Crown Extension Studio Tapped as the 2024 Winner of SASSI's Salon Stars: Mental Wellness Champions Competition

SASSI, the Salon and Spa Specialty Insurance Agency, today announced Crown Extension Studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has won the agency’s Salon Stars: Mental Wellness Champions Competition. The competition is a nationwide contest designed to highlight the many mental health champions in the beauty industry amid high rates of burnout and turnover. Crown Extension Studio’s submission led the pack with an emphasis on time for employees’ well-being through new policies such as increased time off for the team.  

Following the events of the past several years, Crown Extension Studio re-evaluated its priorities to focus on creating time for employees to prioritize their wellness. The studio has adopted an employee first mentality by closing on Saturdays, providing staff with a three and a half-day weekend to spend with their families.

“During the pandemic we saw stylists in the industry increasingly seek more guidance and flexibility from salon owners due to burnout and the general toll of the past several years,” said Crown Extension Studios’ CEO, Jenna Bowden. “As a result, it was important for us to put more of a priority on the mental health and well-being of our team. We recognize that support for mental health and wellness is critical to a positive and successful work environment, and we instituted policies such as extended weekends, flexible time off and direct primary care health benefits to accommodate that need.”

To support mental health, the studio also offers stylists a variety of benefits, including:

• Access to therapy, medication and health services through a direct primary care health center ensuring free virtual or in-person sessions whenever they need it.
• Monthly one-on-one empowerment meetings in-salon, providing personal coaching for staff's goals and professional growth opportunities.
• Competitive hourly pay and a team-based environment designed to create a healthy working atmosphere.

Crown Extension Studio opened in 2017 when Bowden saw a need in Colorado Springs for a salon that offered tailored extension solutions for women with fine hair. Since then, Crown Extension Studio has become a destination for natural hair enhancements and thinning hair solutions. The studio specializes in helping women find more confidence by giving them the hair they've always envisioned.

“With this contest, we wanted to highlight salons and spas that went above and beyond to support the mental health and well-being of their employees,” says Sean Brownyard, senior vice president for SASSI. “The salon and spa industry is rooted in well-being, however the focus must also encompass salon and spa employees to create a sustainable program. In Crown Extension Studio’s submission, we saw a commendable commitment to creating a healthy workplace for both clients and employees that sets an example for the industry.”

As the winner, Bowden will further her professional development goals and network alongside beauty industry leaders with a complimentary salon membership ticket from SASSI to America’s Beauty Show in Chicago, April 20-22, 2024, enjoying a paid hotel stay and an $500 travel voucher.

About SASSI: The Salon and Spa Specialty Insurance agency (SASSI), formerly known as the Hairdressers Agency, has been a leading innovator in providing specialized liability coverage to the beauty industry for 70 years. A division of W.H. Brownyard Corp., SASSI provides a wide range of insurance coverage for salons, day spas, electrologists, beauty schools and barber shops. Claims management is provided by Brownyard Claims Management, a loss prevention and full-service insurance claims facility. The company is based in Bay Shore, N.Y.