Hidden Gems: Meet Katie Dinsmoore of Blend Color and Co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Dinsmoore

katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From a very young age i always knew i wanted to be in the beauty industry, i loved getting dolled up and helping my friends get ready for events. I also always knew i wanted to own a business. growing up on a farm, my parents taught me a lot about work ethic and what it takes to run a business. My dad works day in and day out on the farm, while my mom handles all the accounting and day to day business operations. so i really had the best two people as examples of what it takes. i started beauty school in high school through our career center. i think decided to go to michigan state university where i earned a degree in hospitality business. during my time at msu i did two internships one that was inside a spa learning day to day operations such as managing employees, ordering supplies, and advertising & marketing. it was then that i knew this was what i wanted. after graduation in 2011 i ran into a friend who i used to play softball with and she told me her mom was looking to sell her salon back home near my hometown. i grew up in akron so essexville wasn’t far for me, my parents and i went to look at it. and a few months later in september of 2012, at the age of 23, i became the proud owner of what is now Blend Color & co.
like myself my salon has evolved with me and all my changes in life. i got married and shortly after welcomed our first daughter, a few years later my husband and i welcomed our second daughter and a few months after her birth covid happened. during the shut down i realized i wanted to focus more on my family and raising my girls. i started working less days, and went from 7 employees to four, where we just decided to focus on hair services and bridal services. we then rebranded and went from “The 989 Salon and Spa” to “Blend Color & co” a salon for customized colors, and hair extensions. Shortly after the rebrand we welcomed our THIRD daughter and celebrated Ten years in business. i’m so proud of my little
hometown salon, I love the feeling of knowing most everyone who walks through the door, i love that i get to work hours that work for my family, and i get to spend my days making women feel empowered and beautiful and i can genuinely say i love what i do. My clients become almost like family and hearing their stories about there lives and loved ones mean so much to me. i know i will never have enough words to thank all of them for choosing me and supporting my dream. i remember thinking there was no way i would make it to see my 5 year anniversary, then my ten, and here i am 12 years in and still loving, learning everyday, and enjoying what i do.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
running a business is never smooth. But i will say all of the ‘bad’ times–whether it be an employee issue, a unhappy customer, or when the water heater needs to be replaced, make all of the good times even better. i compare running a business to any relationship. whether it’s with your spouse or your best friend. there’s going to be good times, bad times, and everything in between. it’s something you have to work at and invest in everyday! for me personally my biggest struggle is having tough conversations with employees. we all work so close together day after day and are friends outside of work. so having tough conversations are hard but necessary. i would like to say it gets easier with time and experience but its still something i struggle with!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Where Color Meets Confidence: Our Story

Here at Blend we are dedicated to helping you feel beautiful and empowered through our next-level hair artistry. We hope to provide you with the best overall experience and give you the tools to maintain the hair you have always wanted. Come relax, laugh, and have fun with us.

Here at Blend we specialize in customized colors, hand tied extensions, and are known for our comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff. Education is a top priority for us so you feel confident that have the ability and knowledge to provide you with the best service and experience.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
having a strong work ethic, providing good customer service, and having the ability to go with the flow is what i believe helps make my business successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blendcolorco.com/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/the989salon/
• Other: https://blendcolorco.glossgenius.com/