ShadyKandi opens in Morris Green as pals fulfil their dream

ShadyKandi opened on Morris Green Lane on September 30, offering customers various treatments including hair, beauty, and nails.

In the future the salon is hoping to add tattoos, piercings and opening an academy to teach the next generation.

Friends and owners Michelle Sheridan, 46, and Natalie O’Leary, 30, decided to open their own salon in Bolton, after working together previously in Worsley.

The pair saw the empty shop come up online and didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

Natalie, who is head of make-up said: “Most of my clients are based in Bolton and I grew up here, I am from Eccles, but I grew up in Bolton, so its my hometown with friends and family here, so I wanted to open a salon here too.

“Michelle has clients around Bolton, so we both came together, and we wanted to be that little bit different and that’s where the inspiration from opening in Bolton came from.

“An advertisement came up on Michelle’s phone and she showed me, and she said we just need to go for it.

“We previously had a salon in Swinton, but it wasn’t a good fit, but this is now.”

Michelle, who is head of hair, said the welcome they have had from the community has been amazing.

Natalie and Michelle in the clinic space (Image: NQ)She said: “It has been really nice; people have come in and given us cards and bottles of wine and the community has just been really friendly.

“It has been quite busy since we opened, on the opening day we had about 50 people come into the salon.”

When asked how she felt about the opening, Natalie said she is happy because she has made her little boy proud.

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She said: “I have a little boy, Charlie, and I have always said to him I’ve always dreamt of working for myself, having my own little shop and so today, I woke up feeling proud, I was anxious and scared but I felt proud because I got a message from my son, and it said good luck today mum.

“He is only 11 and that was my biggest achievement because he was proud.

“There is a risk in everything, but you have to just take the plunge.”

The inspiration for the name of ShadyKandi came from a dream Michelle had – with her dreams coming true.

She said: “I had a dream, and I was stood outside a barber’s shop, and it had ShadyKandi as the name and that’s where it came from, and my dreams have literally come true.

Inside the salon (Image: NQ)“When we discussed names, Natalie said it had to be named ShadyKandi because it was part of my dream, and it fits really well with the vibe we wanted.”

Michelle said she is keen to introduce other services including paramedical tattooing, which is close to her heart.

She said: “In the future I am really keen to do paramedical tattooing, which is where anyone who has scarring from breast cancer or self-harming can have a tattoo over their scars.

“I love the hair side of things, but this is something we want to bring here as a niche element, there is no one really that does it around here.

“I have had cancer myself and I have a scar on my neck and a lady who I follow on Instagram did her own tattoo on her neck because she had thyroid cancer and so she was really inspirational for me, and we would love to be able to offer that here.”

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Michelle and Natalie said they will accommodate to all their client’s needs, if someone wants to go to the salon and not speak or they need a quiet surrounding, they can provide the comfort they need.

They also cut hair for children who have autism and want all their clients to feel welcome at all times.

Natalie and Michelle don’t yet have a specific opening and closing times but if people want to book in, they can.

For more information on ShadyKandi or to book an appointment go to https://www.shadykandi.co.uk/

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.