At some point your progeny will need a haircut. You have a few options: go for the Shaolin look and just buzz it all off yourself, or hit one of those local kiddies salons with the dizzying pink walls and the correctional lighting where you get to stand awkwardly in the corner or sit on a bench that is too low while the sound of the basest children’s entertainment natters in the background. That is an option. Or you can go to Edamama Cute Cuts & More in Williamsburg and feel human again. You can go to a community space where you run into friends and drink a really good cup of coffee (from D’Amico Coffee), and watch from the café bar while your cherubic child enjoys some story-time, or has a playdate, or maybe even gets her hair cut. That is the thing about Edamama, it isn’t one thing at all. Yes, technically the owner and mastermind behind Edamama, Eda Bilir-Messner, based her business model on a kids’ salon. But over time that model transformed into a much more holistic experience for kids and parents.
Eda wanted to create a space where parents could enjoy themselves, where they could relax while their kids were otherwise engaged (reading, yoga, art, music, just to name a few options). And a place where getting a haircut would be fun for the kids. With input form her own brood (Autumn, 8, Weston, 5 and recent addition, Aria, 3 months) Eda designed the salon with an underwater theme. But not a theme that punches you in the face, think more subtle, imagine if the Danish modernists and the Swedes had a sailor themed party. It’s a soothing space that is still bright and fun.
So how did this mother of three actually find the time (and, dear God, the energy) to create this tress trimming Shangri-La? Well, nothing like having a few kids to realize that the corporate world sucks. After being a mover and shaker in the advertising world for years, Eda realized that she wanted to put her expertise to better use. She wanted something that would allow her to spend more time with her kids, to be more connected to a community of parents, and to serve that community that is so often eclipsed by the needs and wants of their children. That means Edamama is not just a space with coffee and snacks, but a forum for classes, birthday parties, even a bookstore and a drop-in playspace.
With the constant support and occasional nuggets of inspiration from her husband (including the name Edamama), Eda was able to get her business going while simultaneous working on her third pregnancy (I spent my pregnancy eating Five Guys, taking naps, and reading Us Magazine, so I get it). When I asked her how she manages it she said, “I’m not really balancing it at all.” There is always something or someone being ignored. While running your own business can take over your life, it does allow for some flexibility. Eda runs home to nurse the baby during lunch, or she brings the baby in on weekends.
Inspired? Eda’s big pieces of advice to the parent entrepreneurs out there: carefully consider if your idea is unique and can survive in the market place, sit down and write a business plan, and think through the numbers (“they are the most important thing”).
While you may be ready to get your own start-up going, your kid still needs a haircut. You might still be considering the DIY bowl cut, but just remember this: Picture day is coming.