Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Tanner.
Hi Melissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Originally from California, I moved to Arkansas at age 11. My upbringing wasn’t without its challenges, and by 18, I was living independently. I enrolled at the University of Arkansas while working full time and sharing space with roommates a difficult balance that ultimately led me to take a break from school and relocate to Kansas City at 20.
Becoming a hairstylist wasn’t always the plan. My grandmother, who owned a bridal shop, introduced me early to the beauty world, treating me to nail appointments and gifting me my first set of hair rollers in middle school. I became the go-to friend for hair and makeup before nights out, and eventually realized I could turn that passion into a career.
Completing hair school while living on my own and working full time was no small feat, but I was determined to finish. Once licensed, I began my career in a salon with incredible mentors who helped shape my foundation. From there, I went independent to build my experience and it was during that time I noticed a gap in the Kansas City market. At the time, there wasn’t a single salon that matched the vision I had in mind: clean, modern, bright, and serene.
With the encouragement of my husband, a fellow entrepreneur, I took the leap and opened my own salon. We completely renovated the space from the ground up while raising two small children and managing his businesses. Just nine months after opening, we expanded upstairs and added a rooftop deck to enhance the client experience.
In the years since, the beauty industry has evolved, particularly in the wake of COVID. Earlier this year, I made the decision not to expand our team into the upstairs space. Our close knit staff prefers to be together in the main salon, so we’ve subleased the second floor to a talented hair braider and aesthetician. We’re now in the process of updating the space to reflect a fresh, modern feel continuing to grow while staying true to our roots.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not. I explained that in the previous section but paying for hair school on my own while working full time was very hard and took longer than expected. The ups and downs since 2020 and doing everything possible to run the salon by myself has been very challenging.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialized in long, natural, blended looks with an effortless grow out whether it’s brunettes or blonde. My goal is for the client to be able to go as long as they would like without their hair ever looking super un done. I also do a lot of heavy blonding that gives a softer blowout. I foil very fine, very heavy and take my time.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My precious grandmother for always encouraging me, my first two amazing bosses Carmen and Christy for helping me build my foundation and teaching me guest experience skills, my husband who I couldn’t have done any of it without. He always supports me and helps me with anything I need. He GC’d our whole remodel and build out and sourced each person to do each job. I wouldn’t have my salon without him.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.Delphiniumsalonkc.com
- Instagram: @delphiniumsalon
- Facebook: Delphiniumsalon
