Crystal Inglis: Crafting Beauty and Community at Encore Salon and Spa

Ever wonder what it's like to pivot from the world of meteorology to owning a thriving salon? Meet Crystal Inglis, the dynamic owner and master cosmetologist behind Encore Salon and Spa in Northport. In this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, Crystal takes us through her unique journey—from dreaming of weather patterns to creating hair masterpieces. She shares how her passion for connecting with clients and mentoring new talent has shaped Encore into the bustling, welcoming place it is today, offering everything from haircuts and color treatments to makeup and special event styling.

Crystal’s story is one of growth, dedication, and a love for making people feel their best. She opens up about the challenges and triumphs of nearly 20 years in the cosmetology field, including her transition from a single-station salon to managing an establishment with 11 stations and 16 co-workers. We also tackle some common hair misconceptions, providing insights into achievable hair goals for all. Tune in to hear about Crystal's inspiring path and the magic she brings to each client's experience at Encore Salon and Spa. #GNPNorthport #EncoreSalon #EncoreSalonandSpa #Northport #Northportlocal #HairSalon #Hair #HairCut #HairColor #Beauty #Esthetics  #spa #beauty #skincare #relax #massage #wellness #facial #salon #love #selfcare #makeup #skin

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Patricia Blondheim.

Speaker 2: 0:14

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, Patricia Blondheim, and today we have good neighbor Crystal Inglis. And Crystal is the owner and master cosmetologist at Encore Salon and Spa in Northport. Crystal, how are you?

Speaker 3: 0:29

today. I'm great. How are you?

Speaker 2: 0:32

I'm doing great. Thank you, tell me all about Encore Salon and Spa.

Speaker 3: 0:38

Oh goodness, where do I start? Well, I tell everyone that Encore is my baby, and every customer and co-worker there is extremely important to me. We offer a multitude of services for men, women and children. One thing that we really like to do is to make sure that each client is connected with the perfect operator for their needs and schedules. Everyone there works different days and times and, just like everyone else again, whether it's someone bringing their child in or wanting to come get their hair done while their kids are at school, we want to make sure the schedules align, so we really work to achieve that goal. We really specialize in all things color, haircuts, extensions, waxing. We do makeup and hair for things like prom, weddings, any other special events that you can think of weddings, any other special events that you can think of Keratin treatments. Men's fashion is getting bigger, so we do a lot of or several of us do a lot of things with men's, like beard work. Men are really starting to groom themselves and do, I guess, more with their hair, so that's been fun.

Speaker 2: 2:14

We have a one. Oh sorry, no, here's what I get when I walk into your salon. It's so friendly. Everyone is so friendly. It's like being embraced when you walk into Encore Salon and Spa.

Speaker 3: 2:30

Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 2:32

And you you carry the title Master Cosmetologist and that means that probably you've been through many, many, many years before you got here. So can you tell us a little bit about your journey and you know a little bit about what a master cosmetologist is?

Speaker 3: 2:54

Absolutely so. It's been almost 20 years now. When I started so, I had actually never thought about doing hair. I was a senior in high school and ever since I was like 14, I wanted to be a meteorologist. That was all I wanted to do. I used to email with James Spann like I wanted.

Speaker 2: 3:13

I was obsessed with whether oh my gosh, it's my dream to email with James Spann. He is such a celeb and he actually did.

Speaker 3: 3:20

I mean, and we're talking about like again 20 plus years ago, emailing back and forth with them, but I realized I wasn't moving away, we're going to do it. And so one time at a hair appointment I was like looking at my stylist and I was like I think I want to do this, you know. And everybody was like you're crazy, that's crazy. And I you've never thought about doing hair, You've never talked about it, and I had never thought about doing here. It never even crossed my mind, I'd never even did my own friends here.

Speaker 3: 3:53

And then, you know, I started school at Shelton and it clicked and I just knew that was God put that in my heart and put me there, because it is literally been my life since for almost 20 years I still can't believe it. And and then becoming a master cosmetologist and at one point you had to have that license to have an apprentice. And and now having the apprentices and taking the cosmetology students in, I just love teaching them and watching them flourish. I mean it's just been a huge part of my passion that I didn't even know about would even happen. I mean, if I'm essentially years, I'm in my third location on my own. I went from a one bedroom, one station, one shampoo bowl, one assistant to now we're 11 stations, three suites, six shampoo bowls, 16 co-workers. I've never been happier.

Speaker 2: 5:07

Well, do people come in with? You know there are lots of misconceptions about hair and what you can do and what you can't do, and you just deal with that all the time.

Speaker 3: 5:21

We do. We talk to people about the process of certain situations with their hair, what they can achieve, what they can't. I think the biggest thing for me is to build that trust, because if you, if you don't trust the stylist or the team even because we all work really well together then you're not going to allow us to do what we're there to do and use our creativity to make your appointment the best it can be. I know you know people. They'll say well, you know they're just hairstylists, you know it's a lot more.

Speaker 2: 6:17

Hair is so personal right. I mean it is just, we wear it on our head, everyone sees it, but for some reason it's so tied into our identity that it becomes like it. You have to be not only a master cosmetologist but a master psychologist.

Speaker 3: 6:36

Oh yes, absolutely. I can't remember I used to have a sign that one of my clients said or had given me that had something to do with that, or had given me that had something to do with that. But yeah, I mean again. I mean we give up so many parts of ourself and our lives to be with our clients, to support them, to carry their burdens and celebrate and grieve with them. They do the same for us and then we're always there to brighten their days and make them feel seen and heard and beautiful. And we're always there to brighten their days and make them feel seen and heard and beautiful. It's physically and emotionally exhausting at times, but the clients and the team you work with really make it worth it. They really do it's a tribe isn't it.

Speaker 3: 7:20

Oh yeah, A lot of times I post hashtag my tribe yeah, I mean, it is, I mean. And then that doesn't just, I mean, that includes every client that comes in the door and every person that works there, but it sounds like it sounds like those 20 years were.

Speaker 2: 7:39

You know, they were, they were normal, they just, they just rolled right along, but you've, but you had a significant speed bump on your way didn't you.

Speaker 3: 7:51

I did, yes, and some people that are close to me and even some of my clients, they know the safe story, and when I say safe story, probably not the way some people would hear it to begin with, but yes, right after I opened my first location I must, 12 years ago I actually had a safe that contained my life savings and one day I went to put in it and it was gone. So here I just opened up a business and used every dime that I had saved up in my bank account and then, you know, my lifeline was gone. But I refused to give up. I worked harder than ever one station, one shampoo bowl, one assistant salon while starting and running the cosmetology department for Tuscaloosa County School System, which included students from Brookwood County High and Hope, which they still have, and it's grown tremendously and I'm so happy for them for that. But yeah, so it just pushed me and I was hurt and it made me sick and it messed up my plans. But, just like when I started here almost 20 years ago, god had his plan and he's provided me more proof than I needed that I am where he wants me to be, which is behind the chair and taking care of people, and I'm so thankful.

Speaker 3: 9:31

A lot of people along the way, especially in the beginning, said no, don't do it, you're not. No, no, that's crazy, do something else. But, um, no, it's, it's not hair, it's. Yeah, like you said, it's it's psychology, which would have been nice to do too, to take a couple extra classes, but you know more of the story. Put your cash in the bank, um, so true.

Speaker 2: 10:01

What a lesson. Yeah, yeah, it was but well you're always pouring into everyone in your um, in your salon, not just the people that you're cutting, but everyone else, the people who work with you, uh, your apprentice, your, the people in the other chairs. I mean, there's just no limit to how much you put out. So how do you fill yourself back up? What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3: 10:31

Oh well, most of my friends, family clients, they would all laugh and say nothing. When she's not working, she's at work. Or when she's not at work, she's working from home on work. So but I'm, I'm trying to get, I really am working this last year and a half to get a good work life balance and have some fun and relaxation. Um, I had a little girl's night for, uh, my sister and another one of the girls from the salon who's like a sister's birthdays. One was in November, one is actually today. So we merged the six months and we went out and had a good dinner and you know it was nice to have some time, but I haven't really taken time in a long time. So, but I'm blessed with the girls at the salon. They're really helping me to push myself.

Speaker 2: 11:34

Push yourself to have fun.

Speaker 3: 11:35

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 11:36

Have a life, girl. Yeah, you've got to get a life, you've got to get out.

Speaker 3: 11:40

There's like I don't know 13 or 14 restaurants in town that I'm like where's that Birmingham? Where is that? And they're like, no, it's three miles from your house.

Speaker 2: 11:51

Oh yeah, when we're off the air man. I've got a list for you.

Speaker 3: 11:56

Well, good Cause I have a list going in my phone of places there are so many.

Speaker 2: 12:04

Well, what's what would you like our listeners to take away about Encore Salon and?

Speaker 3: 12:07

Spa. Um gosh, this probably sounds corny, but you know it's like coming home. You know we'll make sure you're taken good care of every time. Every time we are a family and we think of every client there as a family, not the family members that you know get on your nerves.

Speaker 3: 12:30

It's the good family members that you want to hang out with. But yeah, I mean every the. The girls are great. Everyone that works there is wonderful. The girls are great. Everyone that works there is wonderful. I mean, they're the backbone, they keep me going and they make me proud every day and, like you said, it's my baby, so everything's got to be as perfect as it can be.

Speaker 2: 13:05

As it can be, because we're all human. Right, that's right.

Speaker 3: 13:08

As perfect as imperfect can be.

Speaker 2: 13:12

Well, how can listeners find OnCore Salon and Spa and contact you, make an appointment?

Speaker 3: 13:19

Okay. So, if you're familiar with the Northport area, a long-term restaurant that we're located behind is the Front Porch on Highway 43. One of the newer ones is Broadway Pizza on Highway 43. The address is 4550 Station Circle, northport, 35473. And we also have a Facebook page, which is Encore Salon and Spa. You could even contact me, crystal Lane Inglis, on Facebook. The Instagram is just all one word Encore Salon Spa. The telephone number would be probably the best way to contact us and you can call or text 205-792-0795. We have so many operators that work different days and times we don't actually have what you would consider set hours. If you're in the area, you know, please feel free, stop by, say hey, book an appointment. But if you're not, we don't want you to come out of your way and us not be there. So the safest thing to do would be to text or call or social media again, facebook or Instagram and Encore.

Speaker 2: 14:48

Salon and Spa is open all the time.

Speaker 3: 14:53

Basically, yeah, it's open all the time. Like most of the girls, work four plus days a week. Five, seven, we're there. There may be someone there on Sunday and Monday, and then there's people there Tuesday, thursday, friday, and then someone else is there, or when I say someone else, there's 16 of us. But yeah, I mean we're a constant rotation. So yeah, we're there.

Speaker 2: 15:21

Wonderful.

Speaker 3: 15:21

We try to take some days off for sure, but depends on if there's a wedding or some special event.

Speaker 2: 15:28

Well, crystal. Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your baby with us.

Speaker 3: 15:32

Thank you for having me. Thank you so, so much.

Speaker 2: 15:36

It was such a pleasure. Thank you.

Speaker 3: 15:38

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 15:42

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, northport. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpnorthportcom. That's gnpnorthportcom, or call 205-809-4910.