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O Salon Expands Its Excellence I 've wanted to do this since I was a little girl," says O Salon owner Patty Olson. Olson is passionate about her business; that shines through in her commitment to excellence and her desire to pass on her knowledge to others. "I've always enjoyed working with young, up-and-coming stylists," she says. "I feel it's important to give a student real-life exposure to what goes on behind the scenes." To that end, Olson has mentored many students from Seaside's Marinello School of Beauty. Called "externs," these stu- dents come to O to get real life experience in the final 200 hours of their instruction cycle. "I had a great mentor when I was learning," Olson says. "He had high standards and made the work look graceful." Olson stresses teamwork. There is no "I" at O. She and her seven asso- ciates provide a wide range of services—hair, nails, facial waxing, makeup, spray tans and a "Brow Bar." And business is good. O recently outgrew its first shop (opened in 2003) and recently unveiled a second location, both in the Crossroads Shopping Center. All services are offered at each local- ity. "We're really one business with two locations," she says. In addition, O brings the beauty to its patrons. "We're set up to bring most of our services to clients at their homes, at weddings—any type of event," Olson says. That's particularly helpful for elderly or ill customers who may have difficulty getting to the shops. Giving back to the community is also a big part of the O philosophy. Many shop regulars are involved with nonprofits and regularly request donations for silent auctions. "I don't think we've ever refused a request for a donation of product or services," Olson says. It seems as if its expanded customer base isn't the only reason that O Salon needed to add another storefront: the space was needed to accom- modate its big heart. O Salon has two locations, 139 and 112 the Crossroads Shopping Center. 831/620-0288 or www.osaloncarmel.com. —Michael Chatfield SHORTCUTS BUSINESS 60 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 " O Salon now has two locations for hair, facials, nails and more in the Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel. Back row (l-r): Rachel Abramson, Niki Sayre, Stephanie Baptista and Kayhan Berenji. Front row: Daija Olson, owner Patty Olson and Marissa Stockton. Photo: Kelli Uldall 044-70 Shortcuts_SU05 Carmel Magazine 4/21/14 7:28 AM Page 8