Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Follett.
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 off in Kalamazoo Michigan 15 years ago where I went to cosmetology school and immediately following graduation went into a salon where I assisted and provided nail and hair services. While I was there for 5 years, I attend Vidal Sasson training and also traveled to Los Angeles and New York to learn from celebrity hair stylist. I worked at a couple other salons within my 10 years in Kalamazoo where I continued to grow my talent by traveling to Vegas, Chicago and Dallas where I was also trained under incredible stylist. Next, I moved to St. Joe Michigan where my husband grew up and started a family I knew I needed to make roots there for me to do hair, I realized there wasn’t a salon that fit my style of hair I wanted to produce so I had the opportunity to go into an old salon and remodel and start my first business, EDIT Studio. I was in the space for 3 years with a staff of 6 service providers. I was approached about another space opening which was three times the space I was currently in. I went to New York Fashion Week and left inspired enough to take on the challenge to move the salon to the bigger location and do a complete build out. I was able to design the space entirely! Interior being my second passion this was very important and exciting to build my dream
salon, It took a year, and September 2nd 2025 we opened the new space at 3500 so feet with a staff of 12 and services that include; hair, nails, scalp spa, massage, skin, lashes and spray tans. I also have two assistant that train under me. March 2026 will be 4 years of EDIT Studio and a lot has happened!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of the struggles would be with finding the right staff, it has always been very important to me to have kind and passionate staff in my space. I never wanted to hire just to fill space but hit staff that fits the drama free and chill vibe that we have
With the build out, there seemed to be challenges everyday that we worked out and physically and emotionally building out 3500 sq feet was a true obstacle to overcome!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Myself (Leah Follett) owner, I am a hairstylist for 15 years. EDIT Studio I a full service beauty studio downtown St. Joe MI, we are known for the modern and coastal space with a laid back vibe. We are also know for having the most talented service providers in the area. I am most proud of the staff at EDIT,
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
That I did nails for 5 years when I first started in the industry
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.editstudiosj.com
- Instagram: @editstudiosj
