Kristi Blanson

There have been countless women who have inspired Kristi Blanson to embrace her journey in the beauty industry. She said, “Along the way, other salons owners as well as my mom, family and friends have encouraged me to take the leap of faith and really take OWNERSHIP of my craft and my abilities. I’ve had such an outstanding team of cheerleaders around me and consistent encouragement. I cannot say it was any one person or thing. It’s been the collective support of so many that have empowered me.” With her support system by her side, she opened her first salon, KRAZY Beautiful in 2017 and a second salon, Beauty Compass in 2021.   

When COVID first hit, Kristi, like many others in the hair industry, was concerned about her business. “…How will we make an income? How will we keep clients? How will we keep our business intact, when we are not allowed to conduct business? WEV was the first organization to offer help.” Kristi applied for a loan from WEV and through the process  learned a lot.  She shared “WEV taught me a lot about my business filings.  They were proactive in pointing out and helping me correct discrepancies in my LLC business status…With WEV, I didn’t have to worry about missing the ‘dot of an I’ Or ‘crossing of a t’. Their attention to detail gave me newfound confidence as a business owner and operator. I felt they had my back from the beginning.”

Kristi is proud of being able to accommodate any client with the variety and versatility of her businesses‘ services. They do color, cuts, hair-thinning and loss solutions and non-surgical hair replacements. As her business continues to grow, so has her relationship with WEV, stating that “I take every opportunity to share the good word with others looking for assistance. I’m super proud of a friend whose dream is finally taking off, in part, because of the assistance they’re now receiving from WEV. It feels so good to know that there really is support; whether you’re  a newbie or a seasoned business owner, there are experienced professionals who want to help.”