Growth comes from discomfort.
So let's get uncomfortable together.

Whittney Allen, Founder

With over two decades in beauty and wellness, our founder, Whittney Allen, has learned what it takes to build a loyal clientele, earn guests’ trust, and make a career out of a craft. From early on, she cared as much about how guests felt in her chair as she did about the experience itself. She wanted to work alongside people who brought that same care and professionalism to their craft and challenged one another to get better.

Around 2012, Whittney began building Team Hair + Beauty, an on-location company providing beauty services for print, film, stage, and events. In 2017, she helped open The Hair + Beauty Lounge, a full-service, commission-based salon. Building businesses across those two models gave her a perspective she enjoys sharing with other beauty and wellness professionals, whether they’re considering a move toward independence or deciding what comes next in their careers.

Over time, Whittney noticed a pattern. Experienced stylists often turned to booth rental for more freedom. That move could mean giving up some of what they valued about salon life, from having peers to learn from to the details a team could attend to throughout a guest’s visit. In 2022, she founded The NoMI Collective on East Eighth Street in Traverse City to make room for both independence and collaboration. Its private suites give professionals a place to create the guest experience they envision while working alongside peers who take pride in their craft and want to keep growing.

That belief shapes how Whittney leads. She likes asking questions that challenge people to think a little bigger about what they’re capable of, then helping them figure out what it will take to get there. Sometimes that means refining a skill. Sometimes it means rethinking how they run their business or finding the courage to build something of their own. For Whittney, one of the most rewarding parts of building a business is helping someone else see what they could build, too.

Follow along on Instagram @whittney.allen