Mallory Robinson, owner of Malibu Hair Spa, has had a busy year. Business has been steady at her Summit shop, and she’s expanded — her family, that is.
Robinson and her husband Chad are now parents. Their son, Parker, is 6 months old. Mallory, 25, already had her hands full being a young wife with the business of her dreams — one that demanded much of her time.
“Running a business and having a baby is challenging,” she said. “But the girls (in the shop) are great, and they’re keeping things going.”
And there have been some staff changes since last year, when she had seven hair stations in her shop. She’s down to five stylists. “One of my new girls moved to Baton Rouge. And another girl just decided doing hair wasn’t for her,” she said.
After those departures, Robinson downsized to six stations to give stylists more room to work. Her team members are Holly Spillman, Leona Jackson, Mitzi Wallace and Mandy Bardwell. One station is available at the salon.
This time last year, Robinson was considering adding tanning beds to her line of services. But the baby put that on hold.
“When I found out I was pregnant, things got a little stressed,” she said. And that was when staff changes were happening.
She hasn’t given up on the tanning bed idea, but it’s on the back burner.
Instead, Robinson wants to see her pedicure/manicure business to expand.
“I would love for that to grow. In the spring and summer, I’ll really be pushing that.”
For more comfort, a therapeutic citrus bath would be part of the pedicure/manicure business.
“I would love to have a place big enough to have a massage therapist come in, but we’ve exhausted all of our space,” she said. “We really like this place — the tin ceilings, the hardwood floors and the chandeliers.”
Robinson rents space for her shop in a three-story building at 811 Robb St. in Summit. Another tenant occupies the top floor, and Robinson uses the basement for storage and staff personal space.
“One day I’d like to move to a bigger space, but it would cost me a fortune to have one like this,” she said.
The most difficult challenge this past year has been balancing the three areas of her life — mom, wife and business. She was on a month of bed rest before Parker arrived, and she was out two months after his birth. Now, she’s back in the swing of things.
She credits her husband for his support. “There’s no way I could do this without his help. He helps us out tremendously.”
Robinson’s mom keeps Parker while she works, and she relies heavily on her stylists.
“I missed doing hair (while she was out), and I love being at home with my baby. Sometimes he’s at work, and he just watches me style and doesn’t say a peep,” she said. “I try to work as much as I possibly can. In this business, if you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” she said.
She offers all of the same services as she did last year, from washing and style, to waxing, make-up, and more. And she continues to have a large male client base. Still she felt a delayed recession sting.
“We really weren’t hit until last year,” Robinson said. “Some customers, instead of coming every four weeks, they come every six weeks. They’re stretching things out. We’re still busy, and we’re still making money. We’re just not as swamped at the start of the holiday season.”
She’s found other ways to help her clients by stocking some newer products that aren’t as expensive as those she had been carrying. And that seems to be a hit. Some men, she said, will look at it and thing, “That would be a good gift for my wife.”
Her clients’ hair styles have begun to change, too. Last year, it was all about straightening the hair. The straighter the better. Now, she said, women are more into waves and a natural curl, even permanents.
“They want that natural bounce,” Robinson said. “Hair styles always come back around.”
Whatever the style, Robinson said her team steps up to the plate.
“I’ve got some of the best girls working for me — great stylists, great people and great friends,” she said.
