Today we’d like to introduce you to Brook Mckelvy.
Hi Brook, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into the beauty industry didn’t begin the way most people expect. I actually became a licensed stylist at the age of 30 after already spending several years working within the makeup and salon world. Those early years gave me a unique perspective on the industry before I ever stood behind the chair myself.
Over the next six years, I worked in two different salons where I continued developing my craft and understanding the inner workings of salon culture. While those experiences helped shape me professionally, they also revealed something that deeply concerned me. I noticed a pattern with many younger stylists just entering the industry.
Too often, talented new stylists would leave the profession before their careers truly had the chance to begin.
Many of them struggled not because of a lack of talent, but because of the environment they were placed in. The culture in some salons felt competitive in unhealthy ways, with tension between newer stylists and more established professionals. Petty dynamics, lack of mentorship, and limited opportunities for growth made it difficult for many young stylists to build confidence and succeed.
Seeing this happen repeatedly sparked something in me.
I knew the beauty industry could be better.
That realization ultimately led me to create a salon environment designed around growth, mentorship, and opportunity.
From the very beginning, my goal was to build a space where stylists at every stage of their career could thrive. We welcome stylists fresh out of school and provide hands-on training for the first few months to help them build both their skills and confidence. Once they’re ready, they transition onto the floor as commission stylists where they can continue growing their clientele.
As their books fill and their careers evolve, we help them take the next step by transitioning into booth rent chairs, giving them greater independence while still being part of a supportive salon community.
At our Wildwood location, we’ve expanded this vision even further by offering private salon suites. These suites allow stylists to take another step toward independence, whether they want their own private space or choose to share with a friend. We offer two different suite sizes to accommodate different stages of business growth.
Another core part of the culture we’ve built is teamwork. The beauty industry can sometimes develop an atmosphere that feels competitive or petty, but that’s something we intentionally work to avoid. Our staff operates much more like a team than a group of individuals working independently. Stylists support one another, share techniques, and help each other grow.
Our senior stylists play a huge role in mentoring the newer stylists coming into the industry. They help them build confidence, refine their techniques, and navigate the early stages of their careers. At the same time, our younger stylists and assistants are always stepping in to help wherever needed, whether that means assisting during a busy day, supporting a senior stylist, or helping keep everything running smoothly. That kind of teamwork creates a positive environment not just for our staff, but for every client who walks through our doors.
But just as important as creating opportunities for stylists was creating the right environment for our clients.
From day one, I wanted every one of our salons to feel welcoming and comfortable for people from all walks of life. While we absolutely maintain a high-end feel and provide luxury services, our goal has always been to make sure every client feels at ease the moment they walk through the door. Whether someone is coming in dressed up for an event or stopping by after a long day in casual clothes, we want them to feel equally comfortable and cared for. The salon should be a place where people can relax, feel confident, and leave feeling better than when they arrived.
At the heart of everything I’ve built is one simple belief: the stylists working beside me should be just as successful as I am.
Their growth matters just as much as the salon’s success.
If a stylist’s dream is to someday open their own salon, I fully support that dream and am happy to guide them through the process. In fact, over the past ten years, three stylists who started within our salon have gone on to open their own successful businesses.
That is something I’m incredibly proud of.
To me, success isn’t just measured by how well a salon performs — it’s measured by the opportunities we create for the people inside it and the experience we create for the clients we serve.
My mission has always been to build more than just a salon. I wanted to build a place where stylists feel supported, respected, and empowered to grow into the careers they’ve dreamed of, while clients feel welcomed, comfortable, and valued every time they visit.
And that mission continues to guide everything we do today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest turning points in our journey came about four years ago when we realized we had outgrown our original location. At the time it felt like a huge challenge. We were operating in a 3,000-square-foot space and the salon had grown so much that we simply didn’t have room for the demand. Making the decision to move was stressful, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise. We relocated into a 6,000-square-foot space, doubling our size almost overnight. With the additional space, we were able to expand our team from 16 stylists to nearly 40. Once we settled into the new location, business really began to take off.
That growth continued when we opened our second location in Lady Lake in April of last year, located in a very busy plaza. The salon has done extremely well in its first year and quickly became another thriving part of our brand. Then in June, something unexpected happened. A building owner walked into the salon and asked if we would consider taking over one of his existing salon locations in Oxford. The timing wasn’t ideal since we had just opened Lady Lake only a few months earlier, but the opportunity felt too good to walk away from. After giving it careful thought, we decided to move forward. Embellished Oxford officially opened in early January of 2026.
Behind the scenes, we have also been working on another exciting expansion. Over the past year we’ve been developing a medical spa that will complement our salon services and allow us to offer advanced aesthetic treatments to our clients. That project is nearing completion and should be opening in just the next few months.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Embellished Wildwood, Embellished Lady Lake, Embellished Oxford and Embellished Vitality & Aesthetics?
Our locations each offer services designed to meet the needs of their communities while still maintaining the same high standard of care. Our Wildwood salon is a full-service location offering hair services, nails, esthetics, waxing, massage, permanent makeup, and lash enhancements. We also have an aesthetics provider who comes in a few times each month to offer advanced aesthetic services. Our Lady Lake location offers hair services, esthetics, and lash enhancements, and it will also host an aesthetics provider several times per month. Our Oxford location currently focuses on hair services and lash enhancements. In addition, we are preparing to launch our new medical spa, which will offer microneedling, IV therapy, hormone replacement therapy, weight loss treatments, PRP, and several additional services that will be introduced in the near future.
Pricing:
- Hair cut blow dry 45$
- Color cut and style $125
- Deluxe facial $85
- Hour massage $100
- Microneedling starts at $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Embellishedsqlons.com
- Instagram: Embellished.bnb
- Facebook: Embellishedsalons
Image Credits
All the photos are takes by Embellished Salons
