聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 In 1964, Marilyn Ast was sole owner and operator of the salon until 1972, when Marsha Dunbar (McLean) began working for her. In 1974, McLean bought the business and was sole owner of the shop until January 2011, when former employee, Amy Geiger, who became co-owner.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now Geiger is ushering the salon into an exciting new era, as she assumes full ownership of the business.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s of January 2016, the salon will be renamed Salon 206 and will be expanded and renovated which will utilize the whole building,鈥� says Geiger.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he location will remain the same although temporarily be relocating to the Shockwave building on Railway Ave. in February and March,鈥� Geiger explained. 鈥淎nd Marsha will still be here to serve all her clients.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e're looking forward to expanding the space to make room for more styling stations, a larger waiting area, and eventually more services and retail to offer to our clients.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut our commitment to serving our clients will stay the same.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The women鈥檚 shared history goes back further than the salon business however.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was in school and graduated with Marsha's son, Brent,鈥� says Geiger I always wanted to be a hairstylist. Grade one career day, I said I wanted to be a journeyman hairdresser like Brent's mom, so I could travel, because I knew she always went on trips,鈥� she laughs.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McLean says, 鈥淎my and I were at a conference and my brother Kevin said to her 'Not to be condescending to you but you couldn't be more like my sister if you tried 鈥� the energy, the fashion, the shopping...'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd for me to sell this business to someone who has the same passion as me, that's great,鈥� adds Mclean.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although McLean love of global travel is well known she says she didn't indulge in it until she raised her children.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢ost of my travelling I did after I raised my kids,鈥� McLean said. 鈥淎nd the great thing about this career is that it allows you to grow and change. But, your relationship with your clients is what allows you to do that.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey do their best to accommodate me and I do my best to accommodate them if I'm going away.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥� It's all about mutual respect and it's a real privilege to have those relationships.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou become part of each other鈥檚 life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ometimes there are fun things they鈥檙e telling everyone and of course you have the other things you can鈥檛 share,鈥� says McLean
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou go and your heart is heavy for people. We really do see many of our clients through it all 鈥� we have people bringing babies in for their first haircuts and we go to Moose Mountain Lodge to visit our clients there and everything in between.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently the salon employs five stylists: Geiger, McLean, Brooklyn Bodnaruk, Brittany Keyes, and Jacey Tarr.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e all believe in continually learning and growing as stylists,鈥� Geiger says. 鈥淏ut that's not hard for any of us because we love what we do and we're always looking forward to what's new.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McLean 鈥� who turned down an opportunity to be a cosmetologist instructor late in her career agrees. And while she still attends hair shows regularly, her travels also inform her creative vision.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 remember talking with a lady from a Canadian city in Paris and she thought the world stopped on her doorstep, I told her in that even if you鈥檙e not into fashion you have to take a walk around and observe people because Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 completely reject the idea that if you're from a small town or rural area that you don't know what's going on.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥n the other extreme I went to a barber shop in Istanbul to watch how the barber did a shave with a straight razor and I also watched him do a haircut. In Africa, I saw a sign for a beauty salon called The Blood of Jesus Hair Salon 鈥� I went in there just to see what they did!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The newly named Salon 206, 2015 was something of a record.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Geiger explained, 鈥淲e were approved by Hillberg and Berk, to carry their jewelry at the shop.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have final numbers or figures yet, but I can say that we were stocking so often that during the Christmas season one of their people called us and said 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going on down there?鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey couldn鈥檛 believe how much we were selling.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 really gratifying and it鈥檚 all due to our customers supporting local business and for coming to us instead of ordering online,鈥� says Geiger. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 thank them enough.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd although we have lots to do and are in a temporary location for February and March we know all of our clients and ourselves are looking forward to the renovations, they will be enjoyed.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e look forward to seeing them during the transition.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As for McLean she will continue working her three and a half days a week 鈥� this time as Geiger鈥檚 employee.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine not being able to come to work,鈥� McLean says. 鈥淚鈥檓 a people person and so is Amy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檓 so thankful for all she鈥檚 done for me,鈥� Geiger said. 鈥淲e both thank our clients and we鈥檙e excited and happy to welcome them to 206.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information visit their Facebook page 鈥淪alon 206鈥� or call them at 306-453-2420.
