Meet Aja Ottero | MĀE Salon + Wellness Founder & Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aja Ottero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aja, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Choosing to actually LEAD. I’ve had bosses, managers, owners, present owners and remote owners, but very few true leaders. So, I made the decision to invest in learning how to, and choosing to be a transformative leader that is deeply invested in my team and their growth inside and outside of the salon. I was a good empathetic leader, but that isn’t always the whole picture.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I love this question too! And it’s one for me that comes two fold – both the stylist experience and the client experience.

The salon industry is an interesting and highly competitive space in Denver. You either work as a commissioned employee, rent your chair, or rent your suite. In the latter two, you typically loose a coach/mentor unless you’ve gotten really lucky in a space that has championed that balance, but they are few a far between. I don’t necessarily think one way is right vs the other, but what I did notice after having done all three was that something was missing.

Stylists are artists, so they need both the artistic freedom to manage their creativity openly and authentically, as well as the structure to support growth and scaling. I wanted to build the cross-over of both worlds. A place where stylists have the independence to lean into their artistry, but also take the heavy lifting off their shoulders by not having to do it all: be self-employed, shopping for their product, managing their books, bookkeeping, accounting, being self-insured, taking care of clients, and doing the craft. While there are many business-savvy minds in this industry, I’ve also watched so many drowning in the extra work and their careers suffering because they don’t have a coach.

I feel proud of the structure I’ve built, much different than any I’ve seen in Denver. Building something out of the ordinary without a clear example to follow is TOUGH, but so rewarding. I’m grateful every day, in the hard days and of course in the days filled with wins!

I also wanted the client experience to evolve. For many feminine-expressing bodies, “Self Care” generally comes back to vanity. Hair, pedicures, manicures, shopping, facials, make-up, etc. There is so much more to witness within ourselves when we sit with ourselves. I wanted to build a space that held both, because no matter how good you look, if you don’t feel good on the inside, you don’t look good either. Folks need to have safe spaces to retreat outside of vanity. Mae Salon aims to be a “third place,” and a true wellness space. Learn the gift of sound baths, meditation, breath work, IV hydration, and community. At Mae, we do it all.

I’ve moved my career in business ownership in small scales at a time, from a suite, to a tiny three-chair salon, and from there to our 2300sqft salon today. This has definitely been the biggest, hardest, and most intensive jump but I’m proud to say I really feel we’ve overcome some of the biggest hurdles!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m certainly a creature of habit and comfort so when I find my spots, you can find me there time and time again.

I’m often posted up with my computer at Sidepony, Moonflower or Hello Darling. Lunch at Vital Root, nachos at El Camino, and Illegal Pete’s on SoBo are always a go-to. Okay yeah and Hey Kiddo and The Champagne Tiger Patio are always a vibe, any patio really. I love to walk the parks/lakes in Denver. And I’m over 30 so you don’t catch me out late or drinking very often these days but if I am it’s in vibey, dark, moody aesthetics like The Mockingbird, Esp Hifi, or Lady Jane.

I just hosted a friend for the weekend and my first step was to text my friends @datenightdenver, for some good inspiration of where to head next!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I love this question because I’ve always said that I am a little blend of everyone I’ve met along the way. I had young parents who certainly did they best they could, but I also spent a lot of time through my young years in observation. I have really absorbed a lot of my core from the people I’ve crossed paths with who were living such beautiful examples of lives that I had never witnessed.

There are two staples that come to mind when I think of people I’ve always admired and strived to embody. A friend when I was young in my first childcare job, Tara, and an incredible mentor I had at my first salon, Christine. They both were the epitome of bright light that filled the room, positive energy, and a constant reminder to strive to be a really great person. I still reflect on their impact to my journey despite being 15-20 years ago.

Glennon Doyle and Brene Brown are big inspirations of mine.

And quite honesty, my therapist! (She would coach me to also say myself ha) She has truly guided me through so much, helped me discover the best parts of me through some very difficult times, and land on the leader that I dreamt of being. I’ve put in a lot of hours in those sessions to undo, redo, and reconstruct myself for the best. Worth every penny and then some.

Website: https://www.maesalon.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maesalondenver

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mae-salon-wellness

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maesalonwellness

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mae-salon-wellness-denver-2

Image Credits
Brittany Outz and Tabor Aragon