S16 Blog

20 Years Young – Renewing Studio 16 For Impact

Earlier this year, while thinking out loud about the coming 20^th Anniversary of Studio 16 (with my usual suspects of family and friends who tolerate my thinking out loud in their presence), I started thinking about what it was that this Salon really meant to me, and what it really needs to be for our community, which I have always loved, but was not always know what we could really do that could make an impact beyond just providing great services to everyone who came through our doors.

The reality I often face is, that as a small business, there are not a lot of problems in this world that any one of us can solve on our own (with the possible exception of a concentration of people with really bad hair walking by our window was defined as a real “problem”!). And while I’ve always thought about the solutions to problems that we could contribute to, how do you do that without feeling like your contribution is completely too miniscule to feel like you are making a real impact? And how do you even ask the question when you are looking at spreading your efforts across multiple causes or passions, even when they are local?

While putting together different ideas and plans for rebranding the Salon and giving our service and retail menu a refresh, I realized that there was a common theme connecting things together for me, which was ironically, closely related to “a drop in the ocean” - our environment. It’s been a quiet passion for me since discovering the AVEDA mission fifteen years ago, but it is the events of the past few years that I began to realize that we could make a bigger difference, something beyond signing up for one Product Brand’s vision - we could have a bigger vision that would have more impact for my community here in Central Washington.

Aiming High, But Taking The Steps That We Can Now…

Our new goal, and vision, is to create a resource for our community that makes the beauty and wellness we provide as accessible as possible AND do so by reducing our footprint – to zero if and when that were possible. Some things we started last year, but here is what we are doing to meet that goal, which we hope you will join us with your support.

1. Green Circle Salons- Last year you may have noticed a small additional fee printed on your receipt for services that pays for our efforts to recycle waste – including hair, color products, foils, and almost anything else that have been previously gone into landfills, are now being recycled. In addition to paying for recycling, that small additional fee pays for a certified carbon offset too, and guess what? Because of you just being a guest, Studio 16 is now a Carbon Neutral Certified Salon! See all the details on how it works here.

2. O|Way: A New Product Partner  - a big part of our mission will be to seek out those products and Brands who match or exceed our vision, and in Oway, we have found one that is exceptional. From sourcing, to cultivation, packaging and more, this unique Partner in Italy is set on their own mission for a “Plastic Free Salon Industry” – and the details of what they are doing are just breathtaking (intended almost literally with the 300 pages of information we’ve reviewed already!). We have just ONE page for now to share with you, but read more about their methods or see our inaugural product lineup.

3. Elevating Local Brands: Introducing “Mission 16” - While we have always tried to share some of the love on our limited shelf space with local Brands, we’re taking a bigger step now with a very humble introduction of our own “Mission 16” Brand, with which we intend to raise awareness of our own local natural environment and its challenges while highlighting some of the beauty of this unique area that we often take for granted as long-time residents. Learn more about the origins of our launch product scent, “Umtanum Vista No. 1” developed in collaboration with our favorite local candle crafter – Rooted Collective.

4. We Are As Committed As Ever to AVEDA Color – All the new things will inevitably lead many of you to ask “What about my hair color?”. We consider AVEDA to continue to be the leader in hair color products that meet our standards for natural ingredients, ethical sourcing and testing - and QUALITY. No other Brand is more reliable, more accurate and longer-lasting than AVEDA, period. And when paired with their color-preserve and other hair products, still provide the most complete hair-color experience and will remain a foundation of our services, as it has for almost two decades.

But we, Studio 16, will continue to evolve, innovate and move the bar higher every year in our constant effort to bring our guests the best Salon experiences in Eastern Washington. As we go down this new path, we look forward to having you join us and the other partners – local and global - in making our world more beautiful together.

Thank you again, for letting us be a fixture of our community for so long, and into the future. We love what we are creating together!