Julie Warfield, Michelle Ward, and Gen Eyler are three lifelong friends who have created a successful business partnership in the Bel Air community. Hair Bliss on Broadway opened its doors seven years ago and has been welcoming customers ever since. 

     “We all became friends in high school by playing field hockey and lacrosse in 1991,” Warfield explains. Ward graduated in 1994, followed by Eyler and Warfield in 1995.  After working together in various salons through the years and being close friends for so long, the women were sure they could start a business venture together. The trio really enjoys working together, shares Warfield.

     After high school, Ward recounts that they wanted to open their own hair salon so that they could stay together and “create an atmosphere where clients felt more like family than strangers.” Currently, there are four independent stylists working at Hair Bliss. They provide a variety of hair services, such as mens’ and womens’ haircuts, coloring, highlighting, extensions, and more. 

     “I wanted to be a stylist my whole life,” Ward shares. She went to cosmetology school immediately after graduating from high school in 1994. Twenty-six years later, Ward still ”loves it more and more every day.” She says, “It’s an amazing career and passion.”

     For advertising, the trio utilizes Facebook and Instagram, but gain customers “mostly by word-of-mouth.” Ward explains that “each stylist is independent and runs her own business.” Warfield, Ward, and Eyler use their cell phones to schedule appointments with clients and keep their own business records.  

     Hair Bliss on Broadway is located at 302 N. Main Street in Bel Air. The women love the location because it is near many local businesses and offers plenty of available parking to customers. Warfield says she “loves what Bel Air has to offer.” 

     During the quarantine, Hair Bliss was closed from the middle of March until the middle of May. After reopening in May, they now have many protocols that need to be followed. Clients and stylists “have to wear masks, we have to limit the number of people in the salon at one time, as well as cleaning and sanitizing in between each client that sits in our chairs,” Warfield explains. 

     The girls usually create fundraisers for the shop and also support the community by participating in Main Street events. For example, they recently painted the shop’s front windows for the “Paint the Town Pink” event in October. They wanted to show support for breast cancer awareness month. 

     When asked to give advice to someone interested in becoming a professional hairstylist, Ward recommends being somewhere that has a lot of business and a good stylist to learn from. “Take lots of classes,” she suggests. “The more knowledge the better.” In addition, it’s important to attend a variety of hair shows to build clientele in the hopes that one day “you can be independent.” The trio look forward to many more years together bringing “hair bliss” to all.