Meet Niki Hendriks | Owner, IMAGE Studios Arvada & Hair Stylist

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

Hi Niki, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Balance has to be one of the most difficult targets to hit, in my opinion. Im blessed with a husband, 3 children and 2 businesses of my own so we are in a constant state of movement with balance always in mind. I met a man once who told me that balance was impossible because it implies evenness on both sides and in order for that happen the variables cannot change. He also described it as shooting at a moving target; You may hit it once but you have to change your position/aim to hit it again. He recommended I strive to simply give my best. That was pretty life changing for me. I used to feel in a constant panic to make sure that I gave my husband, kids, work, friends, and myself an equal amount of time but the truth is, each season brings different priorities. When I began my second business I was so invigorated to do more, more, more because it went so well! I was on cloud 9. I built a wonderful business and had our third child in one year, I truly felt unstoppable. I wanted to make more money and meet more people and do more things but then I looked back after a year, looked at my children and how much they changed, I really didn’t need anything more. It was time for me to coast for a while, give my family my time and give my husband time explore new things since he gave so much so I could do my thing. My family is my “why”. I will never choose work over them and ill never choose money over them but I can show them how to recognize an opportunity, sacrifice wisely, and recognize “enough for now”. After all, what is the point of having everything and no one to share it with?

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
How lucky am I that I get to work with so many talented professionals?! Not only do we get to provide them a beautiful space to do their work but I also get to work alongside them doing my own. In our salon suites we house 43 professionals including myself. During buildout, I was tickled to get to see all the plans in action, to see the wall paper in real life, to see how the industrial floors and sparkling lighting married masculine and feminine, to hear the music through the halls. What I didn’t expect was to become so overcome with emotion when the studios began to fill and life began to take over this incredible place we worked on for 2 years. It was then I realized that it wasn’t the space that made it beautiful, it was the people inside of it. Long before I had the opportunity to build an IMAGE Studios, I was in the business of beauty. I took care of my clients haircare needs, gave them a space to vent, and offered a space of peace. When it came time to build something beyond my clientele, I thought once we had built out the most beautiful then that would be the peak our journey but I was wrong. The peak has been seeing our professionals thrive, meeting their families, getting to know their clients, seeing our kids light up when I tell them “we get to go to mommy’s work” because everyone treats them like their own. It is our duty to make sure that every single pro that steps foot in our space has every resource possible for a flourishing career. We provide business and technical support monthly to allow them to get to questions they have answered and to also share experiences with other beauty pros. Whether being at IMAGE Studios is their end goal or if it’s a stepping stone in their journey, we promise to support, love, and encourage every person we get to partner with for as long as they will let us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, we would start out at The Patio at Sloans Lake for brunch, then We would mosey over to Tennyson street for some shopping. I love this boutique called Inspyre. They have great items at great prices and a friendly staff. After that, we would walk over to 32nd street in the highlands. There are lots of great shops and drink stops with beautiful views. Once our legs give out then we would go to my home where I would likely make Linguini and Clams and enjoy it over a bottle of wine in my backyard. I love to host and I truly love to cook. If cooking were a love language, it would certainly be mine.

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 owe so much to my husband, Travis Hendriks, for always supporting my overly ambitious ideas and grand expectations. He keeps me grounded while my heads in the clouds.

Without my Uncle Lee, I wouldn’t have the business opportunities that I have. He took a risk on me and changed the life my family and I will lead. I owe so much to him and will always aim to make him proud.

I owe a huge “thank you” to my mom, Kari Honstein, for always cheering me on. She always encouraged me to do anything I wanted and has always been my biggest fan. I am so grateful to have her.

Lastly, every person in my village deserves a shoutout. My family and friends helped me through one of my most challenging seasons of life and its my duty to return the favor.