Daily Inspiration: Meet Morgan Kruizenga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Kruizenga. 

Hi Morgan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been passionate about hairdressing and have been in the industry for over 35 years. I was fortunate to attend a trade school and was able to graduate from high school and cosmetology school at the same time. My background from the start of my career has always involved aligning myself with educational, creative and high fashion hairdressing companies. 

In the ’90s, I had the opportunity to join the Toni & Guy Ambassador program. Which gave me the chance to become a platform artist, then a local and national educator, and later grew into the role of the Midwest Educational Director. After about 10 years in these roles, I was selected to become one of the few art directors in the USA to launch the Toni & Guy New York Madison Avenue Salon. At this location, I was able to work as both a hairstylist and an educator. Some of my training and inspiration has come from traveling and studying with top hairdressing Academies. Continuing Education is a key component to the culture at the salon. After working at the Madison Avenue Salon for a couple years, I returned home to Michigan and started growing my family. 

I have two daughters Quillian and Gwendelen. My eldest Quillian is working with us and has gone through our apprentice program at Chemistry Salon. She is our Salon Coordinator and is on her way to become a stylist at the salon. My youngest Gwendelen is a junior in high school and is pursuing art. She is one of the artists we featured here at Chemistry- we help support local artists by featuring their work in the salon. 

In 2018, my husband Ken and I started looking for a salon location. We found an over 80-year-old transmission shop in Berkley MI and started the 10-month renovation. In May 2019, we opened Chemistry Salon. We have a remarkable team here at Chemistry, our culture is very unique. We are a team base salon, so every stylist here helps support each other. Teamwork is key to ensure every client is taken care of when things get busy. Everyone here at Chemistry is truly passionate about their career, sustainability, and continuing their education. 

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?
Not easy, but struggles are always worth it! Taking on a project of this kind was painstakingly hard, when we eventually found it, there were so many obstacles to overcome. We wanted to make a positive impact for the community wherever we were entering. So, when we fell in love with an over 80-year-old transmission shop in Downtown Berkley, we knew a big project was coming. 

My husband Ken and I then started the enormous task of transforming a dilapidated building into a beautiful, green, low carbon footprint modern salon. This was definitely the hardest thing I have ever done (and I’ve done some unconventional and hard things in my life). That’s another story though. 

However, I would not change a thing about this journey. I’m not sure if it’s good karma or just luck, but through this process so many things that seemed at the time to be a challenge or disaster ended up being a blessing. Sometimes we have to trust the universe’s divine timing. I’m very grateful for this experience and learned to always keep your goals front and center, believe in yourself, and get ready to work. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Chemistry Sustainability and Education: 

Chemistry Salon was created for all my clients that have believed and supported me through all these years; they are like family to me. I have experienced so many firsts with my clients: first dates, dances, marriages, babies, and homes. We’ve grown up together, through thick and thin. They have all given so much to me, so Chemistry Salon is me giving back to them. My mission has always been to create the most eco-friendly, creative, educational, and original salon experience for both hairdressers and clients, so I made sure Chemistry Salon manifested that for all our future generations. 

During the transformation of Chemistry Salon, we made sure to include many green sustainable features such as: repurposed and recycled materials, a low energy use HVAC system, LED lighting and windows for natural light, and radiant flooring which uses less gas and ensures even heating with minimum energy usage. I will only partner and carry Bcorp, clean and nontoxic leading hairdressing companies such as: Davines, Cult+King, and Natulique. We are also a part of the few Green Circle Salons in Michigan. Through Green Circle we are able to recycle and repurpose over 95% of our waste so it doesn’t end up in a landfill. Even the hair is repurposed by creating ‘hair booms’ that soak up oil in our lakes and oceans. 

I have always had a passion for education and growing the next generation of hairdressers. I created Chemistry Lab Education, a fast-track advanced education program that every stylist here is a part of. This program helps inspire and create successful hairdressers. We also bring in Global and National Educators throughout the year with our in-house education. We offer health insurance and a retirement simple IRA for our employees. We respect work-life balance and are a ‘grow within’ company, so there are always opportunities for our employees to grow with us. We are always looking to grow our team with the next generation of hairstylists. 

Stylists’ Specialties: 

We are always welcome new clients and offer a range of hair services here at Chemistry Salon. These are some of our Stylists’ specialties are but not limited to: 

Valerie VanSlambrouck- Cut, dimensional color, designed and personalized current styles. 

Jaclyn Wilhelm- Blowouts, balayage, hand-tied weft extensions, and dimensional highlights. 

Hannah Fitteg- Bob cutting, creative color, multiple highlighting techniques, and hand-tied weft extensions 

Katrina Rollins- Curly hair, modern shag, tailored cuts, creative color, and highlights. 

Morgan Kruizenga- Styling, tailored cut and color, precision cutting, balayage, and highlights 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
-Leave your Mark 

– Jay Williams 

Pricing:

• Womens Haircut: $60-$100+
• Mens Haircut: $45-$70+
• Root Color: $70+
• Blowouts: $45- $70+
• Highlights/ Balayage: $125- $255+

Contact Info:

• Email: support@chemistry.salon
• Website: https://www.chemistry.salon/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chemistry_salon?utm_medium=copy_link

Image Credits
Roe Photo Dianna Berggren