Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Lee and Riawna Capri.
Nikki and Riawna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
“Nikki and I met at Fred Segal Beauty in Santa Monica as assistants. We bonded over cutting foils for hours and hours a day. Working in a high-end salon like Fred Segal Beauty and watching everyone work so hard every day, we knew that we were capable of doing the same. That was about 15 years ago. After that, we always moved together, to a different salon and another and then we opened up Nine Zero One.” – Riawna
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“The day we went to sign our lease to open the salon, our investor dropped out. Nikki asked how much money was in my account. We combined our money, opened three credit cards and created Nine Zero One Salon!” -Riawna
Please tell us about your business.
“We learned early on that we had to have a specialty to pop! That’s when we got certified for extensions together and do extensions together in half the time it traditionally took one stylist to do.” – Nikki
“We’re most proud of the fact that the salon is still alive and thriving after ten years!” – Nikki
“What sets us apart from other salons is that we treat everyone the same. When we started Nine Zero One, we wanted to create an inviting environment, where people smile at you. In L.A., there’s a pretentiousness that surrounds the area, and I feel like I don’t belong half the time. That’s why we created our home of good people, good energy, and good vibes.” – Riawna
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
“Roller skating, I loved roller skating. I don’t even know why I love it so much, but I will never forget the day that my dad got me skates. It was Christmas. I believe I was in 8th grade. We didn’t have a lot of money and skates were expensive and he got me skates, and I was crying cause I was so happy. I would go skate every Friday and Saturday and now I had my skates. The coolest thing he did is he got my skates bigger on purpose so I could grow into them and I still have my skates to this day. They remain in the trunk of my car just in case I ever go skating!” -Riawna
“I was a cheerleader for Pop Warner and we won the National Cheerleading Competition in Disney World in Florida. It was such fun and amazing and we came back to our little hometown Reno, Nevada. We have this plaque that sits in our local rec center. The whole town was so proud!” – Nikki
Contact Info:
- Address: 8469 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood, CA 90069
- Website: https://www.ninezeroonesalon.com/
- Phone: (310) 855-9099
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninezeroone/
Image Credit:
Monica Wang (for all salon only photos)
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