Meet Sherry Velarde | Owner – Deseo Salon & BlowDry

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

Hi Sherry, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It’s the people, 100%. Deseo is only as good as the team, so we’re extremely intentional about who we bring in. We’ll literally search the entire country for elite hairstylists because I won’t compromise quality just to fill chairs. The other huge piece is our culture of customer service through what we call “Mindful Kindness,” which is basically the Golden Rule. We treat every client exactly how we’d want to be treated in the same situation. Add in real accountability behind the scenes, and it creates something special. And I’ll be honest: when someone tells us we’re the best hair salon they’ve found in Denver, that means a lot, because I know it’s really about the experience the team creates, not some marketing line.

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?
Deseo Salon & BlowDry is the hair salon I wish existed when I was a hairstylist coming up in the industry. We’re in Denver, and we’re built around two things: truly high-level work and a genuinely good experience for both clients and employees. That means the basics matter a lot here. The smiles when you walk in, the wash, the energy in the room, the way you’re spoken to, and the way you’re treated when you’re not having your best day. Then on top of that, we deliver the technical side at a high level, whether someone is coming in for a haircut, hair coloring, or hair extensions.

What sets us apart is that we’re extremely intentional about quality and culture. I don’t believe in packing a salon with “good enough” just to grow fast. We go to great lengths to hire elite hairstylists, and we recruit nationwide because that’s what it takes to keep us performing at such a high level. At the same time, I’m just as serious about protecting the team. Being a hairstylist is physically demanding, so we cap hours at 35 a week, we prioritize work/life balance, and we’ve built a workplace with stability, great pay, and health benefits. I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t create amazing client experiences with burned-out people, so we don’t run our salon that way.

Getting here was not easy. I had about 10 years in the luxury hair industry before I started Deseo, and I took a big risk to do it. I put my financial future on the line and I worked seven days a week in the early days because I was building everything from scratch. The challenges were the ones nobody really sees on Instagram: cash flow, the pressure of payroll, the constant problem-solving, finding the right people, and learning how to be a leader while also being the person who still cares deeply about the craft. When things got tough, I didn’t have the option to quit. We support 23 people and their livelihoods, so the mindset was always, “Okay, what’s the smartest next move, and how do we make this better for everyone involved?”

The biggest lessons I’ve learned are pretty simple, but they’re everything. Culture is not a “nice to have,” it’s the foundation. The team is the brand. Consistency beats intensity. And the Golden Rule still works, especially in a service business. We call our approach “Mindful Kindness,” and it’s basically treating clients the way we’d want to be treated in the same situation. That sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly rare to see it done consistently.

What I want the world to know about me and Deseo is that we’re not trying to be loud, trendy, or salesy. We’re trying to be excellent, consistent, and real. If someone calls us the best hair salon they’ve found in Denver, I take that as a compliment, but I also take it as a responsibility. Because at the end of the day, this is about more than hair. It’s about people walking out feeling like themselves again, feeling cared for, and feeling genuinely good about who they are. That’s what we’re most proud of.

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’d do a mix of classic Colorado: great food, one “you have to do this at least once” concert night, and a little homebody time because I’m married with a 3-year-old and my wild nights are… shorter than they used to be to say the least!

Here’s what it would look like.

Day 1: Land, settle in, and do the “wow, we’re actually here” night. I’d start at Denver Union Station because it’s such an easy first-stop vibe, even if you’re dead tired from travel. Then dinner at D’Corazon because it’s comfort food and it feels like the right welcome-to-the-city move.

Day 2: Denver daytime, murals, and a cozy dinner. Morning would be a walk and people-watching at Sloans Lake. It’s the easiest way to get that “okay I could live here” feeling. Later we’d head through the Highlands and just wander around and catch a cocktail at one of the many bars. It’s one of those areas where you can kill hours without trying. Dinner would be Sera’s Ramen Enclave. It’s casual, it’s warm, and it hits.

Day 3: Lake day and pure summer brain. If it’s summer, we’re doing a full lake day at Aloha Beach with wakesurfing, sun, snacks, and zero schedule. That’s the kind of day where you forget what time it is and nobody’s mad about it.

Day 4: Red Rocks night, no excuses. We are so lucky to be close to Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre. Even if you’re not a huge concert person, it’s one of those places you just have to experience once. And if Morgan Wallen is playing while they’re here, I’m going. No hesitation.

Day 5: Mountains, because you can’t come here and not do it. Winter version: we’re up early and heading to Breckenridge for snowboarding and that whole mountain-town energy. Summer version: same trip, but swap the boarding for wandering town, views, and just being outside all day.

Day 6: Something pretty followed by something delicious. I’d do Denver Botanic Gardens because it’s genuinely relaxing and it’s such a nice reset in the middle of a busy week. Dinner depends on mood: Acova if we want cozy neighborhood energy, or The Capital Grille if we want to dress up a little and make a night of it.

Day 7: The “I’m sending you home as your best self” day. I’m biased, but I’m absolutely bringing them into Deseo Salon & BlowDry for a haircut or hair coloring, and if they’ve ever been curious about hair extensions, this is the moment. I’m not letting my best friend leave town looking anything less than vacation-level refreshed!

And sprinkled through all of this, there’s going to be a decent amount of hanging at home too. Coffee on the couch, a simple dinner, laughing, decompressing. Because that’s honestly where the best conversations happen, and it makes the big outings feel even more fun.

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?
Honestly, I don’t think you build something like Deseo alone, so there are a few groups I want to give a real shoutout to.

First, it’s my friends, family, and colleagues who supported me back when Deseo was just a dream and not something people could actually see yet. That phase is tough because you’re asking people to believe in an idea before there’s proof, and their encouragement mattered more than they probably realized.

Second, it’s our clients who believed in me and trusted me enough to come along for the ride when Deseo became a reality. A lot of them took a chance on me early, and they didn’t just become clients, they became part of the story. I’ll never take that loyalty lightly.

And finally, it’s our team. I’m incredibly proud of the people we have here. They believe in this company, they believe in our value system, and they show up every day with the kind of care and consistency that makes Deseo what it is. If I get any credit, a huge portion of it belongs to them.

Website: https://www.deseosalondenver.com/

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

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/deseo-salon-and-blowdry-denver

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deseodenver