The Why Behind The Brand

I am often asked why I started my brand, Ri & Co Salon.  This is a question that I get asked on a daily basis—whether the inquiry comes from a guest in our Springfield, Illinois salon getting her first set of hand-tied hair extensions, or someone attending a class on color techniques for blonding! I feel that it’s very important for you to know WHY I have created the brand I stand so strongly behind.

I will never forget the first time I held a hair brush in my hands. I was just a little girl and my mother was trying to style my hair for the day. I remember taking the hair brush out of her hands like a magic wand and showing her how to properly style my hair.  Even at a young age I was passionate about hair styling education! 

Holding a hair brush in my hands felt so natural to me, but it wasn’t until I walked into my first hair salon that I knew it was my destiny. Growing up I lived next door to a woman named Erika who was like a second mom to me—who also happened to be a hair salon owner herself. I remember being completely mesmerized the first time I walked inside her salon.  From that very moment, I was always finding a reason to visit—there was something about the salon atmosphere that made me feel at home.  As a little girl I knew that the fire I had in my heart for the hair industry was real. So real that every year for Halloween I wanted to be a hair stylist just like my neighbor, Erika—thankfully she let me borrow her tools and apron so I could fully play the part! Although I wasn’t able to fully understand or articulate it at the time,

my mission was to one day create a salon atmosphere that cultivated confidence
and would become a second home to my guests and stylists.

An atmosphere that made others feel what I felt growing up in a salon. Erika used to tell me to shoot for my dreams, and reach for the stars.  And that is exactly what I did… 

And just like that, Ri & Co Salon was officially born! 

The name celebrates the idea that an arrow allows you to shoot for the stars and chase your dreams… as far as you want! As a hand-tied hair extensions stylist, I knew I had a unique business and wanted to be the best hair salon in Springfield, Illinois. I also knew I wanted to build a brand that believes in giving back to the community and supporting one another.  I hoped to create a brand that made my guests feel at home. I also wanted to build a brand that served as a platform for educating other stylists and encouraging them to reach for the stars, too.

When I started this journey I knew the why behind my brand was all about helping others—and that is exactly what we do today. Through our services—from blonding to hand-tied hair extensions—we give women the confidence that they haven’t had before.  We help them reach for the stars and shoot for their dreams! I can’t tell you how many guests sitting in my chair have told me that we have inspired them to find their true passion in life. 

I can honestly say, I’ve found my passion by helping women advance to the next level and find their purpose that they may have never known they had before! The Ri & Co mission is to empower women from within by helping them succeed to be their best self—all while styling their hair and making them feel more confident and beautiful on the outside! We believe that true beauty and confidence radiates from within.

We truly value each and every guest that sits in our chair. We are passionate about building genuine relationships and we tell everyone that our salon is nothing but four walls filled with love and relationships. Our guests have become our family, they have become our friends, and we care about their lives and who they are at the core. 

We invite you to join our family and be a part of our why!

Xx,