OCEAN CITY – Aug. 11 marked the one-year anniversary of the Studio 6 full-service salon in Ocean Pines, capping off a solid first year for owners Mynell and Shannon Bowie and bringing hopes of further success for their family-oriented business.
Mynell and Shannon Bowie have always dreamed of owning their own salon. Prior to opening Studio 6, Mynell was working in construction, managing the customer service unit, while Shannon was putting in nearly 18 years at her family’s salon. After extensive planning and dreaming, the Bowies finally made the leap and opened their first business and salon right in their own neighborhood of Ocean Pines.
The Bowies explained that they looked at many locations before finding their dream spot.
“It was just perfect,” Mynell said, explaining that being positioned between a coffee shop and a restaurant near the South Gate entrance to Ocean Pines has proved to be an ideal location.
Shannon added that the lake out back was what really caught their attention.
“It’s just so relaxing and comfortable,” she said, explaining that customers can enjoy the view of the lake as opposed to looking solely at a view of the parking lot.
So far business has been booming for Studio 6 and the Bowies.
“It’s just been great, it’s just growing so fast,” Mynell said.
As a result of the business boom, the Bowies are now faced with an employee dilemma.
“We never anticipated that our only problem would be finding enough people to work,” Mynell said.
Studio 6 currently houses four employees, Shannon and Mynell, and two others, Fran and Melina, who are both veteran stylists. Shannon explained that with the increase in business, they have the capacity to take on four more stylists but need at least two more.
“Our employees love what they do and it shows,” Mynell said.
The Bowies described their salon as a full-service, family-oriented salon. They offer manicures, pedicures, facial waxing, haircuts, coloring, and corrective coloring.
“Our girls are color experts,” Mynell boasted, adding that they have an exclusive color line that has been popular with the customers.
Their top of the line brand, Framesi, may be expensive, but Mynell explained that they do not charge the customer for the quality product that they use.
Studio 6 is a family-oriented salon, focusing on providing amenities to the entire family, ranging from children to parents to grandparents.
“When we say it’s a family salon, it’s really a family salon,” Shannon said.
With the family-oriented goal, the Bowies have worked to set prices that make coming to the salon affordable for the whole family.
“You can come here every week and not ruin your budget,” Mynell said.
For the Bowies, Studio 6 is not only family oriented but community oriented as well.
“We try to extend ourselves to our clients,” Mynell said, explaining that they provide door-to-door service for their elderly clients, offering to pick them up and bring them to the salon or do their hair right in their own home. “We enjoy taking care of our community, they are all like family.”
Both Shannon and Mynell agreed that their goal has always been about treating people right. “We want people to feel comfortable,” Mynell said.
As a result, they have created a relaxed, stress-free and tension-free environment that their customers can look forward to being a part of.
“This has been the most awesome place to work because of the people,” Mynell said, noting that the customers interact and enjoy one another while at Studio 6, with most already knowing one another.
The Bowies attribute their rapid customer growth mostly to word of mouth, explaining that many customers have started out by bringing their children in for a hair cut and now have their entire family and network of friends coming in.
Although the Bowies have been blessed so far with success, they admitted that it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
“It’d be a lie to say it’s not strenuous,” Mynell said, noting that he and his wife frequently put in 12- to 14-hour days.
As for the future, the Bowies are looking to expand.
“We have a lot of plans for things that we’d like to do,” Mynell said, noting that a massage room will likely be the next step.
For now, they plan to take it one day at a time and enjoy their new business and their customers.
“We’re always welcoming new clients but we thank the people who’ve been with us from the beginning,” Mynell said.