Meet Miah Zimmerman & Heather Rogers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miah Zimmerman & Heather Rogers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miah Zimmerman & Heather Rogers, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Heather and I were working together at what was without a doubt the best salon in Boone. She was this amazing hairdresser with tons of experience and knowledge and a full clientele, and I was in Cosmetology school after having worked as a some form of receptionist/ salon manager for the majority of my career. I really enjoyed the back end problem solving that went into salon management, and found myself frustrated by wanting to improve salon systems, and my vision not fitting into the current salon environment we were in. She had a dream of opening her own space, and building a culture where stylists could flourish, and their passion for their career would be reflected in their the client’s experience.

Heather and I started working together on weddings and photo shoots and developed a great working dynamic. During this time, we also talked a lot about the beauty industry in Boone. We saw a need for a salon that focused on education, and provided custom high end services to clients, where they could have a consistent experience and trust the culture and brand of the salon. We also realized that with each of our specialties, we had our bases covered when it came to functional salon management. From there we looked to our connections and the community we had both grown up in. With the help of our friends and family, we were able to open the doors of Canvas Beauty Bar almost exactly 1 year after the idea came to us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The art of beauty is something that Miah and I both have always loved, so opening CBB and running the business has been a fulfilling creative experience. We loved designing and building the space, connecting with our community, and refining our business plan as we built our CBB brand that we are so proud of. We created a unique and aesthetically pleasing environment where we provide the very best quality services to our clients. As our business has grown, Miah and I continue to focus on constantly improving by providing education and training for our team, which can be seen in the beautiful and creative work that they do.

The beauty industry is about constant change and reinvention, so offering a supportive environment for our stylists is one of our main goals at CBB. We encourage our stylists and team to focus on what they love, and this allows each individual the space to grow. We found success in providing a supportive workplace for our team and allowing room for individual creativity within the business. It wasn’t an easy road to develop our systems, but we weren’t afraid to scrap ideas and start fresh when something wasn’t working. It has lead us to having a successful apprenticeship program where our Diamond and Gold level stylists spend one on one time with our apprentices, working on specific technical skills and helping them grow. Everyone’s individual creative styles support one another, and we have an amazing team and environment because of that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start with coffee at Birdies, and then do some shopping at Lucky Penny in Boone and Monkees in Blowing Rock. From there we would go for a walk around Bass Lake, and then to Grandfather Winery for the afternoon. From there we would stop by Venture for before dinner wine and chocolate, and then to Cobo for sushi and cocktails. We would finish the day with Music on the Lawn at the Inn at Ragged Gardens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sam and Joan Zimmerman, owners of Sunny Day Homes, Inc. helped us plan, design, and build Canvas Beauty Bar. They have been supportive from the beginning, and have helped us with everything from two complete rebuilds, to HR to finances to handy man work.

Erich Schlenker & the Center of Entrepreneurship at App State. Erich has spent countless hours working with us on business plans, problem solving, brainstorming and has always been our first call when we come up against something we need help managing.

Website: https://canvasaboone.com

Instagram: @canvasboone

Image Credits
Austen Taylor Photography & Ashley Olsen Photography