Ryan Phillips stood in the parking lot on Friday, June 13, staring at a huge hole in the front of his business’ building.
Headquarters Hair Salon on Scott Street had just been pulverized by a pickup truck driven by a man driving recklessly. Once a location of relaxation, the building was now turned inside out. Dust was everywhere, including Phillips’ hair. Yet he was calmer than anyone else, focusing on the plus side.
“Just that everyone is alright is praise-worthy,” he had said.
Indeed it was. With four employees and seven customers in the store during the time of the accident, nobody left with so much as a scratch.
More than four months later, the original space for Headquarters is finally re-opening its doors, and Phillips believes it’s better than it was before.
“There’s no perfect word for it,” Phillips said about the journey he and his crew of loyal employees have taken since the accident. “I guess you could say I was baptized by fire.”
Phillips said he has learned many different things about himself, others, and most importantly, the Bainbridge community. To say the amount of support and outreach he received during those four months was overwhelming is an understatement.
“There was on outpour of support,” Phillips said. “Not just monetary, but with love and respect. It’s humbling. You’re not a warm-blooded person if that doesn’t do something for you.”
By Wednesday, June 18, Headquarters had taken residence at an empty space next to SOWEGA Live in the same shopping center while the original space began its journey to recovery.
“Saying we’re going to take a week’s mental break would have been easy, but that’s not us,” Phillips said. “Not at all.”
Much of the credit for keeping their high momentum goes to the other employees, and Phillips will be the first to tell you that. Receptionist Maddie McIntosh and stylists Miranda Roberts and Leanne Beaty and others helped fuel Phillips passion to get the old place up and running again.
Phillips saw the situation as a chance to build, design and layout the salon in a way he never could have done before. Combining the look he had always dreamed of with what customers liked from their experiences there, the new Headquarters is as close as Phillips can get to his ultimate vision for the business.
There’s a children’s space set up with books and tables for kids to hang out while their mother gets their perm. The pedicure room is semi-private, secluded enough to enhance the personal experience. Two new tanning beds have been added to the lineup.
“I’ve worked here 18 years, and rarely does someone like that have that experience and get to build (their store) to suit,” he said. “What I wanted to provide was something with character, but comfortable, where you come on a regular basis and not just on special occasions.”
Again, Phillips was focusing on the plus side. When things are looking down, he has a saying that keeps his mind positive.
“Just keep kicking,” he said.