an affirming setting also.

On Sept. 16 you are hosting the 8th Annual Fundraising Gala for Wigs 4 Kids. How successful have these events been and how much do you hope to raise this year? What support will the money raised provide?
Our Wigs 4 Kids is our biggest fundraiser of the year and helps us achieve sustainability. It is a great success, bringing in over 700 guests each year. We hope to raise $75,000 this year, which will help us continue to provide wigs and support services to Michigan children experiencing hair loss at no cost to them or their families.

What can other salon owners do to become more active in their community – using their talents to help those less fortunate?
Find a need and fill it. Donate your time, talent and treasures to those less fortunate. There are a lot of great causes out there. Wigs 4 Kids is one of many where we can be of service to others. We make such a difference behind our chair every day. Why not take that gift and help others?

What advice would you give someone looking to start their own community outreach program or non-profit organization?
Find your passion and wrap your job around it. A non-profit organization must be run like a business. The passion for your cause will be the driving force and business savvy is necessary.

Responses provided by Maggie Varney, Owner, Go Green Salon

ch program or non-profit organization?
Find your passion and wrap your job around it. A non-profit organization must be run like a business. The passion for your cause will be the driving force and business savvy is necessary.

Responses provided by Maggie Varney, Owner, Go Green Salon
Author:
Angela Andriola

Angela is editor of THE INDUSTRY SOURCE magazine.
Magazine Issue:
September/October 2011