Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Local Spotlight Interview with Cindy Reynolds. By Rachel Morgan.

Walking into Mermaid Hair Extensions, you instantly see why owner Cindy Reynolds is a true master of her craft. Her branding is flawless. From shimmering mermaid scales throughout the salon to her own line of branded mermaid retail products and hair, Cindy has created more than just a salon. Cindy has built a space where every guest feels beautiful, cared for, and completely at home.

We’re dying to know, how did Mermaid Hair Extensions come to be?

In 2005, I was working at a beauty industry trade show when I met someone who was attaching real human hair to women’s hair. It was a brand new technique and it was absolutely amazing, it just looked so natural. This was mind blowing to me because I’d never seen that before and all I could think about was, what if I opened a salon that only did hair extensions? A salon that gives you MORE hair, instead of like every other salon where you get a haircut and leave with LESS hair? So I found this little spot in Kirkland and decided to go for it! Extensions have really taken off since then and it’s become a really great business for me.

You recently won quite the award with Salon 200. Tell us about it!

“Salon Today magazine recognizes the top 200 salons in the country for leadership, growth and best management practices. It’s a huge honor in the beauty industry. This year, Mermaid was honored for “best technology” which is funny because I don’t really consider myself a techie, but we do use some pretty sophisticated AI technology with our website and online sales.”

Mermaid Hair Extensions has such a fun and memorable name. What’s the story behind it?

“I feel that the word Mermaid brings to mind beautiful, long hair and femininity. That combined with our location on the lake just seemed like a perfect fit.”

How has being part of the Kirkland community influenced your brand?

“When I first opened the salon, I started volunteering with the events for the Kirkland Downtown Association and eventually became a board member. I just love the whole Kirkland community and love being part of the business community downtown. I’m super passionate about helping to make Kirkland a really cool place for you to work, shop and live. I also support the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and have found it to be a great resource for me as I’ve grown a small business.

Every year the Mermaids participate in the annual Celebrate Kirkland fourth of July parade which is always a lot of fun and has been a great way to be recognized in the community.

If you could go back and give yourself advice at the start of your business, what would you say?

“I would say, keep going, don’t give up even when it’s hard. Success comes to those that hang on long after others would’ve let go. And, you’ve got this- everything is figure-out-able.”

Ready to see what all the mermaid magic is about? Visit Cindy and her team at Mermaid Hair Extensions and discover your new favorite look.