in the company of friends
by kelle olwyler

At first, I’ll admit, I thought I was booked into an average, run of the mill, just-what-you’d-expect California-style hair salon where stylists would run about with false smiles on their faces (yes, I've been conditioned to West Coast beauty parlors where image is what it's all about). Beauty is an ageless industry, and at my age, I admit to so many salon appointments for haircuts, colorings and quick fixes that I hardly remember a’ one. But now I know that when the sun comes up over Asheville, Shellie Whitmire and Tammie Towe, twin sisters, are preparing themselves to arrive at Mes Ami, their beauty salon, and open their doors to their friends and family . . . their customers.

What first caught my attention during my first appointment still does. No matter who walked through the doors, male or female, small enough to be carried or old enough to carry a walking cane, customers acted like—and were treated like—family. And I saw many come though the doors during the times I sat in the chair and merely observed my surroundings, bathed in a warmth of sounds and activities I’ve only felt at family reunions where the family members really do like each other.

And now that I've gotten to know them a little, I can see why. Tammie and Shellie are fraternal twins and have a closer bond than many siblings do. They spend all their time together, work together, and create community together. They are much loved by all who come in contact with them because of the energy field they create together.

I’ve worked with many wonderful companies throughout the world. They all struggle with the same old issues of customer service, employee satisfaction, stakeholder support, and market share. And I bet they’d give anything to have even some of what these two delightful entrepreneurs have created.

Customer service has never looked so good as when it shows up as a homey feeling in which everyone really is treated like family. Raised by their mother, the girls learned some valuable lessons that they continue to live their lives by, and it shows in how they run their business. “We’ve never met a stranger,” says Shellie, petite, dark hair and sparkling eyes that look ready to jump into excitement at any moment, “and it’s true that we’re really close to our customers. We know each of them individually.”

They have devised a formula for doing business that has provided both them and their customers with the most desirable atmosphere possible. They don’t take any new referrals unless they are made by already existing clients. “That’s another reason we have such a family atmosphere,” says Tammie, a concise, quiet spoken, delightful woman who gets things done. “Our customers wouldn’t refer us somebody they don’t think would enjoy our environment. And when we meet them, we make it a point during the months that follow to get to know them and to introduce them to other customers in the salon.” And believe me, new customers always come back. They settle in and become kin.

Shellie and Tammie care what’s going on with you. I am not talking about the casual, “Hi, how-are-you-doing-these-days and what-have-you-been-up-to” queries one expects her—or—his stylist to ask to pass the time. I’m talking about two women who know what’s going on with the grandchildren, the son or daughter about to get married, the baby shower that they themselves will be at for your middle son’s wife. Though many stylists know the goings on of their clients, not many also spend time with them outside of the business, families with families, just because they like each other. Shellie and Tammie—and their families—do.

Employee satisfaction, something every business struggles to maintain, is palpable at Mes Ami. It radiates in the laughter, the smiling faces, the gentle teasing, the extra time spent together. “We have a good environment for the girls,” says Tammie. “We don’t just work together, we do things together. We eat lunch together every day between 1 and 2. This is our time. Our husbands are all friends with each other; we go on vacations together.” The relationships they’ve built have paid off, because in the two years they’ve been open, there’s never been an argument, and there is no discord or competitiveness between any of them. “For people to work together and not to get into hostility is a major deal for us,” says Shellie, “because we’ve seen that it can go the other way.” Tammie agrees, “When customers come, they can sense animosity in the air if it’s there. Shellie and I work to create an environment that feeds friendship and collaboration. We knew it could be done, and we’ve shown that it can work.”

They WANT to make everyone that works there happy. And they do things many salons would never do: they pay for a cleaning person so the girls don’t have to worry about anything but general pickup after themselves; they provide towel service so the girls don’t have to do their own laundry as they would in many salons; if a girl is out having a baby, their space is held and they don’t have to pay rent during their absence. “We don’t expect those kinds of things,” says Shellie, shaking her head in emphasis. “We know when you’re not working, you’re not making money.” And they don’t want to add any unnecessary burden to their “family.”

Tammy is emphatic that as a business owner, “when you can afford to do those kind of things, then do it!” And the payback has definitely been worth it. They have many friends and money in the bank. But they both agree that the friends far outweigh the money in value. And their “friends”—called employees in some companies—think so, too.

When I asked what made them decide to go into business for themselves, Shellie responded first, “It was when Russell and I married that I began thinking of the future for the first time. Tammie and Clint had married the year before and were now going to have a baby. Suddenly, the future mattered.” That’s when the idea of creating Mes Ami and the determination to make it happen came to them. After being at Teazers in Candler for 8 years and loving it, the girls were ready to begin their own enterprise. “We knew we wanted to do it,” says Tammie, “The question was in finding the right location.” And their stakeholders all told them, “you can do this!”

In business, the term stakeholder means anyone who can affect or be affected by a company’s activities. In Tammie and Shellie’s situation, their mother, grandmother, brother, husbands, and even their customers, all believed in them and encouraged them to strike out on their own. They talked to friends, family, customers, and all saw value in their idea and encouraged them to take the step and fulfill a dream. A friend and products rep kept an eye open for a location for them. It was through her that they learned about the building they are now ensconced in. “Our family and our husbands’ families are all from Asheville. We all live near each other. Now we work in the same area we live in and our customers live in. It all works much better now.” Their stakeholders gave them the support and encouragement to make it happen, and happen it did . . . the girls became entrepreneurs.

With seven young women at the salon, two in nails led by Tammie, and five in hair led by Shellie, they are chock full of customers. They have envious market share. But the story doesn’t end there. Both Shellie and Tammie are powerfully thankful they can do what they love to do, and there’s so much more they want to do. Their vision is to expand into a total day spa for their customers with offerings like full-body massage and maintenance of the skin. The Big Guys of corporate America would call that retaining market share. What the twins call it is caring for Mes Ami, their “friends.”

Shellie and Tammie, the two bright, strong, joyful sisters who bring their talents and their huge hearts to everyone they come in contact with, make Asheville an even brighter place each day. They are women who run a business masterfully, who love what they do, and who know that family, caring for others, and community matter above all.We could all learn from that.

[Author's note: The name of the salon is spelled Mes Ami, not Mes Amis.]

Kelle Olwyler is President of Kel Bergan Consulting, a management consulting and executive coaching company specializing in helping professionals, executives and teams get results that solve problems and support transformation. Website: kelbergan.com.