SALT LAKE CITY — After her small business survived the pandemic, a local Salt Lake city "girl boss" is now actually looking to expand.
Vanessa Williams is one of more than 89,000 female business owners in Utah, running her Retro Barbers salon out of a small space in downtown Salt Lake City. While being the CEO, accountant, promotions, director and sole employee is challenging, Williams says being her own boss makes it all worthwhile.
It all started with a dream while working for a national haircutting chain.
“Any barber, I think, they always want to have their own place," she said.
The dream gained steam when the pandemic shut down just about everything, taking away Williams's regular clients.
“Once COVID hit, I really didn’t have any contact with them and it was really hard, and I was always wondering what happened to them," said Williams.
That solidified Vanessa‘s decision to go out on her own, and her leap of faith wound up at an old church in downtown Salt Lake City.
“I really liked the feel, it’s more like a lounge place," she explained. "At the time it was completely closed, it didn’t have a coffee shop, it was pretty much just me on this entire floor, and it just felt right.”
Soon after, Retro Barbers was born, giving Vanessa the chance to add her own personal touch to the salon experience. She chooses the decor, the music and her fashion.
“The reason I like being a barber is because I am providing that service to my clients that makes them feel good about themselves. Not only just a haircut,” she said. “I wanted them to feel like this is their spot, that they can feel comfortable and where they can feel good, better about themselves.”
An immigrant from Brazil who moved here as a child, Williams only spoke Portuguese upon arriving in Utah before learning English and adapting.
Vanessa says those experiences make her truly appreciate the good reviews and return customers.
“They look forward for their next haircut, and that’s what I wanted and that is, it felt like my dream come, true!”
Williams says she’s extremely grateful for the success she’s had so far and is actually looking forward to hiring one, possibly two, employees over the next year.
