For Kasey, becoming a salon owner wasn’t part of some perfectly mapped-out five-year plan. It was a leap of faith. After 15 years behind the chair, Kasey had experienced nearly every type of salon environment imaginable—from commission-based salons to suite renting and, eventually, owning a tiny micro-salon in downtown Sarasota. At the same time, she was raising two young daughters with her husband.
Then, unexpectedly, the future she had built suddenly changed: her landlord told her the building was going to be demolished. Kasey had a choice. She could return to a salon environment she already knew—or take a chance on creating the kind of salon she had always wished existed.
She chose the leap. That leap became Maven & Mane.
THE IDEA WAS SIMPLE. THE VISION WASN’T.
Maven & Mane opened its doors in January 2022 with a simple but ambitious vision: give stylists the best of both worlds. Kasey wanted talented stylists to experience the community and culture of working alongside a team without giving up the freedom and flexibility of being independent. That meant creating a place where stylists could build their own businesses, control their schedules, maintain a healthy work-life balance, work independently, and still feel connected to something bigger.
The response was immediate. What began with six chairs quickly grew to nine, and after the first year, Maven & Mane expanded into the neighboring space, bringing the salon to 16 chairs. Then came another leap. By its third year, Kasey opened a second location in St. Petersburg. Today: 32 women. Two locations. And the growth hasn’t stopped. What began as an unexpected setback became the opportunity to build something far bigger than Kasey originally imagined.
YOU CAN FEEL THE CULTURE
Ask Kasey what makes Maven & Mane special, and her answer comes quickly: the culture. This isn’t simply a group of stylists sharing a building. The women of Maven & Mane genuinely enjoy being together. They support one another behind the chair, celebrate each other’s successes, and spend time together outside of work—and many have formed friendships that extend well beyond the salon. That connection is something Kasey believes clients can feel the moment they walk through the door.
But culture isn’t the only thing that makes the experience special. Kasey and her team pay attention to the details—from the scent of the salon and the products they use to the drinks and snacks offered to clients. The goal is an environment that feels elevated and beautiful without ever feeling cold or intimidating: beautiful, yes, welcoming, absolutely, and comfortable enough to feel at home.
Maven & Mane isn’t simply a place to get your hair done. It’s a place where people are meant to feel good.
WHERE COLOR MEETS TRANSFORMATION
Maven & Mane is primarily known as a color and extension-focused salon, with a team deeply committed to education and continued growth. For Kasey, one of the most rewarding parts of the work is seeing customized color and extensions come together to create a complete transformation—because a transformation isn’t just about technique.
Every client walks through the door with a vision. The stylist’s job is to combine technical skill, creativity, experience, and communication to bring that vision to life—while creating something that feels uniquely theirs. And when all of those pieces come together, transformations walk out of Maven & Mane every day.
The goal remains simple: help every client leave feeling like the absolute best version of herself.
MORE THAN HAIR
There is one client transformation that captures the heart of Maven & Mane better than almost anything else. A woman came to the salon after going through chemotherapy. She had lost all of her hair, and after entering remission, she was beginning the process of growing it back. Her hair had reached a pixie length, but she desperately missed having long hair—and, more importantly, wanted to feel like herself again.
After a consultation with one of Maven & Mane’s extension specialists, the stylist carefully created a customized extension transformation. Then came the moment the client saw herself with long hair again. She cried—not simply because she loved the extensions, but because, for a moment, she felt like herself again.
The transformation went on to win an award through the extension company where the stylist trained, but the recognition was secondary to what the experience meant to the client. For Kasey, moments like this are a powerful reminder that hairstylists do far more than create beautiful hair. They can help people reconnect with themselves.
A LITTLE TRUST GOES A LONG WAY
If Kasey could tell every client one thing, it would be this: hairstylists aren’t magicians. They’re highly trained professionals who spend years investing in education, technique, formulation, problem-solving, and experience. Behind every beautiful transformation is an enormous amount of work that may never be visible in the finished photograph.
And then there’s the relationship. Stylists celebrate their clients’ milestones. They hear about their families. They watch their lives change. Over time, they often build relationships that last for years.
So Kasey’s advice is simple: “Trust your stylist. Communicate openly. Be honest about your hair history. Share your vision. Trust the process. And allow your stylist to use her expertise to help you get there.”
Because beautiful hair isn’t a one-way transaction. It’s a partnership.
CREATING CAREERS, NOT JUST JOBS
Looking toward the future, Kasey’s vision for Maven & Mane extends far beyond adding more chairs or locations.
Her greatest motivation is watching the women around her succeed. She wants Maven & Mane to be an environment where stylists can build careers and lives that exceed even their wildest expectations.
For Kasey, there is something incredibly fulfilling about watching a stylist grow her clientele, become financially successful, gain confidence, reach personal milestones, and create a life she genuinely loves.
Knowing Maven & Mane played even a small role in that journey is one of the most rewarding parts of being a salon owner. And Kasey believes they are only getting started.
BEAUTY WITH A BIGGER PURPOSE
At its heart, Maven & Mane is a community—a place where talented women come together to create, laugh, connect with clients, learn from one another, and make people feel beautiful. But that community doesn’t stop at the salon doors.
Giving back is part of the Maven & Mane identity. Each year, the team adopts children’s Christmas wish lists to help make the holidays brighter for families. When disasters strike or people in need require support, the women of Maven & Mane come together to raise awareness, funds, and resources—they have raised money for essential supplies for victims of the California wildfires and hurricanes in other states, and most recently the team came together to raise awareness and funds to provide hot meals to families affected by the Colombia earthquake.
For Kasey, that’s what being a successful salon is really about. She is proud of the beautiful spaces Maven & Mane has created, but she is even prouder of the women who fill them—and the way they show up for their clients, each other, and their community.
“They are Maven & Mane.”
MEET KASEY
Kasey’s journey from hairstylist to salon owner is a story about taking an unexpected setback and turning it into an opportunity. What started as one tiny salon in downtown Sarasota has grown into two thriving locations, a team of 32 women, and a community built around creativity, connection, education, and purpose.
Maven & Mane represents the kind of salon Kasey always wished existed. Today, she gets to share that vision with every stylist and client who walks through its doors.
For Kasey, the leap was worth it. And judging by what Maven & Mane has become, she’s not done leaping yet.