This summer marks the one-year anniversary of one of our fave cityhomeCOLLECTIVE design projects, Ero Edge salon, opening down on 9th South. It’s a true cityhome love story, this one: owner Alyssa Johnsen hired agent Paul Svendsen to help her find her space, and, once she’d snagged her spot, she tapped our design division to help create and compose her dream work environment. Better yet, in order to commemorate their first successful year in business, the salon is putting on an open house in conjunction with the upcoming 9th & 9th Street Fair during which their stunning space and tip-top services will be on full display.

As such, be sure to mark your calendars for September 14th from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM (274 E 900 S is the address in question) in order to pay the talented Ero Edge team a visit, and continue reading for more deets on the inception of the salon courtesy of aforementioned owner Alyssa Johnsen.

First off, why Salt Lake? Is this a “born-and-raised” situation or would you consider yourself a transplant? I was born and raised here in Utah. I have moved around a lot to different parts of the valley. With the expansion that we did, I settled myself and my business here in downtown Salt Lake and have been so in love with this city and all that is changing here.

What eventually lead you to commit to the grueling undertaking of starting your own business? I fell in love with the beauty industry at a young age and never turned back. A lot of the success we have had has been gradual and throughout the years we have focused on providing quality services with our clients in mind. It is easy to progress and grow in something that feels second nature. I wanted to create a space that emulated our values and provided a memorable experience when people walked through the door.

The process of building your own company seems to always be accompanied by unexpected pitfalls—are there any specific challenges you faced in opening Ero Edge? The process and challenges of opening a business were more internal than I could have imagined. A lot of the resistance I felt was not only the growing pains of the business but on a personal level. Going all in and trusting in your vision puts a lot on the line. I learned a lot throughout the process but mainly that you have to be tenacious with your dreams and jump at the opportunities that could bring them to fruition.

Space is certainly important to us, but what ultimately convinced you to spend a portion of your start-up capital on hiring a design team? I wanted our space to send a message and provide an experience for our clients and employees that they could feel comfortable and be in a space that they could thrive in. It was important to have a team that could bring these dreams alive.

Give us some insight into how your business revolves around its clients. Our services are tailored to our clients needs. We hope to inspire openness and trust that they are in good hands.

Do you have a fleshed-out business philosophy you’d care to share? At Ero Edge, we strive to provide a memorable experience by creating an open and comfortable environment that one can focus their energies to empower and inspire confidence.

Now onto the fun stuff—what do you love most about your space? I love the pops of color that we incorporated throughout the whole project. The look and the feel of the room is clean, modern, and fun!

If your place of business was a celebrity, who would it be and why? It might be my slight obsession that I currently have but I can’t help think Billie Eilish, she is vibrant, tenacious, and just getting started.

Just so we can get to know you as a business owner a bit better, do you mind naming three things you can’t live without? My two fur-babies, traveling, and Crumbl chilled sugar cookies.

Finally, to wrap this thing up, do you have any advice to offer other young entrepreneurs? Get going! No matter when you get started it is going to be intimidating so bite the bullet and get to work. As I always say “ don’t talk about it, be about it.”