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Published June 16, 2020

When Kristie Hoffman, co-owner of Elements Salon and Spa in Howard, received the order to shut down her business in the midst of the pandemic, she was caught off guard.

"I feel like now, looking back, that I was completely naïve in the beginning," she said. "I wasn't thinking we would be closed for nine or 10 weeks, I only canceled one week of appointments."
Her business partner, Angela Seppanen, agreed that it was hard knowing what would happen.

"I was scared. I'm a single parent and I have worked since I was 15 years old," Seppanen said. "Telling the girls that we were going to close was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. There were lots of tears; we're like family here."

But even if Gov. Tony Evers' safer at-home order meant time off for members of their team, the owners said they never worked so hard in their lives. It started immediately.

"During the pandemic, we had to operate with zero money coming in and had to make sure our bills were as low as we could get them," Hoffman said. "We chased the SBA loan around the clock, and were in communications daily with our loan officer and accountant."

There were also hours and hours spent making plans for when they would be able to open (they are now accepting appointments), and running down sparse supplies of sanitizers and other personal protection equipment. They followed CDC recommendations to the letter and came up with waivers and procedures to ensure the safety of clients and staff.

Safety was a priority, but it was also about protecting a strong business with a stellar reputation in the community. It is a business that was started by Hoffman (she had a different partner at the time) when she was just 19 years old and had the vision to create a unique salon.

"I wanted to have a hybrid salon with a mix of employees and chair rental. We start the cosmetologists at the front desk when they graduate from school, and they start to build a clientele so that they can move to chair rental once they have an established client base," Hoffman said.

Seppanen, who replaced the other owner, said this business model allows them to be mentors and work in the trenches every day training the new recruits.

The result is a group of professionals the owners say are the best in the business. They offer not only hair services but also massages, waxing, facials, manicures and pedicures, makeup, laser treatments, and more. Almost every specialty is covered.

"We are celebrating the individual," Hoffman added. "Each one of us has our own niche. Angela and I specialize in curly hair, and all of us stay on top of the trends. The business is always evolving, just like fashion evolves."

The name Elements came to Hoffman when she was at a fashion show that referred to shattered elements coming together and portrayed all of the elements of the earth.

That was 2001, and the business thrived. There have been challenges, but even with that vast amount of experience, the pandemic has been the greatest.

Clients are now welcome, but the focus is more on safety than environmental perks. Refreshment stations have been shut down, chairs are staggered, and instead of walking in to register for an appointment, clients stay in their vehicles until called in.

"We have split hours because only so many people can work, and my schedule has changed for the first time in all these years," Seppanen said. "This is a people business and none of us have ever not worked before, but our team is tough as nails."

The majority of clients are coming in, but Hoff man and Seppanen say they understand that some people aren't comfortable yet. When they are, they can be assured that the greatest precautions are being taken.

They are ready to make hair repairs, as needed. Some of the home haircuts need serious work.

"Some of my poor male customers are coming in, and it takes more time to try to get them back to normal. We are fixing mistakes, and making color corrections. But we don't judge anybody. That was what they needed to do," Seppanen said.

As they go about taking the recommended steps to get things back to normal, they say they have learned to never give up, and are anxious to help people look and feel their best. Especially during these times.

"People want to put their best face forward, and whatever makes them feel the best, we want to do that," Hoffman said.

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.