Carrie Blasco and Jimmy Hillman welcome Beauty Launchpad to Concrete Treehouse Salon in Portland, OR.
Courtesy of Concrete Treehouse Salon
We met at a salon in downtown Portland and became really great friends. When COVID hit and we were unable to work, we would come up with salon ideas and chat about anything hair-related to keep up positivity. After a hard decision of leaving the salon we were at of 4+ years, we decided to try our hand in ownership. It was the best decision ever.
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Carrie Blasco and Jimmy Hillman welcome Beauty Launchpad to Concrete Treehouse Salon in Portland, OR.
The Backstory
We met at a salon in downtown Portland and became really great friends. When COVID hit and we were unable to work, we would come up with salon ideas and chat about anything hair-related to keep up positivity. After a hard decision of leaving the salon we were at of 4+ years, we decided to try our hand in ownership. It was the best decision ever.
The Look
Maximalism with a blend of personalities. We really wanted it to feel like you’re coming to hang out but with an elevated experience. We are big DIY people and really tried to up cycle furniture/decor to make it feel more personal, essentially we wanted it to feel more like a home than a salon.
Signature Services and Products
"Honestly everyone at the salon offers something a bit different. We have services ranging from custom color, curly cuts, bald fades, extensions and event styling. We even offer education," Blasco shares.
"I'm a big nerd in the best way when it comes to education. I do independent education, fundraising through hair and also am a Regional Educator with R&Co," Hillman adds. "I travel around Oregon, Washington and sometimes nationally sharing education in cutting/straight razor cuts, styling and Product Knowledge. I really enjoy it and It’s a ton of fun sharing the knowledge I am able to."
The salon currently offers R&Co and R&Co Bleu products. Blasco shares she's really into R&Co BLEU Vapor to Lotion Dry Shampoo, "It smells expensive and feels like a fresh blow out." Hillman says he's obsessed with R&Co Aircraft, "It’s a happy marriage between a mousse and a pomade. The memory hold and definition it gives is wild."
Social Butterfly
We are pretty active on Instagram and love to post things that not only hairstylists can enjoy and learn from but clients can laugh and relate to as well. You can find us at @concrete_treehouse_salon.
We love the idea of expansion, adding to the treehouse crew, and offering/hosting education. Overall, we want to have fun and enjoy our time behind the chair while growing together.
+Details
Owners: Carrie Blasco and Jimmy Hillman
Est: October 2022
Salon Location: Portland, Oregon
Staff Members: Three hairdressers, two barbers.
Chairs: 5
Up Close With the Salon Owners Jimmy Hillman and Carrie BlascoCourtesy of Concrete Treehouse Salon
What was your first job in the industry?
Carrie: I wore a hot pink wig and hosted birthday parties at a kids salon.
Jimmy: The closest I started with was dog grooming, actually. I did that for 6.5 years, so I joke that I'm very comfortable with a pair of shears in my hand.
What inspires you?
Carrie: My fellow coworkers inspire me, and when mentoring them, they ask me questions that push me to be a better hairdresser. I’m learning in ways I never thought I would. Also, the beautiful colors in Oregon inspire me.
Jimmy: Music. One of my favorite things to do is take a mannequin head and stand home, throw on my head phones and zone out. You can really create some beautiful hair when no one is looking.
What was the most challenging thing that happened while opening your salon?
The Pandemic! It hit us in so many ways individually, but that was a big one for the salon. We started building and opened during that time. The city had implemented a lot of restrictions on construction ranging from how many people were allowed to work on a site at one time to city approved building permits. We are the first in this space, and, looking back, we really don’t know how we did it, but we did!
What piece of advice would you give to a new salon owner?
Ask for what you want, the worst that can be said is no. You know what’s best for you and your business — Stick to your intuition, even if people don’t understand your vision. You’ll never regret investing in yourself.
What makes your salon unique and stand out?
Carrie: I would say we have such a positive uplifting environment, one that anyone who walks through the door can feel.
Jimmy: Something that I wanted to see that I felt wasn’t so common visually was every station have a unique feel. Every mirror is either a different style or color — no station area is the same. We let our stylists bring in personal wall decor/pictures from their homes to have the space around their mirror feel more like theirs.
What takeaway do you hope clients have after a visit at your salon?
They leave not only feeling good on the outside but inside as well. We want their experience to feel high end, but the environment to not be stuffy or pretentious.
Here and Queer
How does your salon celebrate Pride Month?
Jimmy: Everyday is pride for us!! There isn’t a day that goes by we don’t stop and celebrate each other for who we are and want to become. I'm very comfortable in my skin, not just as a gay man but as a individual. I'm one lucky guy to get to work along side such open minded individuals.
What are ways that you make your salon inclusive to everyone who visits?
Carrie: Genderless pricing is a big one. We welcome all hair types, age, style and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. From the feedback we have gotten, people who have come to visit have left feeling like that’s what we represent and stand for. That’s pretty cool!
Are there any changes you would like to see the industry make or gaps that you think need to be filled to make queer individuals (both clients and stylists) feel more welcomed/accepted?
Carrie: I feel like there is this gap in the industry of not seeing more of an array of people from all walks of life in the same salon space.
Jimmy: I totally agree. It’s been fun to see people in our shop interact and have genuine conversation that you may not see so commonly on the streets. The best part is when they realize they have so much in common! I think we need more of that for sure.
Jimmy Hillman and Carrie BlascoCourtesy of Concrete Treehouse Salon
