Kristie Hoffman

Sometimes one plus one is more than two.

At least it is when talking about the partnership of Kristie Hoffman and Angela Seppanen Murphy, co-owners of Elements Salon and Spa.

In 2001, Kristie founded Elements after graduating from the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis. Soon after, she partnered with Angela and her years of experience in the salon industry as a hairdresser, manager and owner.

Quickly, the salon grew to what it is today - a full-service salon and spa with a combined 25 employees and independent contractors offering everything from hair styling to massage to manicures, pedicures and skin care.

Each credits the other as being the catalyst for growth. While both are motivated and hard-working in their own right, partnering took both of them to a new level.

Kristie said having a partner like Angela helps with the dual role of owner and stylist. The two had instant chemistry and right away they found they had similar professional goals for their salon, with education the top priority. The two have travelled extensively over the years for training, seminars and trade shows to keep on top of their industry.

"We have just clicked from the start," said Kristie. "She was the first person who made education fun."

According to Angela, there are extra challenges when there is a combination of employees and independent contractors in the salon.

"It's a challenge to motivate everybody equally," she explained. "We have an amazing partnership with our staff and credit them for the salon's growth. We are open to new ideas and they teach us things as professionals in their own right."

It can be trying to manage a group of 25 but Angela said their relationship and management styles make it doable.

"We quickly became entrepreneurs together," she added. "We have independent ideas but have met the challenges of a hybrid salon together. I always knew I'd own a salon one day and to my surprise I found the ultimate partner. Two heads are better than one."

Kristie remembers the lessons learned from her dad and credits them for having been the foundation for her style of entrepreneurship.

"Elements was built on the four key points given to me by my dad: loyalty, positive attitude, work ethic and integrity," she said. "Over the last nine years I've come to realize how important each one of these are."

They are always looking for new ways to grow in a fast-changing business. Kristie said staying stagnant is not possible if a salon wants to be successful.

"We have learned what works through trial-and-error," she said. "You have to be willing to change and accepting change is huge."

That is where the belief in continued education comes in. They encourage their staff to attend the same conferences and training seminars they do and carry that over into the salon by bringing in outside professionals for both technical training and product education.

"It's important to keep up with innovation," Angela said. "The Ouidad line for curly and textured hair is one example of the science behind innovation and it has helped us find another niche in the industry. We feel we fit the needs of the ever-changing demands of the industry."