Not for all the bleach at Clorox...

A little over three years ago I had the brilliant beyond brilliant idea that I should start a business - maybe you've heard of it?  I began by selling lip balm.  Seems innocent enough, right?  How much could it possibly cost to make a tube of lip balm??? Let me tell you... it was $108 dollars.  No kidding.  $108 dollars to perfect my lip balm recipe and have it ready to sell to the public.  I have since given up the attempt at selling that lip balm, knowing that the other "bee" named company is so much better at it that I could have ever been... but it just so happened that I was using my lip balm in a salon one afternoon.  I had never been there before, my first visit, having some streaks put in my hair (I have way too much hair to maintain being a full blond), pulled out my little tube of Buttercreme flavored lip stuff, slapped it on my lips and picked up my first store.  That salon happened to be Blondie's.  It was fortunate for me that the owner, Jennie, decided that she loved Buttercreme lip balm and also fortunate for me that she forgave me when I stopped selling it.  Jennie still owns Blondie's, it's still my salon of choice and for 3 years they have been selling Birdz & Beez products with great success.

When it came time to start putting out a newsletter, I knew that I wanted to feature Blondie's at the very beginning.  I firmly believe that they are the best place in the KC Metro to kill and afternoon with your head covered in tin foil and breathing in the scent of bleach and Good Scentz candles, of course.  I was able to get an appointment with Jennie (that's a lot harder to do than it used to be!) and ask her a few questions about herself, Blondie's and life in general.  Here is what Jennie Doran had to say to me.  Thanks girl and it's about time to get out your foil again...

Queen Bee: So, Jennie, I've known you for quite a while and I have been coming here about as long as you have been open.  What was that date?  When did you "snip the ribbon" on Blondie's?

Jennie Doran:  Well, we opened the doors on September 5, 2006.  We just celebrated our three year anniversary with a big open house back in October!  It was great!

QB: What is your favorite thing about being a salon owner?  I am going to assume it has something to do with your love of hair!

JD: I always knew that I wanted to be a salon owner.  I had been working as a stylist at a salon that was also a retail store.  When that store went out of business, all of us stylists were obviously looking for another home.  I knew then that was my time to go out on my own.  I got some help from my family to get all the funding together for my own place and the rest is history.

QB: What is your favorite thing to do for your clients... foil, perms, what?  

JD:  I LOVE to do short razor cuts and foiling!  Those are always fun to see the results at the end of the appointment.

QB: What would be one piece of advice that you would give to all of your clients?

JD: Change it up!  Just try something different for the new season!  Don't worry about it at all, since hair grown back!  It's a constantly repeating opportunity to reinvent your look!

QB: If I looked in your fridge right now, what would I find?

JD: Lean Cuisine for me, strawberry milk for my daughter and leftover pizza that belongs to my husband.  I actually have a lot of condiments.  I don't have a bunch of food but I do have a bunch of stuff that goes with food!

QB: If you could go to the past, WHEN would you visit?

JD:  Boy, I would love to be my great-grandmother's hairdresser!  She had these really awesome finger waves and I would just love to know how to do that!

QB: Roadrunner or Coyote?

JD: Coyote, of course!

QB: Tom or Jerry?

JD: Tom.

QB: What is the first thing that you would buy if you found out that you had just won the lottery?

JD: I would buy a Chick-Fil-A franchise.  Yum!

QB: If you had one superpower, what would it be?

JD: I would be a mind reader!  Can you imagine how much you would love your hairdresser?

That was the end of our "appointment" and Jennie had to get back to her REAL CLIENTS for the day.  I am so thankful that, not only did she take some time out of her schedule to chat with me, but she also made a special offer available to my newsletter readers for the entire month of February!

You can visit Jennie - or any of the other ladies - at Blondie's at 17201 E. 40 Highway, Independence, MO 64055.  Their hours are from 9am to 7pm Tuesday - Thursday, 9am to 6 pm Fridays and 9am to 5pm Saturdays.  Appointments are required but I would strongly recommend one.  Call them up at 816-373-9594 and join in on the fun.  You can find out for yourself if life really is better blond!