“I could’ve retired a while ago, but I choose to do it because I still like doing hair.” The Steven L. Marvin Salon has been open for 41 years, and Mr. Marvin has been styling hair for nearly 50. He says the secret to staying fresh is continuing education. For his staff of 14, Marvin holds trainings every year on cutting and coloring. For many years he regularly traveled to New York City for education and then brought those techniques back to Holt. He says much has changed since he got started in this business.
“The techniques with color are totally different from 30 or 40 years ago. Balayage is a big deal now. Pastel hair is still very popular, especially with the younger kids.” Keeping up with the times means he is able to offer the latest styles to customers in Delhi Township and beyond. “We’re not your mom’s salon. We may do your mom’s hair, but our staff is fully trained and exceptional at doing all ages. One of my clients brought her granddaughter here and she said, ‘Oh no, Mr. Marvin is too old. He won’t know what a 12-year old wants.’ It cracked me up. I did do her hair, by the way. I might be older, but I can still do young hair.”
Mr. Marvin has embraced social media over the past few years and says it’s radically changed the way the salon serves customers. “Clients are more aware of what hairstyles are out there, but it changes the perception of what we can do. What is behind that social media picture might be 14 hours of sitting in the chair. That’s one thing that the public doesn’t always grasp—how much time it actually takes.”
Steven has been in the Greater Lansing area since 1978, after moving up from the Hillsdale area. Although as a young man he originally wanted to move to NYC, he says that Holt has worked out, and that he’s loved watching the community change. “It’s changed dramatically, especially the last five to ten years. It is certainly starting to come into its own. We have a lot of subdivisions. We have a beautiful school. But unfortunately, there’s still not very much shopping.”
Changing along with the times is what has made the Steven L. Marvin salon a staple of the Holt community. He continues to embrace change, and says it’s what he loves about doing hair. “I like making changes. People come in and they want a change. And it’s always fun. I mean, there are always ups and downs when you’re working with people, but it’s always rewarding. You get to know them. They’re almost like family. Some of my clients, I have been doing their hair for probably 50 years.
I always feel like I just started yesterday, but no, I’ve been doing this for almost 50 years now. And I do enjoy it.”
The Steven L. Marvin Salon & Wellness Spa is located at 1958 Cedar St, Holt, MI 48842. Call 517.694.7788 or visit stevenlmarvin.com for more information.