Today we’d like to introduce you to Aja Ottero.
Aja , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started doing hair at your typical commission salon, bouncing salon to salon every couple of years trying to understand what didn’t feel quite right and what did (shout out to my clients who stuck it out with me year after year!) I quickly realized I wanted something deeper—not just for myself, but for the people sitting in my chair and the stylists working alongside me.
The driving force beyond my work has always been transformation, but not just in the surface-level, “pretty” sense. I care about how people feel in their bodies, in their energy, in knowing that the mirror will only reflect what they feel on the inside. I always say “No matter how snatched you look, if your mental health isn’t strong and solid, then nothing is.” That became the foundation for Mae Salon + Wellness.
I opened Mae Salon + Wellness in 2017- under its first alias, Chemistry Hair Lab, and from the very beginning, it was more than a salon. It was a space rooted in care. A high-vibe, high-integrity home for stylists and clients alike—a place where creativity, wellness, and real connection could coexist. Over the years, we’ve grown, doubling in size 3x, into a space that offers not only luxury hair services, but IV therapy, tattooing, brows, lashes, sound healing, and many more curated experiences that feed the spirit. The team I’ve built here is everything. We pour into our craft, into each other, and into the lives of the people who walk through our doors.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road—and I wouldn’t want it to be. The early years were filled with every kind of unknown and uncertainty: financial risk, fear of failure, and the personal growth that comes from choosing to do things differently in an industry that loves sameness. I was a young 24 year old woman who came from very little – but determination and perseverance would push me through. I tried to find many mentors but was turned down left and right by folks gatekeeping what they know at fear of my success. (If you need a mentor I will always say yes).
There were seasons where I was barely staying afloat, doing the hair, the laundry, the marketing, the payroll— trying to lead when I was still learning how to trust myself. And as a queer, late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman, I’ve had to unlearn so many systems that weren’t built for someone like me. But those challenges shaped my leadership style: deeply empathetic, nontraditional, and always evolving.
Building a space like MAE requires relentless intention. It’s not just about pretty branding or good hair—(although if you’ve seen MAE, you know the branding and decor is top notch) it’s about culture, alignment, nervous system safety, and making sure everyone in the room feels like they get to be there, and they are right where they are supposed to be. That kind of clarity came from a lot of hard-won experience.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
MAE Salon + Wellness is a luxury oasis in Denver rooted in the belief that being human is sacred—and the experience of receiving service should be, too. We specialize in high-end color, extensions, and scalp-focused care, all within a sunny, coastal-inspired environment designed to feel like a deep breath and a weight off your shoulders.
In addition, we are a wellness collective of brands within brands. We host Hannah Abeyta, our tattoo artist. Nikki Lightfoot of Balanced Drips, our IV nurse and vitamin injector. And Kaitlin Roark – our lash and brow artist. I’m very excited to be expanding Reiki services into our collective come this fall.
Our signature service, the MAE Original Scalp Experience, is a full sensory ritual— we tuck you under a weighted blanket and begin with scalp massage, lymphatic drainage, hair play, cooling quartz masks, and customized deep conditioning treatment. It’s our favorite intro to how we integrate wellness into traditional salon offerings.
What sets us apart is how we hold space: for clients, for our stylists, for the little transformations that unfold in between the foils. We’re known for technical excellence and emotional presence. And behind the scenes, I’m building an internal culture that prioritizes autonomy, leadership, and being a whole person—not just a booked-and-busy stylist with no quality of life outside our doors.
What I’m most proud of brand-wise is the feeling we give people. MAE is a place where clients feel seen and stylists feel safe to grow. That energy is intentional. That’s the work.
How do you think about luck?
I believe in divine timing more than I believe in luck. But if I had to name it? I’d say any “luck” I’ve experienced has been born from showing up with deep trust and full heart, again and again—even when it was hard, even when it didn’t make sense yet, even when the roof was caving in (literally at times).
But even what some would consider serendipitous moments – the right clients showing up at the right time, the perfect team members walking through the door – I would still say all of that happened because I stayed aligned with the vision and kept doing the work, even when the outcome wasn’t guaranteed.
I wouldn’t consider myself as lucky as many that I know in business spaces. I didn’t come from money, I was never carried along the way or had the easy route. MAE is here because I showed up and persevered day after day and have not let up since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maesalon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maesalondenver/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maesalonwellness/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mae-salon-wellness/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/mae-salon-wellness-denver-2
