An update to my clients!

When I announced my retirement from behind the chair after 38 years, I truly meant it. Well, I thought I did…

After nearly four decades of doing what I love, I knew it was time for a new season. I wanted more weekends for weddings, more time to travel, more freedom to enjoy life with my husband, and the flexibility to say "yes" to the things that fill my heart. I also wanted to give my body a rest from all those years on my feet, holding a blow dryer, shears, and all things hair..

So many of you reached out after my announcement. You called, texted, emailed, stopped me in the grocery store, and shared stories of what our appointments had meant to you over the years. You asked if there was anyway we could still see each other once in a while. I listened. Your words touched my heart more than you know, and they became part of the reason I found a way to make this work.

Beginning soon, I'll be working one Sunday each month at Ola in Burien.

Sometimes life has a way of bringing you back to where it all began.

For those of you who have followed me throughout my career, you know that Ola has always been so much more than a salon to me. It was my home away from home for many years. Although the salon has changed locations over time, the heart of Ola never has. It has always been filled with incredibly talented artists, genuine friendships, laughter, and a feeling of belonging that is hard to put into words.

Returning feels less like starting over and more like coming home.

This gives us a place to reconnect. Whether you're coming from Tacoma, Seattle, Burien, or somewhere in between, I hope it's a convenient meeting place. So many of you have traveled to see me over the years, and I have never taken that loyalty for granted. It has meant more to me than you'll ever know.

My schedule will remain intentionally limited. I'll be there one Sunday each month, although those Sundays may occasionally shift around holidays, vacations, weddings, and the unexpected moments that life always seems to bring. One of the greatest gifts of this next chapter is flexibility, and I hope you'll understand as the calendar changes from time to time.

What hasn't changed is how much I love the relationships we've built together.

Hair has always been only part of what we share. We've celebrated weddings, babies, new careers, retirements, losses, fresh starts, and countless ordinary days that somehow became extraordinary because we spent them together. After all these years, many of you have become far more than clients—you've become friends and part of my extended family.

I'll continue focusing on my bridal business, Dawn Marie Atelier, creating wedding hair throughout the Pacific Northwest. But having one Sunday each month at Ola gives me the best of both worlds: the freedom I've been looking forward to and a home where I can continue seeing many of the people who have been part of my journey.

Retirement hasn't changed how grateful I am.

It has simply given me a new way to continue doing what I love—with a little more balance, a little more flexibility, and a heart that is just as full as it's always been.

I can't wait to see familiar faces again.

One Sunday at a time.

— Dawn