The Salon That Turns a Haircut Into an Experience

She wasn't just looking for a bigger space. She was looking for a better way.

After nearly two decades behind the chair — working in salons where stylists were overlooked, undervalued, and taken advantage of — Michelle Golden had a clear picture of what she didn't want. And somewhere along the way, that picture flipped. She started seeing exactly what she did want: a place where clients felt pampered and truly seen, where stylists felt supported and free to grow, and where walking through the door felt less like a quick appointment and more like a breath of fresh air.

On May 1, 2025, that vision became real. Salon Au opened its doors in Ankeny, Iowa — and the community hasn't stopped noticing.

From a single room to something bigger

Michelle's journey into the beauty industry started simply: she genuinely loved helping people. "I want them to feel really good about themselves," she says. "To feel confident — like the best version of themselves." That drive carried her through cosmetology school, through years at salons in Ames from 2007 to 2018, and eventually to Ankeny, where she set up shop in a single-room studio suite.

For a while, it worked. She built her clientele, sharpened her craft, and kept growing. But the more her vision expanded, the more those four walls closed in — literally. When she took on a cosmetology apprentice in January 2025 to help earn her license without the burden of expensive schooling, the constraint became obvious fast. Her 100-square-foot room simply wasn't built for what she had in mind.

So she made the leap. Not just to a bigger space — to a full salon built from the ground up around an experience she had spent twenty years imagining.

What the Golden Experience actually feels like

Walk into Salon Au and you'll notice something right away: it doesn't feel like most salons. There's a relaxing shampoo area designed for you to actually unwind. Massage chairs. Thoughtful amenities that most places simply don't bother with.

Michelle calls it the Golden Experience — a name that's part personal brand (Au is the chemical symbol for gold, and her last name is Golden) and part philosophy.

For clients who need something even quieter, the salon offers silent appointments — no small talk, no pressure, just a peaceful hour in the chair. Some days Michelle opens the space for private, one-on-one appointments when a client just needs solitude and a good blowout. "We try to stay above the normal salon standards," she says simply.

It's a philosophy rooted in something she's witnessed firsthand over twenty years: hair appointments aren't just about hair. They're where people process hard weeks, big transitions, and quiet grief. One client, in the middle of a painful divorce, sat down for extensions. When Michelle turned her around to see the finished look, the woman's first words were: "Oh my God. I feel like myself again." Another client — a man who came in every five weeks — had a spot on his scalp that kept reappearing. Michelle finally urged him to get it checked. His dermatologist later called her to say thank you. They had caught it early. It was skin cancer.

"Things like that really keep me going," she says. "I know it's not just about the hair."

A team built on the same values

Salon Au operates as a hybrid — a mix of booth renters and employees — and the team Michelle has assembled reflects the same care she puts into every client interaction.

Shaylee, a licensed esthetician, runs Pretty Skin Artistry out of the salon's back spa area. She offers facials, skincare, and the increasingly popular Japanese head spa — a treatment that, in her hands, goes deeper than relaxation. Because of her esthetics license, she can address scalp health issues like dandruff and hair loss with clinical precision, and even uses a microscope to show clients before-and-after views of their scalp. Megan, booth renter and owner of Megan Fine Hairstylist, is a specialist in fine hair and a certified educator in hair extensions — a go-to for clients who've struggled to find someone who truly understands their hair type.

Jasmine and Sarah are both newly licensed stylists, just months out of school, and already turning heads. Jasmine has a gift for dramatic transformations — taking clients from deep brunette to bright blonde. Sarah specializes in natural, lived-in looks and bridal updos. Michelle mentors both actively, letting them observe her work and ask questions freely. Her goal: when they're ready to become booth renters themselves, she wants to help them make that transition — keeping them in the family, just in a new chapter.

The salon currently has five stylists and is actively growing, with openings for commission stylists and booth renters.

Rooted in the Ankeny community

For Michelle, the salon was never just a business. It was always meant to be a hub. Every Thursday morning from 9 to 10 AM, Salon Au opens its doors for a free small business networking event. Local entrepreneurs bring business cards and flyers, grab a coffee, and take turns with a quick introduction. Low-pressure, community-first, and completely free. "We do business with people that we know and trust," Michelle says. "That's kind of where it started from."

Every year around Thanksgiving, the salon also hosts a Pay What You Can day — a tradition Michelle has kept since around 2015. Clients can pay $5, pay nothing, or pay whatever they're able. No judgment. At their first Pay What You Can day in the new space, they served 15 people. She's also hosted bridal vendor shows, participated in community pop-ups around Ankeny, and is exploring membership with the Ankeny Small Chamber.

The salon is an explicitly inclusive, LGBTQ+-friendly space — something Michelle considers non-negotiable. "I want you to feel comfortable. I want you to feel amazing. I want you to feel confident as soon as you walk out the door."

What's next

Michelle's eyes are set on something she calls an educational hub — a space where top-tier hair educators from across the United States come to the Midwest, so Iowa stylists no longer have to travel elsewhere to grow. She's already connected with educators and plans to make it a reality.

Beyond that, she wants to keep building her dream team, keep helping her stylists reach the next level, and keep being the kind of salon people talk about — not just for the haircut, but for how they felt walking out.

"We're often imitated," she says, "but never replicated."