the heyHELLO story so far...
Meet the heyHELLO Cofounders
From late nights at beauty school to a people obsessed powerhouse.
We're Robin and Charla...lifelong friends, salon cofounders, and living proof that the road to success isn’t always linear… but it’s one hell of a ride.
We met back in 2006 at The Summit Salon Academy (back when it was The Salon Professional Academy). We were full-time moms, working full-time jobs, and squeezing in beauty school on weeknights and Saturdays because we had a dream and weren’t going to wait around for perfect timing.
The Early Years
Right before graduation, we were offered a rental opportunity in a tiny studio space in University Place. Robin jumped all in, quitting her full-time job to take clients during the day. Charla kept the security of her day job and worked nights and weekends to build her book.
Then 2012 happened. A city sewer line backed up into our space (yes, literal 💩), and we lost everything. But a kind client connected us with a temporary spot in Proctor, and by pure fate, Robin spotted a “For Lease” sign that would become our next home.
We poured everything into transforming that dated space into our first real salon. Friends and family helped us patch, paint, and build Belle. A few years later, the opportunity came to expand into the front of the building and we took the leap.
Permits, setbacks, construction chaos… we did it all while raising kids, blasting a solid mix of old school R & B and 80s hair band music, and figuring things out on the fly. Eventually, we added a partner, grew our team, and kept saying yes to the next version of the dream even when it was scary. We had no idea what we were doing but were willing to fail forward every step of the way. We split ties with our other partner and decided to do this thing our way.
Level Up Time
In late 2019, we flew across the country to attend a business conference. That trip changed everything. We came home with a fire in our bellies and signed a lease for a brand-new space...the one we’re in today, just down the sidewalk from our dear friend Jen at Paper Luxe & The Curious Bear. The walls were the darkest shade of blue you’ve ever seen, and the vision was the clearest it had ever been.
We started the buildout in February of 2020… and then, well you know what came next. COVID-19 hit mid March, and just like that, it was DIY mode. We learned how to do the flooring through YouTube university and waited patiently (not so patiently) for the permitting office to open back up in June.
Even though we were closed for several months...we used the time to dive head first into Thrivers Society and learn everything we could online about switching to commission and leading a team. Times were weird at best but we made it through!
A New Era: heyHELLO
By early 2024, it was clear...we had outgrown Belle Salon Co.
After taking a branding course, Robin realized that what we were building deserved a new identity. Something that reflected the heart of who we were, what we stood for, and where we were going. So we rebranded to heyHELLO Hair Co. a name rooted in connection, friendship, and growth.
That same year, we made our boldest shift yet.
Robin stepped away from behind the chair to lead the salon full-time...investing in systems, culture, and building the brand for long-term impact. Charla went all in on her craft and her clients, trading her CFO seat to build her wealthiest life as a full-time stylist and in-house mentor.
And if you speak Enneagram (because we do), this will make perfect sense: Robin is a Type One, the reformer: purpose-driven, passionate about doing things right. Charla is a Type Six, the loyalist: grounded, wise, and built for support. Together, we make the kind of leadership team that balances head and heart, strategy and soul.
We’re not just building a place for pretty hair.
We’re building a place where stylists feel supported, clients feel seen, and every person who walks through our doors leaves feeling better than when they came in.
This is heyHELLO.
And this is just the beginning.