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Teslay Beauty Bar & Salon is a newer hair salon in downtown Milledgeville that offers hair services and an upbeat atmosphere.
Owner Tieria Cooper opened her Salon in November of 2020 after working in Unique Hair Suites for six years. She began working with hair at 16-years-old as a pass time while attending high school and later the nursing program in college. However, Cooper felt that nursing was not the right career path for her and transferred to the Warner Robins campus of Central Georgia Technical College.
“Nursing wasn’t my thing but hair had always been a constant in my life so I switched to a cosmetology school,” said Cooper. “After I graduated, I returned to Milledgeville because I wanted to stay local and connect with people in my hometown.”
After the impact of the pandemic, many businesses were recovering or rebuilding their businesses in a redefined world. Cooper saw this as her opportunity to open her own salon and establish herself as a new business along with others downtown.
“We opened right after the core of the pandemic so we had a fresh start with less health scares,” explained Cooper. “But then and now, we work to keep the salon sanitized, highly recommend masks and keep numbers under control. My salon is meant to be a positive place and the safety of myself, my employees, and our clients is the utmost priority.”
Cooper describes Teslay Beauty Bar & Salon as unique because of the vibe and atmosphere created within the establishment.
In the morning, she describes the salon as laid back with casual conversation and gospel music.
Mid-day, they cut the music to something with more of a beat and the salon tends to become a bit louder. By the evening, the salon mellows back out with upbeat music but a calmer vibe.
“I try to keep the atmosphere of the salon always changing to accommodate how we and our customers feel throughout the day. In the morning, we’re all waking up, by mid-day we are flowing for the day and by the evening we mellow back out,” said Cooper. “But even as the atmosphere changes, we make sure the vibe stays upbeat and positive so our clients are ready to be slayed.”
Employee Khadijah James expressed that her clients love the salon because it feels like a family house. While things are kept professional, the atmosphere offers a cozier, laid back vibe that allows easy relationship building and conversation.
“I have worked here since December of 2021 and my regular clients love the salon because we are like a family here. No one is turned away at our door, we are constantly adapting the atmosphere to our clients’ needs and overall make the salon feel very homey,” said James.
“You need that balance of professionalism and openness to make customers comfortable and wanting to come back.”
James has worked with hair for five years and previously had her own salon business out of her home. However, after the impact of COVID and rising safety concerns, she decided to pursue a job at a salon. For her, Teslay Beauty Bar & Salon was the perfect career destination.
“Tieria gave me the partnership I was looking for in salon work. I wanted to be in a salon and she was a partner that was gonna be able to have clients and be responsible for the salon on days she can’t be here,” said James.
“I was so glad she found me and gave me a chance.” Cooper and James both work to create unique customer experiences by being transparent on the skills they are learning and have perfected, working with photos to ensure clients receive the hair they dream of and educating clients on how to care for their individual hair.
“I want to help make your hair healthy, not just look good,” said James.
“So whatever I learn, I tell my clients. As long as I’m getting educated each day, I can educate them as well so their experience continues positively beyond the salon.”
Teslay Beauty Bar & Salon is located on 105 South Wayne Street and is open Tuesday - Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Currently, the salon has a deal going on to offer students $15 haircuts. To learn more about their other services or make an appointment, visit bit.ly/Teslay.