Welcome back, besties!

So happy to see you!

It was so much fun to share in the last blog post, and this week I’ve got the introduction of all introductions for you…

Have you met our girl Coco?

I’m so excited to chat a little bit about how CocoLemon Hair came to be, the two badass besties who breathed life into the whole idea, and take you on a little tour of the beautiful space she’s become!

How’d CocoLemon become what she is today?

CocoLemon Hair was birthed in 2019 when two incredibly passionate hairstylist/badasses decided they had an idea/dream worth investing in. Their names are Sarah and Ashley and all of us on the CocoCrew love and respect them more than we could ever explain. (Side note because it will continue going forward: as I was typing this out I laughed to Sarah that the grammar police in me hates seeing the S name come before the A name when typing this, but that’s the order we say their names out loud and it literally feels illegal to write it any other way. So.)

Back to scheduled programming: the brand was originally a name for the education they planned to start taking on the road (for three years they taught a class that was lovingly referred to as “Blondes Vs. Brunettes” and is remembered so very fondly).

Fun fact: the name of the salon is a play on each of their specialties and is exactly what was taught in that first iteration of a Sarah/Ashley class: Sarah’s known for her *killer* formulations in gray coverage + dimensional highlighting services and Ashley is known so very, very well for her work with the blondest of the blondes.

Both had a shared vision of creating a modern salon that offered something out-of-the-norm in our industry—a place for hairstylists to feel supported in whatever way worked best for them. What started as a booth-rental salon—whose catchphrase was “Independent but not alone”—tripled in size in 2022 (we’re talkin’ over 3000 sq. ft.) and functions with a hybrid model of booth-renters, commission employees and hourly employees working side-by-side. Sprinkle in the top-notch talent, welcoming and comfortable atmosphere, and BAM you have the magic that is CocoLemon Hair today. Guest experience is at the forefront of everything we do and we hope the joy is as palpable for you as it us for us every day.

(And I’ve just gotta say… I was a baby assistant/stylist at the salon they were booth renting at when the whole idea was born. It is absolutely insane to see the way they’ve grown that seed of an idea into what it looks like today. Like…. mind. blowing. K thx that’s all.)

Let’s get to the tour!

But… beefore we get into the visuals—let’s hear from Smash about the dream for CocoLemon in her own words!

“Sarah and I created a space where we felt we had always dreamed of fitting in, much to our surprise there were others who were seeking the same. Craving a huge shift in the industry. Before we knew it, what started as two besties sharing a chair has now grown to a hybrid team of 24 (and growing!). I know that some days feel hard behind the chair, I know that social media can make you feel less than but when you surround yourself with humans who support you endlessly while letting their light shine is truly indescribable.”

—Ashley (aka Smash, Smashley, the Blondologist, and Mommy-Mommy [our salon parents are Mommy-Mommy and Daddy-Mommy])

drum roll

Like I said before, our main focus at Coco is guest experience through-and-through. Not only is she functional for what we need to get done every day, but she’s one of the most aesthetically peaceful/happy places out there! Everything in the building oozes comfort (the color palette is one of my favorite things about our salon home)—Sarah and Ashley found the most perfect balance of warm neutrals with genius placement of some reeeeeal pops of color. It’s so relaxing and uplifting all at once!

Another things that’s pop-pop-poppin? The GREENERY! There’s a lot of life in the building and Coco happens to have plant moms in *abundance*, so the love for the plant babies shows one million percent.

Overall, there’s been an incredible attention to detail to put the space together—from the color choices to the furniture, from the cutesy custom CocoLemon candles to making sure the lighting is perfect for after pics… Nothing was left to chance in this gorg space. It’s a happy place for us and we hope you feel the same!

…here’s a quick peak at the aesthetic at Coco:

…it’s safe to say she’s crafted to perfection. One of our fav comments to hear is when a guest walks in and comments that the space just feels warm and welcoming. While the crew is a huge part of that, I can tell you 100% the space our badass bosses have created just *feels* that way too.

…let’s take a look at what you might find on a tour of Coco:

She’s bustlin’. She’s happy. She’s really just filled with the best energy out there.

…and she’s cute af for the holidays:

What’s in store for CocoLemon in 2024?

Sarah and Ashley are gearing up to bring the magic of Coco and their combined decades of knowledge behind the chair on the road this summer!

“Education isn’t one-size-fits-all, so we wanted to craft opportunities that are attainable! if you’ve been craving real life behind the chair scenarios, time saving tips and techniques that are achievable. Then we got you. This is a class for hairstylists to help build the confidence behind the chair, build long-lasting relationships with guests with a solid foundation of trust, communication, and clear boundaries. We aren’t here to tell you how you should be doing anything or how social media can change your career but instead to help share how to build a long-lasting relationship/career behind the chair. @cocolemon.hair was created around a single idea. Stylists need education that can be applied to real-life applications for their guests behind the chair in real time.” - @the_blondologist

For any stylists interested in 2024 classes with Sarah and Ashley—they’re hitting the road JUNE 2ND IN PITTSBURGH, PA at @mixxhousesalon and JULY 14TH IN CHARLOTTE, NC at @fernivyhair.

Ticketing tiers—

Make sure to follow CocoLemon Hair on Instagram so you never miss a blog update! And be sure to check out the Coco Edu page for all education updates. xoxo

Tour of CocoLemon