Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Garner.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Some bullet points:
-I own 4 salons. Hairdo Salon (Daphne, AL 2008), Hair-do at the Fort (Spanish Fort, AL 2016), Hairdo Salons Savannah (main one here in Savannah, GA 2024), Hairdo42 (partial own Savannah, GA 2017), Hairdo Pensacola (Pensacola, FL 2019-2025)
-National Color Educator for John Paul Mitchell Systems (2010-present)
-I have a daughter Maddie who is a senior at Savannah Arts Academy, she is my whole world and all of this was to make sure I could support her.
-2011-2022 I came to Savannah one week out of the month to check on the salon and visit with my husband
-2022-present I moved to Savannah full time, traveling to Alabama one week out of the month to check on my salons there and do my clients. 1000 miles a month for 15 years.
-I found out 18 months after I moved here that my husband had a second life and the gaslighting and emotional abuse that comes with that took a huge toll on us until we could figure out what was going on. I don’t fully elaborate on it in my story because I am still partial owner of his salon. The rest of the salons are 100% mine though. Just figure some context is important in case any of it sounds confusing. He is on his own healing journey and is doing well. I in no way want to bad mouth or tear him down, I just choose to not be apart of his journey anymore unless it has to do with work
-Hairdo Salons Savannah is the company I had to create in separating myself from him as much as possible, that is the main one that I connect people too and have been building up to be like the salons in Alabama.
-There are so many stories and things that have happened so I did try to limit it to what was specific to Savannah. If you have any questions or need me to elaborate, I am a bit of a rambler, just let me know.
I remember being 3 years old. Playing with my moms hair and her explaining to me what a cosmetologist was. Could say hair is my passion but more than likely it’s my unwavering stubbornish. Once I say I am going to do something, I always follow through. I couldn’t let little ol’toddler me down. After gaining my degree, owning my own business was not something I wanted. Growing up on a farm and watching the constant struggle of finances and time it took up. Life and work were always intertwined. I was content to work for someone else. Show up, follow the rules, go home. What I found out though is working for someone else was just as hectic. Inconsistent, stressful, putting your livelihood in someone else’s hands. Turns out the structure, balance, and peace I wanted from a job, I could naturally provide for others.
Tired of salon hopping, tired of being bullied at other salons, pettiness like given wrong formulations if I asked for help, taken advantage of because I was painfully quiet, or a little “quirky” when it came to meticulous details. I was on the verge of “can I even work in this industry”. At my 8th salon in a span of 4 years, I was happy working with my best friend Tiffany. However, I began to notice a destructive, declining pattern from the owner of the salon that did not make sense for what we were pulling in. I made her payment calendars, did her orders, budgeting, anything I could to help her out so we did not have to leave. Soon noticed though if she had one emergency, then there was no way we were going to get paid. I started to collect salon furniture, inventory, negotiate with the landlord if she faults, and complete the backend work of starting a company. I was 22, 7 months pregnant, and then that emergency happened. She couldn’t pay us, could no longer stay afloat. I was able to swoop in with just an offer to let it all go, I could take over her lease, she wouldn’t sink further into debt. She did the hardest part of all, staying open for that first year. In 2008, Tiffany came up with the name Hair-do and I soon found myself up on a 7ft ladder repainting a salon alongside a baby’s room, and things never slowed back down after that.
At first, working at so many salons seemed like a curse but it taught me so much of what not to do. So many owners with different concepts. In the end, we are just trying to figure it all out. Their struggles and oftentimes mismanagement became the ultimate crash courses for me. My observant, pacificity was my strength all along. That realization became a driving factor for anyone I hired. Find their strength and what makes them unique. Nurture it and grow it, when they are themselves and happy it radiates to others. Spread just like word of mouth. If they want to own a salon, support it, involve them in my business and management training. When they grow I would grow with them and invest in them. I 17 years, naturally stylists come and go, but I have never had a walk out. Think that is because we are so transparent and hands on.
In 2016 I opened our second location Hair-do at the Fort Spanish Fort, AL. In 2017 I partnered with Salon42 in Savannah, GA and opened Hairdo42. In the last half of 2019, I opened Hairdo Pensacola, FL and also expanded Hair-do at the Fort into a larger space. Little did we know that the pandemic would shut everything down all at once. Even though we were able to make sure our team was taken care of and we made it through, it was a huge wake up call to slow it back down for a minute. Get so caught up in growing that we needed to make sure all the foundations were still set. Business wise, it was a huge lesson in patience.
That began the pivot of not overworking our team. Before then we would work 10 hour days, several days a week. When we cut back and started rotating 3 day weekends, the overall change in our mental health and quality of work was amazing. We were so used to the grind we forgot to take a step back and breathe. That changed a lot of how we did things moving forward and allowed us to hire more stylists breaking up into shorter shifts and more time off to take care of ourselves. That also became the realization that I wanted to take a step back from hair full time and be able to put more energy into the business side and have more time with my daughter in her final school years.
In 2024 I began work on our second location in Savannah, GA, Hairdo Salons Savannah. Just recently, at the beginning of 2025, moved into our larger forever home on the South Side. Right now it is just Cait and I but we are growing fast and so excited for what is coming next!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every few years there does seem to be an event that affects the community or economy. Growing up in the farming industry you learn to pivot quickly or prepare for the worst or what you can not control. Squirrel away for a rainy day and emergency funds. We have been through power outages from hurricanes, long term shut downs from the pandemic, even though we have an open door inclusive concept we are regularly targeted with hate campaigns, damage to our local economy from the Gulf Coast oil spill. Each time one of these events happens we accept that we can not control it, but what we can control is us. Continue providing that sense of normalcy to our community. Listening to their needs and adjusting pricing or structure to fit them. At the end of the day without them we do not exist so that is why the constant connectivity is important. Every event is a chance for us to learn something new and grow from.
The biggest hurdle, recently, was by far the hardest one. Since 2011, I have been coming back and forth to Savannah/Rincon. One week out of every month. During the pandemic I could not come back for 6 months. In that time away, I realized that I did want to be here more and settle down. In 2022, I swapped the rotation. Going to Alabama one week out of the month and being full time in Savannah. Stepping behind the salon chair only a few days a week, the rest to be more with my daughter after so long of being a single mom. It was unexpectedly short lived. Within 18 months the life I had known for over a decade came crashing down. I still had my salons in Alabama but we found ourselves in Savannah, with all of our support system 500 miles away. We had unknowingly been led into a trap. I had watched this growing up and know of many, many other women who have gone through similar things. There were several clients and people from the local market scene that I was really close to for many years and shared with them what was happening. We began to form closer connections with people, letting them into our home and lives. I had to make a lot of hard decisions but the number one priority was to get me and my daughter into a safe environment and build that support system for her. We both loved it here and the life that we were starting to build, her happiness was the number one priority. The family we have built here, the people that stepped up was overwhelmingly beautiful. A reminder that for every person that uses you and tears you down there are 10 more ready to build you up and be there at a moment’s notice. No questions asked, nothing in return. Those who helped me through all of this, even just lending an ear and/or being there for my daughter when I had to travel, that was a new experience in our lives. We did not realize how isolated we had become but we still had people looking out for us. We also were able to grow closer with Maddie’s grandparents, who now we get to see way more often and are so thankful to have their love in our lives. All those clients and friends know who they are because I make sure to tell them often. They will forever hold a special place in our hearts. A reminder and example to my daughter that in the worst of times always look for the helpers, the fighters and the people who show up. How people should be. Keep them close in your life, those are always the ones that matter. We just got a little lost. Along with building up the people in our lives, I started to strip everything away and went back to the basics. What I knew best. Doing hair and taking care of people. I have already done this before, but now with all the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, I can do it way faster. This is what I coach to stylists coming in, now I will be doing it with them. I now run 5 salons while working full time as a stylist but it is all good, because in the end I love what I do and who I do it for. Within just a year I was able to fill my books back up. But it wasn’t just me. My new chosen family, my clients, the neighborhood groups, this whole city. Word of mouth spread and because of Savannah. Complete strangers were suggesting me for short hair or vivid hair just from seeing my posts. They did not know me or what I was battling at the moment. But their kindness and support saved us. Words hold a lot of power and they made a choice to be kind.
My salons in Alabama took off during this time too. My management team Kristin, Jill, Johnni, and Audrey worked so hard, taking things off my plate, showing me grace when I would fall behind. Every stylist I have working with me, which there are so many to name but every one of them played a part in being there for me or inspiring me. All of them stepped up. By backing off and letting go of some control, it gave them space to flourish. We had built an army of amazing people and I grew from it as well. This was one of the hardest times in my life since I opened the salons but it gave me the chance to remember why I did all this to begin with. To provide a structured, stable, peaceful place. When I lost that and I was the one that needed help, they gave it all back to me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
All of our salons are well known for our eclectic and inclusive environment. We do amazing hair and specialize in all kinds of cuts and colors. Attending as much continuing education as possible along with what I bring back from being an educator with Paul Mitchell. What we are most known for is using our salons as a driving force of good in our communities. I am everything that my team is. What is important to them, is important to me and us a whole. Whenever a stylist brings an organization that they want to support, we do our best to contribute or bring awareness to as much as possible. Off the Gulf Coast we have worked closely with Ronald McDonald House for almost 20 years, Life South, Osprey Foundation, Strive of Pensacola, Prism United Fairhope, Toys for Tots, Daphne and Spanish Fort School Sports programs, Mobile Environmental Center, back to school supplies events, pet adoptions with Mobile Animal Shelter, Girl Scouts, One More Moment. Volunteering at hospital wards. Disaster relief drop off points anything from hurricane supplies to those in need, to tornados supplies up north, to volunteering at displaced living facilities after the floods in Baton Rouge. Through the Green Circle Salon initiative we recycle 95% of our waste.
We attend art markets all along the SouthEast. You can usually spot our pink iridescent van riding around. We sell art from our stylists and from our clients. All of our profits go back into our education program and travel for our team. All of our profits from any pride merchandise that we sell goes to Prism United Fairhope. We are looking for local youth pride organizations in Savannah to support.
Our philanthropy plays a huge part of who we are but also who I am. The world right now is waking up to the cruelties that have always existed. These atrocities are not just limited to the rich/elite, they trickle down to all classes. Unfortunately, this was the environment I was born into. As a child, when unimaginable cruelty is embedded in your daily life, it is all that you know. Life becomes an isolated routine of just going through motions but never really living or experiencing joy. From that, the tiniest acts of kindness become so huge. A moment where someone listened, or a teacher letting you sleep in class cause it’s not safe to at home, small compliments with no expectations attached. Small kindnesses are amplified into hope and you hold on to them for as long as you can. Autonomy, when you have none, becomes a goal to reach for without even understanding what that is. For me and others, I started to notice that hair is one of those things that can give someone a sense of control of themselves and environment. This is what motivated our work with women’s shelters and safe houses. Providing basic hair services. We also save/sort all of our stylists’ clothes, set them out allowing them to come in and “shop”. They do not have to pay for anything nor leave with items in a plastic bag. We also do clothing swap events for anyone transitioning but all are always welcome.
All these connections that we have made in the Gulf Coast area over the past 20 years, we hope to bring to Savannah as well. Now that I am here full time and the bigger we get the more we are able to offer these. We have already worked Dead Name events, sponsor our favorite local art market “Freaks and Geeks”, and sponsor the Savannah Derby Devils. At this moment we are actively making and looking to make more connections to volunteer our services for safe houses, women’s shelters, and unhoused shelters. We do not post people’s pain for profit. Word of mouth on who to reach out to is so important, so I am always available to connect so we can be of value. To either find more resources or let other stylists know where they can find them. We are so blessed with this amazing skill to share with people. Just a small sense of normalcy and self care makes a huge impact in people’s lives. To feel seen and cared for.
Even though I am 500 miles away from my Gulf Coast salons, Hair-do Salon and Hair-do at the Fort, they continue to thrive. Taking what we started with just two people and turning it into a powerful force. I could not be more proud of all of them and I am so excited to bring the same gifts our industry provides to Savannah.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I have been coming back and forth to Savannah since 2011, owned a business here since 2017 but I had not been able to really get to know the city until everything fell apart. My trips were always so quick and when I moved here full time I became stuck in a situation where I was very isolated. My daughter loved it here, the friends she made, attending Savannah Arts. The mix of people, downtown, the beaches. As she put it, she was living her best teenage life! I could not take that away from her. I became determined to date the city and learn about it as much as I can. I would go on runs downtown, sprinting between the squares. Reading all the plaques and monuments. Getting lost and trying to find may way. Sometimes a 2 mile run would turn into 6 because I got turned around and lost. After a couple of months though, I knew where all my favorite spots were. The low hanging tree in the pit at Crawford Square, the courtyard at the Sorrell-Weed house, staring at the Amethyst Garden Inn, Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, the Lego Minifig head graffiti. Sprinting down the back alley on E State St into Oglethorpe Square where I would then walk around saving little caterpillars off the walking path. Dodging tourists when I run down Broughton St. Swinging on the swing sets at Forsyth. Finding a new tree everyday to lay under and look at the sky through. My friend Anita and her husband immediately took us around to all the restaurants and introduced me to so many people. I’ve met so many artists and photographers who collab with me and allow me to sell their things in my salon and local markets. My daughter and I walk around and chat with tourist, learning their stories and connecting with them even after they leave. Of course there are the obvious beautiful, historical things here but within those there are so many little magical wonders and so many different people. Every time I go downtown or at Tybee I find more and more, creating new micro experiences. Every day is different, and some times there is a wild card thrown in there. But at the end of the day people show up. A client told me one time that Savannah has a way of revealing things to people that come here. Where I am usually a skeptic of a person, she was right. It revealed a life we did not know we were missing and a life we did not know we needed.
Pricing:
- Gender Neutral Pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hair-docrew.com
- Instagram: @hairdosalon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hairdosalonsavannah/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hair-do-salon-savannah-2?osq=hairdo+salon
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hairdosalon
