Behind the Biz Interview with RVA Business Owner Hayden at Autonomy Salon and Wellness
Ever walk into a salon and instantly feel like you’re home? That’s the kind of magic Hayden, the owner of Autonomy Salon and Wellness, is creating right here in Richmond, VA.
In the first interview of my Behind the Biz series, I sat down with Hayden to talk about the story behind his gender-affirming, holistic salon—and what it really takes to build a brand rooted in care, community, and intention.
Creating a Space That Feels Like Home
Hayden didn’t just want to open a salon. He wanted to carve out a space where people could feel safe, affirmed, and fully themselves—especially in an industry that doesn’t always make room for that.
“To me, coming home means feeling comfortable in your own body. A salon is a really special place to do that.”
With two locations now open—one in Lakeside and a brand-new space near VCU—Autonomy isn’t just growing, it’s evolving. And so is the community around it.
What It’s Really Like to Start a Business Mid-Pandemic
Shortly after signing their first lease, the pandemic hit.
But rather than give up, Hayden leaned into their support system—especially one investor who believed deeply in their vision—and found a way forward.
“You have to have someone who, when things get really hard, either tells you to keep going or helps you through it.”
That level of vulnerability and truth is something more founders need to hear. Building a business isn’t about being superhuman—it’s about knowing when and how to ask for help.
Watching a Team Grow Is the Real Reward
When I asked Hayden about the most rewarding part of running the salon, he didn’t hesitate: it’s the people.
“It’s the most rewarding thing in the world—seeing the stylists around me reach their goals. It feeds all of us.”
This isn’t just about leadership—it’s about creating a shared vision where everyone is supported, empowered, and growing together.
Marketing That Supports the Mission
Hayden’s approach to marketing started the old-school way: word of mouth and restaurant networking. It worked, but it wasn’t sustainable long-term.
“Hiring a social media manager has been one of the most beneficial things I’ve done.”
(Spoiler: that’s me.)
By outsourcing their content strategy, Hayden created more space to focus on the business itself—and, more importantly, on being present with clients and their growing team. That clarity made it possible to open a second location without burning out.
Honest Advice for Aspiring Founders
Before you launch your business, Hayden says the most important thing is making sure you’re okay first.
“You have to know how to take care of yourself before you can open a business.”
That’s not just about spa days or time off—it’s about being emotionally and mentally resourced. When you’re not running on empty, your decisions are stronger, your leadership is clearer, and your creativity can actually flow.
Final Thoughts
A huge thank you to Hayden for kicking off this series with such honesty and insight. Autonomy Salon and Wellness is doing something really special in Richmond—building a business that’s not just about beauty, but about belonging.
If you’re local, definitely go check them out. You’ll feel the difference the moment you walk through the door.
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Book a content audit or custom strategy outline with me, and we’ll make sure your message feels aligned and drives results.
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Or reach out directly ([email protected]) —let’s create something powerful together!
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Hello everyone. I’m here with Hayden, the owner of Autonomy Salon and Wellness. This is going to be the very first in our series where we’re interviewing local business owners here in RVA to get a little information on the background of their brand story and also share some tips for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Casey:
So, starting off strong—tell me a little bit about your business and who you serve.
Hayden:
We are one of the businesses that fall into the umbrella of “annoyance,” which is that we serve everyone. Which has been a little bit more difficult of a brand to build, as every brand manager has told me.
I’m the owner of Autonomy Salon and Monus, which is a gender-affirming and holistic haircare salon in Lakeside—and now also on Broad Street down near the VCU campus. We just opened our second location, and that’s where we are right now.
Yeah—surprise, surprise—and exciting things are happening all around us, as we just got the keys to this location today. So thanks for making your first interview in the series in our new and special space.
Casey:
Oh yeah, I’m super excited to be here and to be a part of everything that Autonomy is doing. If y’all don’t know, I run their social media, and it’s been such a blessing to work with this group of people—like the biggest breath of fresh air I have been able to breathe in my whole life.
What inspired you to start a salon in the first place?
Hayden:
It is clearly very, very important that space gets carved out for people to feel comfortable coming home. And to me, coming home just means—ah, excuse me—it’s coming home and feeling comfortable in your own body. I think a hair salon is a really special space to be able to do that.
So it only made sense, once the opportunity started to be presented to me, to go ahead and start creating spaces for people to feel comfortable coming home to themselves—and also feeling comfortable working for eight hours, because who wants to do that? Exactly. And they do a really good job at it too.
Casey:
As someone who hates getting their hair done, I actually enjoyed the process of getting my hair done with Hayden, because he takes the time to understand my hair texture, first of all—but also makes you feel comfortable and makes sure you’re okay throughout the whole process. Because we all know it can be very overstimulating having someone touching your head all around.
What is one of the biggest challenges that you’ve faced as a business owner?
Hayden:
I guess the one that stands out the most to me is—the month after I signed my lease initially for the Lakeside space, the pandemic happened. So that was timing… that was definitely interesting timing, to say the least.
Casey:
How did you get through 2020?
Hayden:
I’ve just had a really incredible amount of support along the way. And luckily, I’ve had really, really valuable investors who have stepped up and believed in me.
Without the investors that had actually invested in Autonomy in the beginning—or not even investors, just investor—she was in a space of privilege that she was able to utilize to help keep us through it.
The support system is the number one thing you have to have in place. You have to have somebody that, when stuff starts getting really hard, can either tell you to keep going—or help you through it.
Casey:
What’s been one of the most rewarding parts of running your business?
Hayden:
The most rewarding part has definitely been watching the folks who are growing with me—grow. Watching those people meet their goals, after working with me to get to those points, is the most rewarding thing in the whole wide world.
I also find myself daydreaming about the future where I have all of these little baby hairstylists and growing hairstylists meeting all of their goals. That is the most amazing part of my job—watching everybody around me be fed from the same place. That is rewarding.
Casey:
How do you currently market your business, and what’s been a very effective strategy for you so far?
Hayden:
My strategy has always been word of mouth. I have a lot of guests who refer their family and friends to me. I mean, I’ve been doing hair for 15 years.
Marketing has looked different all throughout the different phases of my life and career. A lot of my marketing used to happen when I was working in restaurants—inviting those folks into my salon because I was like, “Wow, I’ve got to market while not losing money on it,” since I couldn’t afford to pay for marketing at the time.
And then of course, hiring a social media manager has been one of the most beneficial things that I’ve done. That’s mainly because I’ve never had the capacity to stay on social media as a whole. I’ve never been someone that has a strong social media presence.
I mean, I can curate it and make it look really pretty—but that also means I’ve spent way more hours than I want to doing it and being on the internet.
Since getting off the internet, I finally have the capacity to read a book, have a conversation, and actually listen to someone without being in a million places in my head.
That’s been beneficial. But the main thing is—social media still has to get done, because that’s how a lot of people find us. And paying somebody to do that for me has been incredibly beneficial.
It gives me more bandwidth to actually work in my business. I don’t think I’d feel equipped or prepared to open a second location if I didn’t have a marketing manager. So it only makes complete sense that that’s where we’re at right now.
Casey:
Love it. What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a business in your industry?
Hayden:
You have to know how to take care of yourself before you can open a business.
That is the thing I’ve been trying to learn—and constantly rebooting and re-learning as a business owner every year. Every time I turn around, it’s: “How can I make sure I’m resourced and prepared? How can I make sure I’m not needing for anything?”
Making sure those needs are met—that’s when you know you’re on a good trajectory.
Casey:
This concludes our first interview of this series. Thank you so much for being a part of it.
If you’re in RVA, definitely come and visit Autonomy Salon and Wellness. We’ll have more for you next time!