A Collective, a Label, and an Eatery

A new beauty and wellness hub is coming this spring to Traverse City

By Ashlee Cowles | March 11, 2023

Whittney Allen, an entrepreneur who has worked in beauty and wellness for over 20 years, is bringing a new approach to the industry to Traverse City.

Her soon-to-be-launched The NoMi Collective brings together three brands under one roof. The largest business in the space will be The Collective, a coworking community for independent beauty and wellness practitioners. The Label, a boutique retail space, and The Eatery, a commercial kitchen space, will sit adjacent to The Collective in the same building, which Allen purchased in October 2022.

Creating a Community

Allen says her businesses were “born out of a need for creating a community of people who are passionate and thrive in a communal environment.” The pandemic served as a catalyst for the venture, as it became clear to Allen that Traverse City could use more spaces for independently-minded practitioners that went beyond renting a booth or chair. The model she has adopted is popular downstate and in larger cities, and Allen is passionate about bringing the concept to northern Michigan.

When a stylist merely rents a chair or booth, Allen explains, “you don’t have control over business hours, the environment, the level of professionalism for yourself or your guest, and you’re not provided with specific stimulating opportunities like education or how to brand yourself. Those things are really important to our profession and what we do.”

It was out of these needs that Allen joined a business partner in creating Team Hair + Beauty, an on-site service that contracts with over 25 beauty and wellness practitioners across the state of Michigan for events such as stage productions and weddings. In 2017, Allen and her partner opened a brick-and-mortar location for the business called The Hair + Beauty Lounge, located across from the Grand Traverse Mall.

From these endeavors, Allen believes she has learned how to cultivate a team of professionals “who encourage each other and hold each other accountable out of love.”

The Collective

Allen says she intends to bring a similar “community over competition” spirit to The NoMi Collective. One of the distinctive features of The Collective will be its continuing education classes for beauty and wellness practitioners that enable them to pursue professional development. Artists can come in and share their wealth of knowledge in a facility that has the space, seating, and proper lighting for effective demonstrations.

Members of The Collective’s community will also receive annual professional headshots—not something an independent contractor can always afford to invest in each year, even though it is an important part of branding in the industry. Community members will have access to a digital marketing specialist, and The Collective will host an online platform that includes social media channels. All members of The Collective will be able to utilize these marketing tools to promote their services.

These are benefits Allen says she herself was never offered early on as a practitioner in the beauty industry, though she believes that continuing education and training on how to brand yourself as an independent contractor are essential to the profession.

Space in The Collective will be available to a variety of practitioners, including hair stylists, make-up artists, health and wellness coaches, and massage therapists. Even though The Collective does not have an opening date on paper just yet, of the fourteen spaces available, about one-third have been reserved. Allen is receiving frequent inquiries and requests for walk-throughs. She’s not surprised about the level of interest from beauty and wellness practitioners, given that this business model “is something this city really needed.”

The Label

The Label will be a boutique retail space that offers a thoughtful curation of brands and lifestyle products. Allen’s goal with The Label is to provide unique pieces at affordable prices in a local-friendly environment that also meets the needs of out-of-town visitors.

“It will be a space to find something for yourself or a gift for a loved one,” she says. “The hope is that the space will support clientele as they’re waiting for their practitioner for their appointment [at The Collective].”

Allen is currently working with a designer to create unique wear pieces that tastefully reflect northern Michigan. She notes that the region “is not always held in the highest regard when it comes to beauty, wellness, and fashion,” and that changing this perception is part of the reason she named her new business The NoMi Collective.

“I’m proud of where we live, and I’m excited to be able to offer these kinds of tasteful wear pieces,” Allen says.

The Eatery

Supporting the overall purpose of The NoMi Collective—that it’s good for the mind, body, and soul—The Eatery will be a commercial kitchen space that allows clientele to purchase prepared food to enjoy in a casual, communal guest lounge while they wait for an appointment at The Collective.

Although the proposed menu offerings are still in the planning phase, there are several existing kitchens in Traverse City interested in utilizing the space, which Allen hopes to open in the summer or fall of 2023.

The Growth of Eighth Street

The North Boardman Lake District (also known as NOBO) to the east of downtown is a part of Traverse City that is attracting a variety of businesses. When searching for a space for The NoMi Collective over the past two years, Allen was looking for a location near downtown, but she also knew there were specific needs for creating a successful beauty and wellness business.

For example, catering to clientele who live locally and are trying to make it to appointments means thinking about the hassle of finding parking during the busy summer months. “I wanted something centrally located but that had parking, lighting, and easy entrance and exit points,” Allen says.

Instead of pursuing a new build, which she briefly considered, Allen wanted to find a space that had atmosphere, energy, and a history. “Eighth Street is up and coming. I’m really excited to see the new Mundos HQ and the Common Good Bakery [nearby]. There are a lot of businesses going into Eighth Street, and I think it’s going to be a nicely utilized part of our town where the traffic is a little more regulated.”

The Label is projected to launch a soft opening in March, with the goal of opening the suites at The Collective for appointments toward the end of March or beginning of April.

Learn more at thenomico.com.