You can find E+L Salon nestled into downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Its walls hold great people,

the cutest station chairs, and the most amazing Davines display.

Erin and Lauran started E+L because they have a "specific vision in mind of putting people

before profit," and Spoiler alert: so far, they are doing a great job. "We are always looking for

ways to modernize this industry to make it less about ego and more about humanity." This

sentiment shines through in the three values at the foundation of their business, work-life

balance, community involvement, and continued education.

Out of the Office

Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to stylists. Due to this, we are seeing a

trend of salons choosing to be closed on Saturdays. E + L is one of the first salons in the West

Michigan area to announce this change. Yes, you are reading that right. None of their stylists will

ever need to work on another Saturday again. When we chatted about how they came to that

decision, it came down to a couple of things. The first is that it speaks to their work-life balance

value. They want to help their stylists build sustainable careers. "Closing on Saturdays means

more quality time doing the things people like to do on their own time. That is what matters the

most". Secondly, they have found that so many of their clients view Saturday as a family day

and prefer to come in on weekdays or nights anyways! Monday evenings have been added to

their schedule to offer more week-night service options. They had an overwhelmingly positive

response to this trade-off.

All Are Welcome Here

We got the chance to sit down with Cait, salon manager, and Carrissa, a stylist, to chat about

what makes E+L Different from their perspective. Carissa booked a service at E+L before

reaching out about employment opportunities, which is a great way to get a feel for a salon

organically! Carissa said it "felt like home." Cait knew right away that E+L was the right fit

because she fell in love with the inclusivity. Being outspoken about human rights comes

naturally to Erin and Lauren "We are going to use the voice we have to stand up for what we

believe in." Being outspoken can be a risky move, especially for small businesses on social

media. However, they have also found that it has helped them attract like-minded clients and

team members.

A Strong Foundation

Community outreach has been a fundamental pillar of the E+L business plan. Erin and Lauren

recently started a non-profit, E+L Foundation, with the hope of creating an even more significant

impact on their community. We can't wait to cheer them on as they continue to make an impact

on the Greater West Michigan area.