Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Gerber.
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?
I started the salon, Shear Serenity in June of 2013 with a handful of stylists and the hope of creating a space where everyone could genuinely enjoy their craft and put the client experience first. We originally focused on hair services and eventually over the year expanded to also include skincare and now head-spa and skincare services. In 2o2o when the world shut down, we took the opportunity to redesign our space for the first time since opening. We bought the building next to us because in order to reopen we needed more square footage to abide by the state guidelines. The secondary building was originally 6 more stations and 3 more sinks but as the world got back to normal around 2024 the team no longer wanted to be separated which left our new addition as an unused space. That’s when my daughter pitched me an idea to utilize the space for two new purposes. She ran with the idea of splitting the building in two. The front half becoming a specialty coffee and beverage shop with a focus on local clean ingredients and over the top drinks and the back becoming a Zen space for head-spa services. I initially was hesitant but told Ashley (my daughter) she would have to come back to me with a full business proposal and do the research around the legality of having the cafe and of course come on board full time. She did just that and it took about a year of planning and buildout before Sippin Serenity was born. In that year while we navigated the legal realm to make it become a possibility Ashley was crafting specialty drinks and unique recipes that everyone in the salon got to taste test to create our menu. Now we are coming up on a year open for Sippin Serenity and just celebrated 13 years in business for Shear Serenity. While the two business are separate in the aspect of being two unique business entities, they are under the same corporate umbrella and attached in every other way. Guest enjoying a hair or spa service can order a drink or snack anywhere in the salon on iPad or QR codes and guests from the cafe can book an appointment whenever they stop in for a cup of coffee. (no you don’t need an appointment to enjoy our drinks). Over the 13 years in business Shear Serenity has become a hometown staple in our community and an award-winning salon. We plan to continue to grow and expand our team and our services while complementing our core focus of that community comes first. Sippin Serenity has been welcomed into our town with open arms and has created partnerships of other local small businesses, such as evermore coffee roasters for our beans, Whalen Farms for our blueberries to make in house blueberry syrup, Mill creek apiary for local honey, greenwhich tea farms the only tea farm in NJ for matcha and loose leaf and local bakeries that we rotate out treats and snacks from.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, not in the slightest but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t worth it every step of the way. In the beginning becoming a leader was not something that came easily, I spent a lot of time in management classes to learn how to effectively lead my team and create a culture in our salon that most salons are missing. Going from just working behind that chair to everything that came along with owning and running a business and handling a team was an adjustment to say the least. Then there’s the obstacles of renovations to your space. The first time we renovated we were closed during covid, so the renovation was the easiest part of 2020 for us, but when we decided to renovate again with the coffee shop that was during us being open for normal business which was tricky to say the least. We did not want to detract from the guest experience but really didn’t have the wiggle room to close during it. Growing and evolving a team is a challenge because no matter how well you treat someone sometimes holding a boundary will make you the villain in someone’s story and as much as it hurts it is a part of business. And of course, Covid was a whole other animal when we were shut down for almost a complete year. We used the time to come back stronger, but I watched as many other salons in the area were never able to recover from the shutdown.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been a stylist behind the chair for 35 years. I specialize in color, highlight and gray blending services as well as precision men and women’s haircuts. When I am not behind the chair, I also train our raising star co-stylists one on one and while I am probably known for my attention to detail both for my clients’ services but also their own personal lives and creating unshakeable bonds with them. I think the thing I am most proud of is watching the up-and-coming stylists I have worked with start to spread their wings and take on clients of their own. Being able to spread the wealth of knowledge I have gained over the years with the next generation is near and dear to my heart, because we all started somewhere. I try to be the mentor I wish I had when I first entered the field.
When I am not a stylist or a mentor, I am a mom and a Mimi. I have 3 adult children Ashley (34), Brian (22) & Anna (18) and 2 grandchildren Eleni (7) and Dimos (4). I love spending my time with them and building as many memories as possible.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Perseverance and adaptability. I tend to look for the positive in every situation even when it is bleak, owning any type of business is not for the weak but if you can handle what’s thrown at you and grow from it and come out on the other side stronger than that is what is most important. Theres been a few times over the years we have had to pivot or adjust our course and each time the business has grown from it. Evolving with change is what has helped us continue to thrive in and industry where change is inevitable.
Pricing:
- Intro Head Spa $89 60 min
- Wet or Dry Cut $34
- Haircut & Styling $54-60
- Custom Blend Facial $95.00
- Color + Highlight Services Vary
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shearserenity.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Shear_Serenity
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shear.Serenity
