Highlight Your Look

An unexpected move brought Highlights Salon owner Linda Collins the delightful pleasure of rediscovering her love of the beauty business in a bright and sunny new salon. By adding a number of new team members to her already talented staff, she’s offering clients from all walks of life the advantages of cutting-edge hair and spa services—with personalized appeal.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 03/12/2008
In the beauty business, a location on the corner of Boneta Road sounds ideal. And for 23 years, Linda Collins, owner of Highlights Salon, had a highly successful business at Route 18 and Boneta—which coincidentally is Spanish for “pretty.”

But when her building was recently sold, Linda had to pick up and move.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” she smiles. “Now I have the salon of my dreams and the staff of my dreams.

Because of the new location, I’ve been able to draw talented people who didn’t want to come out to my former location to work. Being closer to town seems to bring out more enthusiasm in people.”
Highlights Salon moved into its elegant new home on East Washington Street, less than a mile from the Medina Square, on February 1, gaining 500 square feet of additional space, four new team members and a whole lot more sunlight. Windows are everywhere. Unlike so many shopping strip salons that are locked in between construction brick walls, at Highlights, you get a bright, outdoor view as you get your hair cut.

“I am so happy that there is so much sunlight coming in here,” Linda beams. “It is absolutely fabulous. It’s fancy and welcoming. It feels clean and refreshing.”
Linda likes sunlight.

“I was very proud of my old salon,” she says. “It was very homey and I did very well there. But this feels so trendy and new.”

And to help with the trendiness, Linda has brought in Matthew Hickman (his mom calls him Matthew Scissorhands) who owned Matthews Hair Studio on Public Square before moving to Columbus a year ago, and Shannon Courtock, another innovative, chic stylist. They join Linda and Chuck Falk, stylists who came over from the old location.

Even with new stylists on board, Linda isn’t about to give up working one-on-one with her customers.

“I still stand behind the chair 40-hours a week,” she emphasizes.
Matthew and Shannon bring an additional creativity to Highlights, Linda says.

“I am more conservative in my look and I tend to draw in the professional woman who wears a more classic cut,” she explains. “Matthew and Shannon bring a lot of creative energy and they are right on top of the latest fashions. It’s a great fit. We’re going to appeal to a lot more people.”
Shannon loves the new team.

“The word ‘teamwork’ really has meaning here,” she says sincerely. “This is a very happy, relaxing environment. We have a lot of fun.”

Matthew, who got started by cutting his mother’s hair when he was 16-years-old, said he has an inside connection to the latest styles.

“I have a friend who is a platform artist for Redken in Los Angeles,” he reveals. “He keeps me on the cutting edge.”

Along with the new stylists, licensed massage therapist Kris Sydorenko comes over from the previous location, and Steven Stump, massage practitioner, has joined the team.

With the addition of a second massage therapist, Highlights has added couples massages to its menu of services that include Swedish relaxation massage, hot stone massage, craniosacral therapy and ionic detox footbaths.

“We’ve had a lot of calls for a couple’s massage and there aren’t a lot of people offering it,” Linda says. “I thought this would be something that couples would do, but there are a lot of mothers, daughters and friends who are asking about it too. A mother and daughter massage is a great gift for Mothers Day.”

Craniosacral therapy, Kris explains, is the gentle movement of the spinal and cranial bones to bring the central nervous system into harmony.

During an ionic detox footbath, your feet are placed in ionized water for about a half-hour, during which time the ionic currents polarize toxins in your body and purge them through the pores of your feet. The cleansing process, Kris says, makes your body healthier and gives you increased energy. And if you are skeptical about whether it works, watch the water.

You may not believe what’s coming from your body, Linda says.

“It helps to balance the energy in your body cells,” Kris explains. “It is very helpful for conditions like arthritis and water retention.” Toxins, which get into the body through food and air, hinder the body’s ability to cleanse itself.

“More and more people are looking for holistic solutions to their health problems,” Kim says.
Dorothy Glass, a natural nail cultivist, rounds out the Highlights team. Dorothy uses the Jessica nail care system and all-natural techniques, like real nail tip replacement.

“I also do body sugaring, a painless, more efficient hair-removal system that lasts six to eight weeks,” Dorothy says. “If it is done on a regular basis it can lead to permanent hair removal.” She also will be doing manicures and spa pedicures, as well as all-organic Japanese facial treatments made from pure herbs and botanicals that are ideal for all skin types.

The new salon is an extension of Linda’s lifelong dream.

“I’ve always wanted to be a hair stylist, even when I was a little girl,” she recalls. “I was the little girl who gave haircuts to all her Barbie dolls. My mother had to explain to me that it wasn’t going to grow back.”
Highlights offers the full range of cuts, styles and coloring to clients of all ages and genders.

“One thing I am adamant about is consistency,” Linda says. “I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that they went to a stylist twice but the third time was not the same.”

Linda wants your visit to her salon to be the Highlight of your day.

“It’s not just how you look when you leave here,” she said. “It’s how you feel when you leave here. Feeling great is a big part of the beauty process.”

Visit Highlights Salon at its new location at 801 E Washington Street (Route 18), Suite 130, in Washington Park. The salon is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or, you can arrange special hours with your stylist.
To schedule an appointment with Linda Collins or Chuck Falk, call 330-725-2875; Mathew Hickman or Shannon Courtock, call 330-723-6200 or 330-416-1699; Kris Sydorenko or Steven Stump, call 330-416-0546 or 330-725-2875; Dorothy Glass 330-725-2875 or 216-308-3234.

For more information on the services provided by Kris, Steven or Dorothy please check the website www.hkmassage.net.

Linda is interviewing for Esthetician, Nail Technicians and Hair Stylists (Booth Rental).

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