Conversations with Nigel King

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nigel King.

Hi Nigel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
So I moved here about 13 years ago.
Denver has changed quite alot in that time, especially when it comes to the cost of living.

A goal of mine was to always open my own salon suite but in the current market most salon suites end up costing 375 a week and up.
I knew that wouldn’t be sustainable in the long term so I started looking for a affordable alternative.

I realized there were alot of empty office spaces since the pandemic so I started taking tours of office spaces I could rent and convert into a salon.
The problem I continued to run into was most office spaces do not have running water, which is essential for a salon space.

I was starting to feel like it wasn’t going to happen and then I randomly saw this passage on facebook that said.

Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Which was odd, since I am not a religious person by any means.

Within a week or soo I booked a massage in a office building off Jackson St.
During my massage I asked my therapist if this space was affordable and she said very.

So I took a tour of two spaces with possible water hook ups, and while I was excited about the possibility of it working, I also was very unsure the space would work.

Since getting sober in 2020 I’ve kept yearly journals, that are basically just black sketch books, well I started drawing up “my salon” and what the blueprint would end up looking like.

So after my third visit to the space I was told there were other stylist that were interested in the space, but they too were not sure about the space being able to fit two chairs… but I could see it.

That day the building manager made me a offer for the space that was really within budget, so I took my measurements in my sketch book and then went to a store called “Rare Finds Warehouse”

Well I needed something 3ft and something 6ft in my earthy aesthetic I’ve developed over the years and sure enough that day the two pieces I wanted were 50 percent off… So I bought both pieces and decided that day before I ever applied for the space that I was commited to opening a salon.

So the next day I applied and the application took three weeks for me to hear back, and in that time I had spent 10 grand on supplies, decorations, paint, stations, custom mirrors and hydrolic pump chairs.
Making things for the shop.
Lol thankfully it all ended up working out.

I have been doing hair for 18 years in July of this year, most salons are quite hectic I wanted to create a space that was a bit more calm in nature, inspired by my sun Sign Taurus the Bull
Since I am a colorist I carefully selected items to make the entire space look like I painted it in a Earthy way.
Helios is the Greek God of the Sun, I noticed many salons are centered around the moon which is that divine feminine aspect, but the sun is more of the masculine side of that eternal cosmic dance and many salon suites do not have access to natural sunlight.
So Salon Helios was born.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I made it 1 year March 1st!
I learned alot, I feel in that time my greatest struggle has been finding the right fit for the space.

I’m currently looking for a stylist to rent the other chair but I haven’t met the right person. Maybe this could help me connect with them.

I want to offer things I never received and always wished for when I was renting, like my birthday week free rent or a entire month free once a year.
So yeah, hopefully this opportunity could lead me to the right fit with what I have created.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
So I create Bayalage which is a very natural sweeping effect in hair color that lasts and lasts.

Ive gotten pretty good with mens cuts as well over the years.

I feel my work is pretty strong.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Gosh, this really is a labor of love.
It is hard on your body, and sometimes the things people share with you can be mentally and emotionally taxing.

It’s as if you touch people’s heads and suddenly all the secrets begin to pour out.

If you have a introverted nature * which I do* this can sometimes feel like alot, so if you don’t have a genuine love for it it may not be worth it.

Pricing:

• Female Cuts: 80.00
• Male cuts 50.00
• Cut & Tone 160.00
• Roots. Tone. Cut 250.00
• Bayalage 250-360

Contact Info:

• Website: https://salonhelios.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salonhelios/profilecard/?igsh=bW9oZnU2ZTA2MW1k