In the Spotlight: Girl Boss Michelle Nutz of ALKALI Beauty Products

Michelle has been my hairdresser since way back in the day!  My husband likes to joke and says he is the reason we met which is sort of true.  He came back after getting his haircut at a salon across from our apartment and told me about a cool young woman who just arrived from South Africa.  He thought we’d get along.  Well, I guess he was right since I have been seeing Michelle since the late 90’s and only once veered off to go to a woman who would dye my hair brown since I knew she wouldn’t!  True story.  I had to come back with my head hung low asking for Michelle to “fix” my color.  Let’s just say I haven’t ventured off again!

Michelle shared with me a few weeks back about growing up in South Africa and her humble beginnings with young parents.  I’ve always known Michelle to be a really hard worker but hearing her story made me really understand where her strong drive comes from.

She started her own salon two years ago, Alkali Salon, to the cheers of her clients and coworkers and just opened up her second one in Santa Ana last year.

And if that isn’t enough going on – she and her partners, Frank, Jo, Betty, and Rokki have created a really fantastic hair care line called ALKALI Beauty.  When I asked her how she knew products to create, she said her over 30 years in the industry absolutely guided her to know what complaints her clients have and what their needs are.  The group tested the products on their clients and got a first-hand understanding of what works best for both women and men with various hair types.  These stylists have years of experience and literally put their hearts and soul into creating the best possible products for their clients.  I absolutely love when folks put it all on the line and create something out of love and a desire to make something unique and needed!  Let’s face it – most of us spend a lot of time on our hair and using quality hair care products is key to having healthy hair.

The names of the products might make you chuckle I am sure like HARD, VIP, 4PLAY SPRAY.  Michelle said they wanted to bring the fun back into hair.  Alkali Beauty fuses science and sensuality to deliver salon-quality hair care products to create the look you desire. The salon-quality products infuse your hair with essential elements while adding a touch of playfulness to your everyday routine.  They’ve included ingredients such as marula oil and aloe that make your hair look fabulous!  I have been using this line for several months now and my hair has really responded to the natural ingredients.  My hair is pretty moody (just ask Michelle!) and if it doesn’t like a product it lets me know!  I particularily love the VIP hair moisturizing serum that contains meadowfoam seed oil.  All of the products smell really nice and not in an artificial way.  They searched far and wide to bring quality, natural ingredients to include in their products. Michelle said she wanted to use ingredients found in South Africa to bring a little bit of her heritage into this beauty product line.

When I asked Michelle what advice she would give other women looking to start their own business or product line she said that having a sense of humor is key as is having nerves of steel.  You are going to be dealing with a lot of different situations and it is all a learning curve!

I love when people go after their dreams and so happy to share Michelle’s story with all of you! Here are her own words about her background and why she decided to get into the industry.

1.  Tell us a bit about your background and why you got into this profession

I am originally from South Africa. Dreamed of being a fashion designer, but could not afford design school, so hairdressing was the next best option, and there I fell in love with hair.

2.  What advice would you give other women looking to start their own business.

It's absolutely not rainbows and butterflies. You need a thick skin and a really good sense of humor. Every once in a while, you may need a stiff drink! There are a lot of bumps in the road, but I have never felt so proud of anything I've achieved, and you will realize that your life really means something. Being able to provide jobs, and being in an industry so dominated by girl power and women helping women is truly a blessing.

3.  What were some steps you took to make Alkali Salon and Alkali Beauty Products a reality?

I took a lot of risks, did a lot of homework, and assembled a great team of people who help motivate me when things are tough and maintain the vision. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.

4.  What products do you think are essential for healthy hair?  What hair tips can you give us busy women?

A good primer is your hairs best friend.  It's your first line of defense against the everything we do to our hair, and we spent a lot of time and energy developing a primer that we are extremely proud of.

5.  Any news you want to share with our lovely dandelion moms?

We are currently working on expanding our line and we would ultimately like it to encompass all areas of beauty.

You can find Alkali Beauty products here and be sure to use code to get 10% off!

Note:  We are part of the Alkali Beauty Influencers and provided with promotional materials but all opinions are our own.