Crown Extension Studio Tapped as the 2024 Winner of SASSI's Salon Stars: Mental Wellness Champions Competition
The salon offers extended weekends, flexible time off and direct primary care health benefits that address mental health.
by Staff
January 22, 2024
The team at Crown Extension Studio benefits from extended weekends, flexible time off and direct primary care health benefits that address mental wellness.
3 min to read
Jenna Bowden, CEO of Crown Extension Studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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.
Ad Loading...
“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.”
Ad Loading...
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.
Bowden launched Crown Extension Studio in 2017 with a desire to help clients with their thinning hair challenges.
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.
Discover how to create a true “WOW experience” for every client by first building a culture where your team feels engaged, empowered, and inspired. Drawing on Calvin Stovall’s Iconic Framework, this blog explores how salon, spa, and clinic leaders can strengthen culture, elevate customer experience, and build a business that stands out for the long term.
The wellness industry is growing fast, and salons and barbershops already are an important part of it. In her first blog, Tracy Rado shares where the wellness dollars are heading, and how salon's can grow with this movement.
While salon sales are increasing, owners often feel they're working harder for the same or less profit. Leverage Q2 data from The KIM Report, Alain Audet reveals some of the structural changes that are dampening your growth and why your region and your salon size matters.
Weaknesses in your business are amplified during the Holiday Season. Spark Pro Global's Lucy Randall shows you five things to do now to have the strongest holiday season yet.
In Kati Whitledge's latest blog, she shares how salons have moved away from dress codes and embraced appearance standards. But by removing strict dress codes, some businesses may have unintentionally lowered their appearance standards. Whitledge helps you explain to your team why an appearance standard is important and how to smoothly implement a new appearance policy.
The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit for for-profit businesses that provides a financial incentive for eligible employers who offer health insurance coverage to their employees. Leticia Skrabut, Esq., walks you through how to claim that credit.
Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.
Most salon owners have no idea what these numbers are.
You can hit record sales and still have a profit problem. The difference comes down to four numbers almost nobody was taught to track.
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.