Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Felders.
Hi Amy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have been a cosmetologist for 35 years. I started my career as a beauty professional at 19 years old. I worked for a corporate salon for 3 years before going into a rental salon setting. I always wanted to own my own business and in 2009 that dream became a reality. I co owned a rental salon for 8 years, then went out on my own completely and I’ve never looked back. I had a small 2 station salon, and it was perfect. The flood of 2015 came and my cute little 2 chair flooded. I was lucky to know several rental salon owners who graciously offered a place to work. After 2 more years, I decided I worked better alone and my clients were not enjoying the hustle and bustle of a rental salon. I found another small space and opened another salon. Then Covid hit and everything changed. I thought the suite style salon were a great idea, especially at that time. I had always had my eye on a location and finally had an opportunity to open a suite style salon. 6 years later and great coworkers, I decided I was ready to open a second location, this time in Eureka. 5th Street Beauty Bar came alive and is thriving. We are a small town just outside the St Louis area. Salon suites were readily available all around, but not in small towns. I wanted to change that… So, I did!
I opened my first suite style salon in January of 2021. I absolutely love the concept of having my own space to talk with my clients. When you own a suite, the clients open up on an entirely different level. The good and the not so good. But that’s why we love them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh the road is never smooth!! Once I found the location in Eureka, which had been a doctor’s office originally, I had to have plumbing added to each room. The original plumbing had been capped off and covered up. This required carpet removal, jackhammering and county inspections. Lots of delays! What should have taken 6-8 weeks, took 12-14 weeks.
If you think it will be easy, brace yourself. There will always be hiccups! 2 years after opening, I had to replace all of the flooring in the entire salon. Lessons were definitely learned!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I still work behind the chair 2 days a week. I spend my ‘free time’ balancing 2 salons but I would not trade it for the world. I love that I get to work with some of the most amazing people. I have 10 ladies at one location and 6 at the other. They are all fantastic people.
I do pride myself on being available to all of them. I feel like they know they can reach out to me for anything. Because I am not a larger corporate suite style salon, I can do things at a much faster rate and at a pace that helps them. I have been able to help many beauty professionals get a head start in their career, by working with them individually, to figure out their needs. Have I been burned by giving, yes, would I change it, No. I want everyone to be successful, even if that means I’m just a stepping stone to their next journey.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I do not feel safe in the City of St Louis so I do not wander down there often.
The City of Eureka on the other hand, is one of the friendliest, most active small town feels. We have music on Central Ave in the summer. We have a fair, host baseball and softball tournaments, and a scarecrow festival in October. Businesses dress up scarecrow characters. The Chamber of Commerce provides a list of local businesses that have scarecrows out. You can drive around and take photos will all of the different scarecrows the whole month. Of course, we also have 6 Flags and Joe Boccardi’s Pizzaria = YUM!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://5thstreetbeauty.com
- Instagram: 5th_street_beauty_bar
- Facebook: 5th Street Beauty Bar, LLC Salon Suites
