Meet Rachel Biestman | Salon Owner and Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Biestman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I opened The Darling Loft Salon in July of 2020 in response to the pandemic. I had been working in a large salon for about 3 years, and during the stay-at-home order my husband and I went over the realities of working there during the pandemic. We are both independent contractors, and with three children we were concerned about having to stay home from work due to possible exposure. There seemed to be only one answer: to open my own micro-salon!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been doing hair for 16 years, and owning a business was actually the last thing I had ever wanted to do! I had always hoped to do music or art, lazing around with other fascinating people in coffee shops day-in and out until it was time to work through the night!

But until I found success, my reality was working in retail selling whatever- and I hated it. After the worst shift at work ever, I enrolled in beauty school the next day! I worked in a salon for a few years until my husband lost his good job during the financial crisis.

Now, I wish I could say that I picked up the slack and immediately started coming up with innovative ways to get my chair booming, but that wasn’t the case. We struggled consistently for about a decade! It wasn’t until we found out we were pregnant with our third child that I knew something had to give, and I started searching out ways to ensure my business would provide for our growing family.

For the last 3 years I have worked incredibly hard to create a scaling business that not only provides money wealth for my family, but also time wealth. I desperately want more time to spend with my family, invest in my church and community, and create things other than hairstyles. Right now I am busy with a small jewelry line called “BIEST” that I hope will grow to include apparel in the next 5 years.

Although much of our work happens on the weekend for weddings, The Darling Loft is a highly branded salon experience. Most people feel immediately at home in my “best girlfriend’s living room” type setting. Yes, the space is absolutely beautiful, but our beauty is much more than skin-deep! We value relationships above all, and our favorite part of our experience is getting to visit with our clients. We see doing hair as a catalyst for making our peoples’ lives more doable. We specialize in easy-to-manage, easy-to-maintain hairstyles to empower our clients to do the important things in their lives. Despite our lovely appearance, most of our clients show up in their shabbiest as they know it’s a safe place to let their guard down.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are located in Augusta, and there is plenty to do in our gorgeous city!

Of course we would head downtown which has grown tremendously in the last decade! Mural walking is a definite in our area, with so many lively murals created by local artists (April Henry King is one) you can really spend a day of it! My fave restaurant to hit up downtown is an oldie, but I love Nacho Mamas for its dive-y experience and amazing Mexican-inspired food.

Most people love all of the outdoorsy activities in Augusta, such as walking on the Greenway, biking FATS, or kayaking down the river. There are even great places to paddle board in Columbia County, such as Betty’s Branch! but as I am not an outdoorsy person, I would take someone to visit one or all of our fab locally owned coffee shops. Rooted, Buona Coffee, or our newest coffee/patisserie Edgars Bakehouse.

And no trip to Augusta is complete without an entire afternoon sifting through boxes at Final Cut, where you’ll likely find a treasure of a dress or designer jeans at a mere fraction of the price. It’s overwhelming, but patience will lead you to afternoon of finds like no other!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been a member of Thrivers Society for 3 years, and there is no doubt I would not been able to do what I have done without the direction I received from the program! Thrivers is a membership for hairstylists that show them how to properly run their own business with conviction and personalization. I am an artistic person who naturally struggles with the nitty-gritty of organization, numbers, and the pressure to be everything to everyone. Thrivers is a roadmap to success for people just like me! I have easily doubled my income in the last 3 years, all while actually working behind the chair less!

It might seem like I am being paid to say what I am saying, but I’m not. I cannot say enough how Britt Seva (the founder of Thrivers) has inspired me to success.

Website: www.thedarlingloftsalon.com

Instagram: @darlingloftsalon @biestmakes

Image Credits
The photo of me is @ Acuity Photography