- September 2, 2021
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NEENAH – A local business is reinventing itself with a goal of elevating and giving back to other organizations in the community.
Salon di Amici at 485 S. Green Bay Rd. in Neenah, which has provided professional salon services in the Fox Valley since 2006, announced May 24 that it has completed a major rebranding. Changes with the rebranding include an updated logo as well as a new mantra — “You, only better!”
But those details barely scratch the surface of what salon owner Becky St. Mary hopes to achieve.
“It’s really about family and community and giving back to the small businesses,” St. Mary told The Post-Crescent of her business’s resolve amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Salon co-owner and St. Mary’s business partner Jan Lewis retired in January 2020 after nearly 40 years in the industry. It was St. Mary’s turn to run the salon as its sole owner.
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But then the coronavirus pandemic hit. The safer-at-home order derailed Salon di Amici for the next eight weeks and St. Mary had to navigate the restrictions of the pandemic for the rest of 2020.
“I feel like I didn’t have the chance to run the joint myself until now,” she said.
During the pandemic, St. Mary not only kept her own business afloat but gave a boost to other Neenah businesses as well. She started the Facebook group “EAT. DRINK. SHOP. NEENAH,” a platform for Neenah business owners and residents to promote their businesses and events and keep each other informed, last March.
“When we shut down, and I could see all my fellow businesses, especially the restaurants, trying to struggle to get out on the social media,” St. Mary said, “[EAT. DRINK. SHOP. NEENAH] was something for me that I could give back.”
The Facebook group has been a massive success and now has nearly 2,000 members. St. Mary was recognized for her efforts in the community: She was elected a board member of Future Neenah, a nonprofit supporting community and economic development in the city, and received a visionary award from the nonprofit.
Now, St. Mary hopes to use Salon di Amici’s platform to further support local businesses.
“What came out of a year of adjustment, reflection and drive was a rebranding focused on giving back and elevating others through continued customer focus, better utilizing the platform the salon provides to elevate other small businesses,” St. Mary said. “I am excited to help other small businesses in our wonderful city. I hope to get the same in return.”
Salon di Amici has a slew of events scheduled for the month of June, including salon specials as well as giveaways that will promote other Neenah businesses. St. Mary celebrated Salon di Amici’s new beginning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
“As a small business myself, if [other local businesses] wouldn’t have supported me through what we went through last year, who knows what would have happened,” St. Mary said. “There are so many reasons to keep doing what I’m doing, times 10.”
Salon di Amici is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and is closed Sunday. Call 920-886-2950 or visit its website for more information on the salon’s upcoming specials.
Contact Brad Star at bstar@postcrescent.com. Follow him on Twitter at @byBradStar.