Meet Natalie Whalen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Whalen. 

Hi Natalie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In January 2012 I enrolled in cosmetology school at Douglas J Aveda in Royal Oak. During the day I stayed at home with my son and at night I would go to school. Upon graduation, I started working behind the chair at a salon until I had my daughter 3 years later… One day a friend of mine told me there was an opening at her salon and I checked it out. I managed the salon for about 3 years and then moved to our other location to strictly work behind the chair again. 

After nearly 7 years of working at that amazing salon with fantastic and incredibly talented stylists, I finally decided to try and work out of a suite in Clawson so I could be more one on one with my clients. There would be no possible way I could have done it without the encouragement and confidence in me from my former boss and friend, Amy. 

Since creating my company in November, Opal Studio is keeping me busy. I love having the one-on-one time with my clients and it’s been a game changer in how I manage my schedule. I have more time to spend with my kids and being able to attend their sports games. 

My favorite services to do are blonding and vivid colors. 

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?
Getting the courage to open my own studio was incredibly hard. I loved my salon and the people I worked with on a daily basis. Thankfully we are all still very close and we still spend time together. 

The hardest part was trying to figure out the financial part of getting started and trusting myself to be in charge of everything. I’m very lucky to have my husband who supported my choice as well. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a hairstylist that specializes in lived-in blonding services, vivid colors, and everything in between. I am known for my vivid colors and my blondes. 

I’m especially proud of my space and having something I can call my own. 

My studio is a safe space for everyone. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Having the support system of my friends and family has made things much less scary but I’m proud of my work ethic. I hustle but finally learned how to have a work-life balance. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.opalstudiomi.com
• Instagram: opalstudioclawson