In December 2023, Madisyn Smith lost everything when devastating floods swept through Farmington, destroying the salon where she worked as an independent contractor. The building was left with no insulation, frozen pipes, ruined floors, and a landlord unwilling to help. What had once been a dream became unsustainable. “I was so unhappy in a building that was making me bankrupt,” she said. “Everything happened for a reason.”
At just 23 years old, Madisyn took the leap to start again. She found a new location in Wilton and launched Root 2 Salon & Spa, a full-service salon focused on helping clients feel like the best version of themselves. But buying a property and building a new business came with new challenges, and Madisyn quickly realized she couldn’t do it alone.
She was referred to the Maine SBDC while seeking a loan and began working with Business Advisor Dion Olmstead. “This has helped me TREMENDOUSLY because I had 0 idea how to do anything relating to business planning or financial projections,” she said. “I remember walking into the bank and being asked what are your numbers and having no idea what it even meant. Being able to be paired with Dion was probably the only thing that made this possible and made my dream come true!”
With Dion’s guidance, Madisyn navigated nine months of paperwork, planning, and financing to secure the building and make her vision real. His support and responsiveness made a huge difference. “This was the best experience I could’ve had being so blind to what goes into buying a property and opening a small business,” she said. “Dion helped me in so many ways. It was also incredibly easy to meet with him…He did a fantastic job getting things done in a timely manner!”
Root 2 has only been open a short time, but demand is already overflowing. Cars line the road, and clients park on the lawn. Madisyn hopes to expand the building in the future and dreams of growing the team, mentoring new stylists, and even becoming a teacher. “I would love to see the salon turn into a big salon with lots of stylists,” she said. “I know that’s a big dream for only being open for a short amount of time, but so far this is extremely successful!”