Nothing cliché about it
Clichés might be overused and trite, boring and predictable. To Lisa Kirkpatrick, it’s the perfect word to describe what her new hair salon is not.
“It was a play on words,” she said. “We wanted to be everything that typical salons aren’t.”
Kirkpatrick is no stranger to small business. She owned several, including an embroidery business, a construction company and a pharmaceutical company.
She recently sold the latter and was looking to invest the money into a new venture. “I always loved the hair industry,” she said. “I went to school for hair back in 1995. But life took me down a different path.”
Finding herself in a great position to rethink her new direction, Kirkpatrick decided to look for an existing salon she could purchase. “I looked around at several,” she said, but found things in most of them that she didn’t like.
“For one reason or another, they just weren’t the right fit.”
She came very close to signing a contract on one. But the sellers pulled out at the last minute, and Kirkpatrick took it as the final push to start her own salon. “I figured God had a better plan for me,” she said.
Just two days later, Kirkpatrick found an open storefront in the Silverthorn Shopping Center on Powell Road. It had previously been a hair salon and still had the signage above the shop.
“I pulled in front,” she said, “and realized it was perfect.” The area was a mass of activity, with healthy traffic from the four corner intersection of Barclay/Anderson Snow and Powell Road. And the plaza held a variety of well balanced industries, including Anytime Fitness, a nail shop, dry cleaner, and upper-scale nightclub and wine shop.
“Basically people that care about their appearance are coming into this plaza,” she said, “and they like to spend money on themselves.”
The dynamics seemed perfect for her slightly different hair salon idea.
So she began renovating, and, with her construction background, had it completed within two weeks. “We redid everything, from the ceilings to the floorboards,” she said.
Then she moved in beautiful, darker furnishings and cozy décor and created an atmosphere of home.
Cliché Hair Studio officially opened on November 2 and combines all the pizzazz of salons in more urban locations while keeping the cost in line with smaller cities. “I tried to put together a salon that has Tampa’s style and flair with Spring Hill prices,” she said.
After speaking with several friends and acquaintances who said they traveled outside of Hernando County for certain styles and treatments, Kirkpatrick decided she wanted to make it her niche.
“I wanted to bring people together in the right atmosphere that is comfortable,” she said. They wouldn’t need to travel to Tampa.
The result is a comfortable salon experience that appeals more to the sense of home than a traditional, less interactive, salon experience.
“I wanted people to walk in to a place that felt like home and feel like they were getting their hair done by their best friend.”
She brought in a team of experienced stylists, all that seemed to blend effortlessly, with sweet dispositions and strong skills that matched their counterparts in larger cities.
They bring a combination of skill level that is second to none.
The competitive edge, found in many other salons, is non-existent here. “Everybody is happy to help each other,” Kirkpatrick said.
If they were to indulge in a cliché, it would be the common belief that two heads are better than one!
“We all want the same outcome,” Kirkpatrick added. “We want the customer to walk out beautiful when they leave the shop.”
Six girls offer their own unique style, creativity and enthusiasm.
Kylee, with three years of experience, trained under Paul Mitchell. “I am a beauty enhancer,” she said. “I make things better one hair cut at a time.”
Diana McKana, who went to school with Kylee, grew up in the industry. She works with her mother, Tammie Smith. “I love it,” McKana said.
Tammie Smith has the most experience among the stylists. With more than twenty years, Smith is the go-to person for tips and guidance. “We have a really good rapport,” she said.
Nicole Corsi is getting her feet wet as a newbie with experience that began in October. She left the food service industry to get into hair. “I love everybody I work with,” she said.
The most popular trends are practiced here and Cliché girls stay well educated and at the forefront of their industry.
“Color tends to be the most popular procedure,” Kirkpatrick said. “It used to be we’d color to cover up the gray,” she said. “Now we color for style.”
Marilyn Areizaga, a repeat customer of Cliché’s, came in for highlights. “Tina and I are friends,” Areizaga said. But the quality of the service she receives at Cliché’s is the real reason she comes back. “I’ve been very happy with what I’ve gotten done,” she said.
“It’s a comfortable place to get your hair done,” Kirkpatrick added. “We offer them coffee like they are sitting at our kitchen table.”
Kirkpatrick also brought in modern equipment, like their deep shampoo bowls, with edges that conform to the client’s neck shape.
Cliché is opened extended hours to accommodate busier lifestyles. “I’m a mom,” Kirkpatrick said. “Saturday was never a good day to get my hair done.” For that reason, Cliché Hair Studio is open 6 days a week until 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kirkpatrick is most comfortable when interacting in a service capacity. When she left the construction industry after the housing market crashed and took up pharmaceuticals, she missed the one-on-one connection she’d built with her customers.
“I love this,” she said about her newest venture. “I love being around people.”
Interestingly, her experiences since graduating from instruction in hair care after high school helped build her strong business sense and work ethic.
“It all came full circle,” she said. “During the interim, I accrued all my business hours through the different companies I worked for and owned.
“Everything,” she added, “happens for a reason.”
Name: Cliché Hair Studio
Location: 14233 Powell Rd., Spring Hill, FL 34601
Telephone: 352-593-5815
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