CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) — Belliard’s Salon & Spa is situated between Route 70 and the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and offers various services from hair cutting, coloring and styling to relaxation and wellness.
Mia Harris says she built her booming business on the promise of customer service and personal connection, a passion she’s followed since she was a little girl. However, her entrepreneurial story started when she was a hairdresser at the Cherry Hill Mall.
After climbing the ranks at a salon, she says she took over the lease from the previous owner.
“I went to the mall management office and I renegotiated his lease for something I could afford,” Harris said, “and they actually went for it and I was 25 years old.”
The year was 1994. Harris says her new role as a salon owner did not sit well with some.
“At that time, a lot of other people didn’t want to work for people of color,” she said.
Harris decided to have her aunt, who looked White, front as the owner. Ultimately, she says the challenge only fueled her dreams.
“I always wanted something outside the mall,” Harris said. “By then, I had already went back to school to become a massage therapist.”
Harris still owns the property, but buying the building was a struggle. She believes the color of her skin again played a role, so Harris hired an attorney, eventually got the building and then got to work, winning accolades and awards along the way.
To this day, Harris says her persistence in serving a diverse clientele differentiates her from others in the industry, and she makes sure her staff is committed to that mission.
“I think it’s important that when people walk in, they see someone who they can relate to,” Harris said. “But everybody, no matter whether they’re on the salon floor, service, the spa, estheticians, makeup, I train everyone to do everybody. So no matter what nationality they are, they’re going to do every person, every hair texture that walks in the door.”
And even after 30 years as a salon owner, she says she’s still looking to the future and ways to expand, grow, and adapt to an ever-changing business.
