Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Trieb
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Stephanie, but my clients and friends know me as Stevie! I am a St. Louis stylist and the owner at Saturn Salon in the Grove.
I never had any real aspirations to own a salon for the majority of my career. I quickly started beauty school and moved to St. Louis City just a few weeks after I graduated high school.
I was focused in finding a creative, freeing education experience that would allow me to practice self-expression and get far away from traditional academics. Once I graduated from Paul Mitchell here in St. Louis, I spent the next several years in large commission salons, building my education, experience and clientele.
I was grateful for the social and creative element a busy salon environment provided, but longed for a smaller salon team with goals and values closer to that of my own, and ultimately, for my clients and I to feel at home. I was lucky to spend a few years at Notch before it closed, where I met a lot of the artists and friends I work with now, and ultimately decided the grove was where I wanted to be.
When the pandemic began, I packed all of my tools and things to bring home with me knowing that that when I could return to a salon, that I would have to create the space that I was looking for.
Little did I know at the time, but the space that I was dreaming about was still undergoing a major transformation at that time, and that moving to renting would begin some of the most meaningful transitions of my career.
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?
When opening my first solo studio, it offered me something new: the freedom and the ability to create my own salon culture before ever “opening” a space. I opened my tiny studio in a franchise salon loft location in the grove, and after several successful years at that location, I decided to move to a new loft right down the street. My friend and long time mentor in hair, Kristina had been renting at ChopShop for years, and the idea that I could rent a space from a local stylist instead of a franchise while being closer to friends excited me.
I loved having a rental location that allowed me to operate my business the way I wanted, supported my policies, and offered some small community even when we were in our solo rooms. (Thanks Helen!)
I think when beginning anything new, it can be scary to be the face of authority or the one responsible for setting the boundaries for a business.
When I first began shaping my policies, sharing COVID precautions, and creating a healthy work life balance, the “rules” established weren’t always met with excitement by every single client.
As a rental stylist, you are responsible for everything about your business from scheduling, stocking color and products, customer service, and so much more. Although going solo was a lot of new responsibility, I believe the responsibilities of day to day operations can teach you so much about yourself if YOU are the business, the boss, and the service. Ideally, managing your own business can help you strategize your livelihood while simultaneously deconstructing your own ideas of capitalism and success. I think finding a voice on what your business will practice in ethics and policies will always help find the clients that are meant to find your chair.
You aren’t going to be the perfect hairdresser for every client, and that’s what is special about hair. Hair can be personal. Hair can solely be functional, or it can be fashionable, but ultimately it is a subjective art that you have to find someone who can make your feel comfortable about the hair you wear.
The longer I’ve done hair, the more confidently I can say that owning your personality, leaning into the services you love performing, and exploring your niche allows your clients to trust and love you in a way that can make services so fulfilling.
Setting the tone of my own studio really did empower both me and my clients to shape the space the way we wanted it to be, and helped me begin shedding the imposter syndrome stopping me from taking the next step.
I do want to mention that I opened the salon the same year I married my partner, Mikey, and I don’t know if I ever would have done any of it without their encouragement and belief that I could.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Saturn Salon is home to more than 5 incredible independent stylists. All of our artists have varying specialties and areas of focus, which offers us a really well rounded team of stylists to navigate requests for clients. I am so thankful for each of the stylists at Saturn and would encourage anyone reading to check out our Instagram so you can learn more about them and their art.
Saturn Salon is located off of Tower Grove Avenue, near the center of the grove. We take pride in being a LGBTQ+ owned salon that focuses on providing care for our community and all of our clients. The salon is located within a mixed-used historical renovation that was completed in 2023. The restoration project was thoughtful, beautiful, and nearing completion before I joined the project by Tim Greenwald. I fell in love with the refinished storefront for its natural lighting, the ample parking, and an ADA accessible entrance and restroom that were all finishing completion (which were my top three wants in a space!)
I felt like I had finally run out of excuses on why I couldn’t or shouldn’t, and started heavily leaning into the encouragement and excitement that was telling me I could and I should.
In a lot of ways, it felt like a dream come true to work with Tim and his team to work on the build out for the salon and to be a part of the building, which recently won a Landmark award.
I do want to take a moment to specifically thank Jacob and my sweet Mikey for helping me from day one with designing and building a space that is calming, accessible and beautiful.
I also want to thank Shelby, Kelsey, Jacob, and Angela for choosing Saturn Salon as the space to house their talents and clients, which make the space the special place that it is.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saturnsalonstl.glossgenius.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saturnsalonstl?igsh=bG9hNWlwNjgxbDlp
