Where Were You A Year Ago??

Story of the Month

Entry View - Before

I truly cannot believe that it has been a year since I opened the doors to Swans Studios in Old Oakland. As I celebrate the one year anniversary of my business, I am humbly aware this business would not be possible without the support and loyalty of my clients, friends, family, and community. I feel it is always important to pause when arriving at milestones such as this one and soak in all the positives!  Life can surprise us at times.

Entry View - After

One day you are walking along and you see an opportunity and the next thing you know you have taken a new risk and made some sort of dramatic change and you've arrived at where you had always wanted to be, but perhaps you had taken the long way around to get there. I'm so excited to celebrate this milestone and can't wait to see what the future years will bring for me at Swans Studios.

My new work space

Building Swans Studios was a whirlwind and certainly not something I had planned on doing a year ago, but walking along and finding this space right under my nose (literally) was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. After signing the lease on August 14th, I had a lot of work to do before the space was ready for me to have clients there, but after sixteen years of owning my previous salons, I knew the who, what, why, when, where and how to get it done; so as you may know I did. 

Our welcome area

Here are some gallery pictures to show the before and after...it gives me a lot of appreciation for all the people that helped with the renovations and upgrades! Like I said, I could not have done this without you, my trusted community and clients. Thank you so much for your continued support!

My "before" hair

Hair Queen News 

Along with Swans Studios growing and thriving...I did some growing of my own, my hair that is! For the first time in quite a few years I decided to grow out my hair. I'm very excited about my long, short haircut and it is fun to have some locks and length on my head. It will be fun to style my hair for the holidays with a curl or two….

My "after" hair

It is not too soon for you to be thinking about holiday hair.  Are you ready for a change, a little fall color, maybe some texture?  Let’s talk the next time you are in the chair. Visit www.suzannevanhouten.com to book your next appointment!

Runs Businesses With Scissors

Swans Studios didn't just happen overnight, but almost! I used all my past industry experiences to successfully build Swans Studios from the ground up. My years in the trenches taught me a lot about the who, what, why, when, where and how to get it done.

In the salon industry, boutique salons are all the rage and for me, at this juncture in my career, it made sense to adopt this model for my latest venture.  I love having my studio associates as colleagues and I love having my privacy. With this business model I am able to serve my salon clients and my consulting clients in one location; it makes good mental, spiritual, creative, and financial sense.

Are you ready for your next move?  If so, I am at your service. I would love to apply my years of experience in helping you transition to a new space if that is the next step in your business. For more information check out the website www.suzannevanhouten.com and my blog at www.svhrunsbusinesseswithscissors.blogspot.com. I look forward to helping you find your new business path this fall.